The Devious Husband: Sierra and Xavier’s Story (The Windsors)

“How do you feel?” I ask as we get off the plane on Enzo’s island. We’re running much later than I would’ve liked, and I can only hope my sister will never find out that we were nearly late for her wedding.

Sierra glares at me, pure rage written all over her face. “This is all your fault,” she snaps, pausing mid-step as she takes a deep, steadying breath.

“I’m sorry, Kitten,” I tell her. “I’m the worst. Awful, really.”

“You are,” she agrees, and I smile at her as I bend down and lift her into my arms. She sighs and rests her head on my shoulder as I carry her to the mansion she needs to be at as Valeria’s maid of honor. “I think I’m dying, Xave. I’m going to die any second now.”

I try my best not to smile as I gently lower her to the floor a few steps away from the front door. “You’re not dying,” I promise her, having gotten used to this. “I think you’ll be okay.”

“I won’t be okay,” she insists, her face pale and her eyes filled with despair. “I can’t do this for another seven months.”

I grin as I rub her shoulders gently, taking in her beautiful sky blue maid of honor dress, her wavy hair, and that beautiful glow of hers. “The morning sickness won’t last forever,” I promise her as I hand her one of the ginger candies she likes. I keep them on me at all times now, along with peppermint candy, since I’m never sure which of the two she’ll want.

Sierra takes it from me and sighs happily as it hits her tongue, her body relaxing just a little as she brushes her fingers over my tie. It’s the same color as her dress, and she smiles as she looks up at me. “I love you,” she whispers. “I hope you’re looking forward to being a DILF.”

I burst out laughing and drop my forehead to hers, still every bit as enamored with her as I’ve always been, but perhaps even more so now. Our marriage has only grown stronger since our second wedding ceremony, and we’ve been very intentional about our commitment to each other. We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve weathered every storm together, learning to lean on each other when times got tough. She’s given me so much grace, and she’s stood by me as I worked through some of the scars the past left, my burdens feeling a little lighter every day, until one day, the weight was off my shoulders. I make sure she knows just how much I appreciate her, how much strength she gives me every day, and how much better my life is because I get to share it with her, and somehow, she still seems to think she got the better deal out of the two of us. But then again, she’s always been a little crazy, so that shouldn’t surprise me.

I kiss my wife’s forehead before leaving her in front of Valeria’s room, my heart aching just a touch at the thought of my sweet little sister getting her own happily ever after. I know we aren’t losing her, but still, I can’t help but feel a little somber as I make my way to Enzo’s room to fulfill my best man duties.

I sigh when I walk in and find him seated, my brothers and my dad standing in front of him, their guns clearly visible in their holsters. Enzo just smiles at them, not the least bit intimidated, and I shake my head. “That guy chose to marry Valeria,” I remind them. “He clearly has no sense of fear, nor any self preservation skills. Trying to intimidate him is like throwing a drop of water in the ocean.”

He throws me a grateful smile, and I push past Elijah and Dad, who are grumbling to themselves, and pause in front of him. “Honestly, Enzo, if she’s forcing you to marry her against her will, blink twice. I’ll find a way to save you.” He opens his eyes as wide as possible, and I can’t help but chuckle.

He rises to his feet, his smile fading a little as he runs a hand through his hair. “I’ve waited for this moment for well over a decade, yet somehow, now that we’ve finally made it here, I’m scared that I’m going to fail her, and I won’t be able to keep her happy.”

I place my hand on his shoulder as I lead him out of the room and toward the altar, trying my best to keep him on schedule, lest my sister murder me. “I get it,” I admit. “I felt the same way when I married Sierra — both times. It’s like you’ve waited your whole life for this moment, and then you’re standing there, suddenly wondering if you’re even good enough for everything you have, if you deserve it, and if you’ve got what it takes to be with women as amazing as ours. I was like that too, Enzo.” He looks at me like he’s clinging onto my words desperately. “I’ll tell you something I wish I’d been told before I got married,” I say, pausing for a moment. “You are going to fail her at least a few times. It’s inevitable when you share a whole lifetime with someone, Enzo. Things aren’t always going to be perfect. What matters most is how you handle your mistakes, and whether or not you learn from them. You’ll both fuck up occasionally, but each time it happens, you’ll become stronger together too.”

That’s what being with Sierra taught me. I used to think that marriage was an end goal, that I’d get to keep her forever if I could just get her to marry me, and I wish things were that simple. You have to earn the right to be with someone every day, in little ways that show them you care, that you love them, that you still choose them, long after you say ‘I do’.

He stares at me and nods, nerves written all over her face. “You know I’ll do anything to make her happy, right?”

I smile at him as I take my place next to him, my gaze roaming over the crowd. “I know,” I tell him. “You know you’re perfect for her, right?”

I watched her slowly turn back into the person she was before she was captured, all because he refused to give up on her. If not for him, I might have lost my sister forever. Enzo looks at me in disbelief, and I smile as music begins to play. He tenses as he stares ahead, and I can’t help but mess with him. “Wait, come to think of it, she didn’t board my jet this morning. I hope she found her way here.”

He panics, and I stare ahead expressionlessly, until my wife walks down the aisle, and just like that, I’m mesmerized. Our eyes lock, and I sigh happily, silently praying that my sister will have what we have while simultaneously wondering how I got to be this lucky.

Sierra smiles at me, and a sense of calm washes over me as I stare at the love of my life, still every bit in love with her as I’ve always been. Somehow, our love just grows stronger every day, and I can’t wait to continue writing our story together, our happily ever after never ending.