Olivia's POV
1 year later
I stood before the full-length mirror, hardly recognizing the woman reflected back at me. The wedding dress cascaded down my body like a waterfall of ivory silk, the delicate lace details catching the light that streamed through the window. My fingers trembled slightly as they traced the intricate beadwork at the bodice.
"One year," I whispered to myself. "Just one year ago, he asked me to marry him."
My mind drifted back to that evening—Sebastian on one knee, his green eyes glossy with tears, holding a small velvet box. We had both known then that despite the conventional wisdom of dating longer, we'd already spent too much time apart—five long years that neither of us could get back.
I smoothed down the front of my dress, thinking about the journey that led us here. A small, private ceremony was all we wanted. Just the people who truly mattered.
"Liv?" A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. "Can I come in?"
"Yes, Evelyn, come in," I called out.
Sebastian's sister entered, looking elegant in her bridesmaid dress. No longer the rebellious teenager I'd first met, but a poised young woman with a successful career in journalism.
"Oh my God," she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Liv, you look absolutely breathtaking."
I smiled, embracing her. "Thank you. I can hardly believe this day is finally here."
"Sebastian's going to lose his mind when he sees you," she said, adjusting my veil with sisterly care. "He's been pacing around like a nervous wreck."
"Is he okay?" I asked, suddenly concerned.
Evelyn laughed. "Are you kidding? He's never been better. Just impatient. He said, and I quote, 'The sooner we get married, the sooner forever can start.'"
My heart fluttered. That sounded exactly like Sebastian—my Sebastian—who somehow managed to say the most romantic things without even trying.
"Has there been any word from Luke?" I asked hesitantly, knowing how much Sebastian's absence weighed on her brother.
Evelyn's smile faltered. "No. Seb tried everything again last month—private investigators, social media campaigns, even reached out to some of Luke's distant relatives. Seven years of searching, and it's like he vanished into thin air."
I nodded, understanding the hollow space this left in our happiness today. Luke had been more than Sebastian's best friend; he'd been his brother in all but blood.
"Carter's doing a great job as best man, though," Evelyn added, trying to lighten the mood. "Who would have thought your ex-boyfriend would end up being my brother's right-hand man on his wedding day?"
"Life has a funny way of working out," I said, remembering how that particular friendship had developed—awkwardly at first, then genuinely. Carter had been my high school boyfriend, but now he was family in a different way.
Another knock on the door, firmer this time.
"Come in," I called.
The door opened to reveal Vince, handsome in his tailored suit, his usually stern face softened with emotion.
"It's time, Olivia," he said, his voice gruff with feeling. Then he saw me properly and stopped short. "My God, you look beautiful, child."
I felt tears threatening to spill. Vince—who had once warned me to stay away from Sebastian Patterson, who had been skeptical and protective—now stood ready to walk me down the aisle to him.
"Thank you for doing this, Vince," I said, crossing the room to take his hands in mine. "It means everything to me... to both of us."
"Your parents may have given you life, Olivia, but they forfeited the right to be here today." His jaw tightened momentarily, remembering the restraining order that kept them away. "But I'm honored to stand in. You've been like a daughter to me."
"And you've been more of a parent than they ever were," I whispered, embracing him. "You saved me more times than I can count."
He pulled back, clearing his throat to hide his emotion. "Well, there's a very anxious young man waiting out there, and if I keep you any longer, he might break down the door."
Vince offered me his arm. "Ready?"
I took one last look in the mirror, hardly believing that in a few minutes, I would be Mrs. Patterson.
"I've been ready for this my whole life," I answered truthfully.
We walked to the doors of the small chapel where our closest friends and family waited. The music began—not the traditional wedding march, but "River Flows in You," the song that had been playing the night Sebastian and I reconciled after five years apart.
As the doors opened, my eyes immediately found Sebastian at the end of the aisle. He stood tall and striking in his black suit, his dark hair styled perfectly, those green eyes that had captivated me from the first day fixed only on me. When he saw me, his composure cracked. His hand came up to cover his mouth, and I could see tears glistening on his cheeks even from this distance.
Carter stood beside him, nudging him with an elbow and saying something that made Sebastian laugh through his tears. That friendship—once so unlikely—now seemed as natural as breathing.
"You okay?" Vince whispered as we began our walk.
"Perfect," I murmured, unable to take my eyes off Sebastian.
With each step toward him, memories washed over me—our first meeting as children on that playground swing, the ice cream I'd shared with him, our tumultuous reunion years later, the pain, the healing, the love that had somehow survived everything.
When we reached the altar, Vince placed my hand in Sebastian's, leaned in close to him and said in a low voice, "Take care of her, son, or answer to me."
Sebastian nodded solemnly. "With my life, sir."
As Vince stepped back, Sebastian and I finally faced each other. Up close, the emotion in his eyes nearly undid me.
"You're breathtaking," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I don't deserve you, Liv."
"You deserve everything good in this world," I whispered back, squeezing his hands.
The ceremony began, but I barely heard the words. I was lost in Sebastian's eyes, in the warmth of his hands holding mine, in the reality that after everything—all the pain, the separation, the healing—we had made it here.
When it came time for the vows, the priest nodded to me first. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice.
"Sebastian," I began, "thank you for coming into my life. Before you, I was existing, not living—going through motions in a world that felt empty. Then I bumped into you outside the principal's office..." I smiled at the memory. "You were such a jerk, telling me to watch where I was going."
A ripple of laughter went through our small gathering, and Sebastian grinned, unashamed.
"But I couldn't take my eyes off you. Those green eyes that saw right through me from the very beginning." I swallowed hard. "I never told you this, but that day, something inside me recognized you—not just as the boy from the swing set when I was six, to whom I gave my ice cream—but as the person I was meant to find."
Sebastian's eyes welled up, and he gripped my hands tighter.
"Thank you for holding my hand through the darkest nights," I continued, my voice trembling. "For late-night conversations that healed parts of me I didn't know were broken. For teaching me that love isn't about grand gestures, but about showing up, day after day, even when it's hard. Especially when it's hard."
I reached up to wipe a tear from his cheek.
"I love you, Sebastian Patterson. Not despite your scars, but including them. They're part of the masterpiece that is you. And I am so incredibly lucky—so unbelievably blessed—to step into the rest of my life with you by my side."
By the time I finished, we were both crying freely. Sebastian took a moment to compose himself, Carter discreetly handing him a handkerchief, which made everyone chuckle softly.
"Olivia," Sebastian finally said, his voice low and intense. "For years, I lived in darkness so complete I couldn't remember what light felt like. I was broken in ways I thought were permanent—a boy who didn't know how to laugh, how to trust, how to love."
He paused, taking a shaky breath.
"And then there was you. This force of nature with eyes that wouldn't let me hide and a heart that wouldn't let me give up. You found me when I was lost, Liv. You loved me when I thought I was unlovable. When I just want to leave this world, who knew I would be standing in front of my world and telling her how I love her"
His thumb stroked over my knuckles as he spoke. I could feel tears coming out of my eyes.
"Do you remember that night at the flat where I sat on the floor and told you all my life story? You sat beside my bed while I slept. i thought you would be gone in the morning after knowing my monsters, but you were there in front of me, holding me in your embrace.
I nodded, remembering those days all too well.
"That's when I knew," he continued. "Even before I could admit it to myself. Because only love—real, unshakable love—looks like that. Only love stays when everything else falls away."
Sebastian's voice grew stronger, more certain with each word.
"I promise you this: every day for the rest of our lives, I will try to be worthy of that love. I will hold your hand through every storm. I will celebrate every joy as if it were a miracle—because finding you in this vast, chaotic world is exactly that. A miracle."
He released one of my hands to wipe away my tears with gentle fingers.
"I love you, Olivia Price. Not just today in this perfect moment, but tomorrow when life gets complicated, and every day after that until my last breath—and if there's anything after that, I'll love you then too."
The small chapel was completely silent except for a few sniffles. Even the priest looked moved as he cleared his throat and continued with the ceremony.
"Sebastian Patterson, do you take Olivia Price for your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
Sebastian's eyes never left mine. "I do," he said, his voice unwavering.
"Olivia Price, do you take Sebastian Patterson for your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
"I do," I replied, feeling as though my heart might burst with happiness.
We exchanged rings—simple platinum bands that Carter handed over with uncharacteristic solemnity. As Sebastian slid the ring onto my finger, his hands were steady, sure.
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may—"
Before the priest could finish, Sebastian pulled me into his arms, his lips finding mine in a kiss that spoke of promises kept and a future just beginning. We clung to each other as applause erupted around us, both laughing and crying at once.
"Hello, Mrs. Patterson," Sebastian whispered against my lips when we finally broke apart.
"Hello, husband," I whispered back, feeling the word settle comfortably in my heart.
The reception was intimate and perfect—fairy lights strung across the small garden venue, music playing softly, champagne flowing freely. Sebastian kept me close, his arm around my waist as if afraid I might disappear if he let go.
"May I steal my sister for a dance?" Evelyn appeared at our side, looking hopefully at Sebastian.
He pressed a kiss to my temple before releasing me. "Don't keep her too long."
As Sebastian moved away to speak with Carter, Evelyn took my hands. "I always wanted a sister," she said simply. "Thank you for being that, even before today."
I hugged her tightly. "You're stuck with me now," I teased.
"Good," she replied firmly. "He needs you, Liv. I've never seen him so... complete."
Across the room, I watched as Sebastian laughed at something Carter said, his face transformed by joy. It still amazed me how far he'd come from the guarded, damaged boy I'd reconnected with years ago.
Vince approached next, claiming his dance. "You've made an old man very happy today," he said gruffly as we moved across the floor.
"Thank you for everything, Vince," I said. "For believing in us, eventually."
He chuckled. "Well, that boy proved me wrong, didn't he? Never been so glad to be mistaken in my life."
As the evening wore on, Sebastian found me again, drawing me onto the dance floor for a slow song.
Sebastian pulled me closer, his breath warm against my ear. "Do you want to get out of here?"
The question held weight, significance. Today was the day we'd decided to fully be together in every sense. Sebastian had needed time to heal from his trauma, to learn that touch could be safe again, that intimacy didn't have to mean pain or violation. I had promised him all the time in the world, but in recent months, he'd been the one moving us forward, step by careful step.
"Yes," I said simply, feeling a flutter of nerves and excitement. "I want to go home. With my husband."
The word made him smile that rare, unguarded smile that transformed his entire face.
We said our goodbyes—Evelyn hugging us both fiercely, Carter clapping Sebastian on the back with genuine affection, Vince pressing a kiss to my forehead and whispering, "Be happy, child."
The drive to our apartment—the flat we'd purchased together, our first real home—was quiet, filled with anticipation and a sense of rightness that wrapped around us like a blanket.
When we arrived, Sebastian surprised me by lifting me into his arms at the door.
"Tradition," he explained with a grin, carrying me across the threshold. Once inside, he set me down gently, framing my face with his hands. "Olivia Patterson," he said softly, testing the name.
"I like the sound of that," I replied, leaning into his touch.
"Five years apart," he murmured. "Seven years searching for what was right in front of me all along. How much time we wasted."
I shook my head. "Not wasted. We needed that time, Seb. To become the people who could love each other properly, completely."
His eyes softened. "When did you get so wise?"
"Around the same time you started letting yourself be happy," I teased.
Sebastian laughed, then grew serious. "I am, you know. Happier than I ever thought possible. Happier than I believed I deserved to be."
I stood on tiptoe to kiss him gently. "That's all I've ever wanted for you."
He took my hand, leading me further into our home—the place that would hold our future, our story continuing beyond this perfect day.
"I love you, Olivia Patterson," he said, his voice full of wonder. "Today, tomorrow, always."
"And I love you," I replied, knowing with absolute certainty that whatever came next, we would face it together. "Forever starts now."
As Sebastian leaned down to kiss me, I knew that all the pain, all the separation, all the healing had led us precisely here—to this moment that wasn't an ending at all, but the most beautiful beginning.