Page 85 of D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding

“I knew you were trouble from the first moment I laid eyes on you,” she began, making me laugh. “You were the most exquisite being I’d ever seen, and I gasped, which made me choke on my drink. You showed me kindness by giving me water and waiting until I told you that I was okay before leaving me to join everyone else. You stood by my side and held my hand, offering me more strength than I knew I needed as I came out to my family, and told them in no uncertain terms that regardless if they accepted me or not, I would never be alone because the Zavalas had made me their own. You have affirmed me, supported me, and loved me, and more than anything, completely ruined me for any other woman. Would you please, if you are so inclined, finish what you started and marry me for real, so that I can aspire to make you even a smidgen as happy as you have made me?”

Dropping to my knees, I wrapped her in my arms and took her mouth in the sweetest kiss I’d ever been privy to sharing. I was fallingfallingfalling, losing myself in her mouth, in her lips, in the taste of her love on her tongue until Mateo’s telltale wolf whistle brought me back to the present.

D’Vaughn pulled back, shaking her head dazedly. “That was nice and all, but um...are you gonna answer me or nah?”

Eyes low, I gave her a silly grin. “Oh, that wasn’t answer enough?”

Her hair swished around her shoulders as she gave a vigorous shake of her head. “No, ma’am. You gotta tell me what you want.”

Cupping her face, I leaned in to press another kiss to her lips. “I want to be your wife, and I want you to be mine in return.”

Sighing, she let her eyes drift closed and nodded. “Done.”

I tilted my head to the side, twisting my lips as a thought occurred to me. “You sure you wanna give up a hundred k for me? That’s a lotta bread.”

Immediately, the satisfied smile on her face morphed into a glare. “Do you not see me down on my knee on this filthy floor in the gorgeous, custom-made dress that my best friend sewed in three weeks?! None of this other stuff matters if I can’t have you, Kris. I love you.”

“I love you,” I emphasized, because I did.

I had no idea that she’d started choking that first night after seeing me, but I did notice her from that moment on. I’d been strategic with my conversations at that event, but I’d had her in my peripheral all night. Standing, I grabbed her hand, giving Kevin a nod of thanks when he moved to her other side, supporting her elbow as she rose. When he stood back, we turned to him, linking our hands together as we faced our guests. D’Vaughn glanced at me and I gave her a nod. Smiling, she made the announcement.

“We’re going to get married.”

Kiana whooped loudly from her front-row seat, and the sound was immediately followed by the cheers of everyone else. It was clear they supported our decision. I hadn’t realized how much that meant to me until right that moment. D’Vaughn and I had spent the past few weeks working to convince them that we were something authentic, and had managed to fall in love for real, but now that they knew we’d lied to them all, the fact that not one face around us held anger made my heart swell.

“Alright,” I laughed, nearly yelling to be heard over the noise, “let’s get back to this wedding!”

We started to turn around when Kevin cleared his throat.

“One more thing.”

Halting midstep, it was almost comical the way me and my soon-to-be wife slowly spun back around. I could feel the tension radiating out of her and squeezed her hand in response. No matter what Kevin said, we’d already agreed to get married; nothing could top that.

“Aww man,” D’Vaughn pouted, “don’t tell me there’s another plot twist!”

Laughing, Kevin held up his hands in surrender. “This is another good one, I promise.”

“Just hit us with it, man,” I said with a wave.

Bowing his thanks, he turned toward the front of the room, where someone was coming up the aisle holding another large check. Audible gasps went up around the room, and my eyes were wide with anticipation. What the hell was going on?

The guy reached Kevin and handed him the check before doing an about-face and scurrying back down the aisle.

“What is that?”

“This,” Kevin began, acknowledging D’Vaughn’s question as he lifted the check over his chest and spun back toward us, “is a little gift from the network for being the first couple from Instant I Do to turn down the money for the marriage.”

D’Vaughn was squeezing my hand so tightly I thought she might break a couple of bones, but I understood completely. As my eyes roved the larger-than-life check in front of me, my heart rate shot through the roof.

It was written out to D’Vaughn and Kris Zavala-Miller and was for two hundred fifty thousand dollars.

“Oh. My. Gosh!” D’Vaughn shrieked. “Are you serious right now?!”

“Yo,” I whispered, unable to form another word. I was completely shocked.

Kevin nodded. “When I said that you two were different, I meant that. We’ve had at least one couple make it to the altar every season, but everyone always takes the money. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but it’s a breath of fresh air to come across two people who’ve mutually decided to choose each other over everything else. This is what the show was about when we first pitched the concept and I’ll never forget how you’ve shown us that real love doesn’t always need years of cultivating in order to grow.”

He held the check out toward us. D’Vaughn didn’t make a move, so I grabbed it and handed it to Rhea before turning back to Kevin.