Perfectly Wedded (Perfect Crush #1)

4. Vale

FOUR

Vale

“ V egas is the city of love!” our driver, Tony, proclaims to us as we sit in the back of the rented limo.

“I thought that was Paris,” I mumble to Sloan, who’s entranced by the blinding lights of the city.

“With the number of wedding chapels we have, I’m sure it’s Vegas,” Tony says with the confidence of a man who makes his money from tourists’ tips. In other words , he’s blowing smoke.

We pass extraordinary hotels, more casinos than I can count, and a few wedding chapels. Everything is dazzlingly bright, and my brain can’t fathom the fact that I’m in Vegas with Sloan.

As Tony weaves through traffic, Sloan’s leg brushes against mine, and heat floods the spot where our legs meet, spreading through me like wildfire.

“Sorry,” she mumbles as she scoots away.

As soon as Tony turns the corner, it happens again, and this time, my hand lands on her knee, holding it down. Her eyes cut to where my palm rests, but she doesn’t pull away. “What are you doing, Vale?” she whispers.

Honestly? I’m not sure. But this feels right.

“If we’re engaged,” I say, nodding toward our driver. “Shouldn’t we act like it? ”

She swallows and looks out the window, trying to hide the flush on her cheeks.

Tony asks if we want to explore the city on foot while he gets gas. He lets us out at the corner, and points us toward a strip of tourist traps.

We pass by a wedding chapel with a pink sign from the 1950s that blinks, “Little Pink Chapel of Love.” A couple stumbles out the chapel doors, their cheeks radiant, their eyes hungry for each other. The bride is wearing a satiny pink dress that matches the sign, complete with a ribbon across her chest that says Just Married! The groom drinks her in. He can’t keep his eyes—or his hands—off her.

They stop on the sidewalk and he sweeps her into his arms, kissing her intensely.

The bride’s eyes fly open. “We’re in the way,” she squeaks to her groom.

“Don’t stop for us,” Sloan says with a cheeky grin. “You deserve to hog the sidewalk.”

She steps away from her husband long enough to hold up a sparkly diamond. “My boyfriend and I came to Las Vegas on a whim and decided to get married! We weren’t even thinking about tying the knot before, but then we saw this chapel and thought, why not ?”

I glance at Sloan and raise my eyebrows. “How long have you been together?”

“Two months,” the groom replies with a lovesick smile.

“Two months?” Sloan gasps. “Were you friends before that?”

“Nope!” the bride says proudly. “We were set up on a blind date. My family won’t believe this!” She squeals as the groom lifts her in his arms and kisses her again.

Sloan laughs. “Well, if that’s not a whirlwind romance, I don’t know what is! Good luck!”

We leave them to their celebrating as we head away from the chapel. Sloan keeps her eyes on the ground, like she’s thinking about something. “Can you imagine getting married after only two months?”

“I guess if you know someone’s right for you, why wouldn’t you?” I look at her for a beat before looking away.

“I’ve known you for a couple years, and that’s not enough time to know for sure. But two months ? That’s nothing in comparison,” she says. “What if one of them gets sick or is in an accident? How can a two-month relationship survive that?”

I frown, thinking about Sloan’s situation. I’m not married to her, and I’d be willing to give my right arm to make her better. “That’s why you need to get on that medicine, no matter what it takes.”

“Well, it’s going to take about ten thousand dollars a month, so maybe if I sell my kidney illegally on the internet, I could afford it.” She looks up at me with a tired smile, and I want so badly to fix everything, to brush her cheek and tell her it’s going to be alright. This is really wearing her down. Exhaustion lines her eyes, and I can see the worry behind her smile.

That’s when an idea hits me. Marrying Sloan could be the solution. A temporary arrangement until she’s better. The clock is ticking on her health, and I can’t stand the thought of her getting worse. If she doesn’t get this treatment, she’ll lose everything she’s fought for—and I can’t watch that happen.

“You know, there’s another option,” I begin, glancing back at the chapel. “It doesn’t even require you to give up a kidney.”

“What’s that?” she asks.

I sink my hands into my pockets and avoid her gaze. If I look at her now, I know I’ll chicken out. “Well, you just need insurance, right? What if you could get it? You wouldn’t need ten thousand a month then.”

“Yeah, well, my insurance doesn’t cover it, so that’s a closed door.”

“Unless . . .” I stop, then turn to her. “. . .you got married.”

A laugh bursts from her lips. “That’s funny, since I’m not even dating anyone. But I guess it could happen.” She points to the pair outside the chapel. “That couple has only been dating two months.”

“Exactly,” I say . “What if you married someone you’ve known almost two years?” It’s a crazy idea but I have to try.

Her smile drops off her face and her eyes widen. “Are you suggesting...”

I nod.

She gasps and shakes her head. “No, Vale! I could never agree to that. You can’t even say that out loud. Absolutely not.”

I step closer to her and touch her arm. “Sloan, you know I’d do anything for you. Let me do this.”

I’ve always been her friend, but right now, standing this close to her, I feel something that scares me—something I’ve tried to push aside for too long. I’d have to stuff these feelings away, and pretend it’s just for her sake, but deep down, I’d know the truth.

She springs back, like my hand is burning her. “This is ridiculous. We’re not even dating!”

“I know that, ” I say. “I’m not asking you to be in love with me. This is a way I can provide for you— as a friend. I have good insurance, better than yours. If we get married, you would have access to it and could get the medicine you need. You told me the doctor says you’ll have to be on it for a year or two. That’s not even that long.”

As I say the words, my heart hammers in my chest. I’m putting everything on the line, not just our friendship, but this fragile balance we’ve built. I know there’s a chance she’ll walk away—that she’ll say no and everything will fall apart. But I have to try. I have to make her see that this could solve everything for her.

She shakes her head. “I couldn’t let you do that for me, Vale.”

“Why not?”

“Because you might miss out on someone else,” she argues.

“Who? I’m not even dating anyone. ”

“I don’t know... the woman of your dreams?!”

I drag a hand over my face. “Sloan. Who says I’m going to meet the woman of my dreams in the next year?”

She shrugs. “It’s just a possibility. But I can’t let you take that chance.”

“What if I want to? What if I don’t care about anyone else?” I’m being stubborn, and she knows it.

“Well, I won’t let you not care!” she shoots back. “You might be my friend, but I will not marry you for your insurance. The answer is no. I’ll find another way.” The panic flares in her eyes as she wheels away from me.

I get it. This is crazy. But what terrifies me more than anything is the thought of her saying no. If she doesn’t take the medicine, and her symptoms get worse—then she’ll fall back into that black hole of depression and sickness.

She bolts down the sidewalk, trying to avoid me.

I follow, catching up before she can turn down an alley. I take her shoulders, forcing her to a stop. “Sloan, there is no other way. If we get married here, I can take care of you.”

She finally meets my gaze, her chest heaving from the sprint. “How are we going to explain this to Jaz and Brax? How about your teammates? You don’t think they’ll see through our little charade right away?”

“Not if we come up with a story. We’ll tell them we realized we were in love and decided to go for it, just like that other couple.”

“They’ll never believe us,” she says, shaking her head. “Not out of the blue like this.”

“They will if we make it look believable,” I say. “Sloan, you can’t let your doubts stop you. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you and I didn’t do everything I could to help.” I hate that I’m pushing her like this, but this is too important to give up on.

She studies me for a moment and something breaks in her expression. “I don’t know if I can do it, Vale. I’m a terrible liar,” she says, her voice wavering. “Why do you think I won’t play poker with you?”

I chuckle. “This isn’t poker, Sloan.”

“Easy for you to say,” she says, slapping me on the chest. “You played your part tonight like a pro.”

“That’s because it was you .” I catch myself and quickly add, “You’re my friend. It’s easy to step into whatever role you need.” That’s only partially true. It wasn’t easy because we’re friends—it’s easy because being close to her feels right in a way I can’t explain.

“What happens when I don’t need the drug anymore? Then what—we just end it?”

I hold her gaze, my throat tightening. “We don’t have to figure that out now,” I say, my voice quieter. “We’ll deal with it when we get there. Right now, all I care about is making sure you’re okay.” I hesitate, feeling the weight of my words.

She frowns. “But what if I have to take the medicine for four or five years? You’d be stuck with me and that could ruin our friendship for good. The last thing I want is for you to resent me for forcing you into a marriage that’s unhappy.”

I place my hands on her arms, locking eyes with her. “I could never resent you, Sloan. If I have to stay with you longer, I will. We’re already living together, and our friendship hasn’t suffered yet.” I pause, offering a small smile. “Besides, you’re a lot easier to live with than Leo.”

She bites back a grin. “Leo wouldn’t be easy for anyone to live with.”

“I know you think you’ll be holding me back, but I’m not looking for another woman.” My voice is firm. I have to convince her that my offer of marriage doesn’t come with strings attached. When it comes to her, I’m all in.

“Why would you do this for me?” she asks, searching my face.

“Because I refuse to stand by and watch you get sick again. I’ve seen how far you’ve come, and I can’t watch that happen again. ”

“No,” she finally blurts, shaking her head and stepping back. “I can’t let you do this.” She turns to go, but I grab her arm before she can run again.

“Sloan,” I urge. “For once in your life, I need you to remember the person you were before the accident. The one who took risks. The girl who lived life to the fullest. You told me once you wanted to be her again, and now is your chance. Take a risk on that girl .”

Her jaw clenches, and I know she feels it too: she wants to find that girl again.

She hesitates, and I feel the walls she built slowly crumble, her arguments against this turning to dust. I don’t want this to ruin our friendship. But what other choice do I have? If I do nothing, Sloan will relapse and we’ll all lose her.

Say yes, say yes, my heart beats like a drum . But I know better than to push her into a decision. Just because I want Sloan—the most generous, beautiful woman I know—doesn’t mean I can make her marry me. She has to choose this, choose us, on her own.

“Okay. Let me get this straight,” she says. “As long as this is only a temporary fix—a marital contract with an end date—then maybe I’ll consider it . ”

“Is that a yes?” I ask, trying not to show my excitement yet. If I act too eager, I’ll scare her off.

“If I say yes— and that’s a big if —there are a few things we still have to discuss,” she says.

“If this is about who changes the toilet paper roll, I think we can share that job,” I say, keeping a straight face.

“No,” she says with a smile, then holds up her left hand. “But you’d better put a ring on it.”

I grin and point behind us. “I saw a guy on the street corner selling fake engagement rings.”

She laughs. “The one with the light-up headbands?”

“A one-stop shop for all your Vegas needs,” I add.

“I don’t need a real ring,” she says. “It’s not even a real marriage. ”

“Real enough to get you the insurance you need,” I say, my gaze on hers. “There’s no turning back after we do this.”

The finality of it settles between us.

She hesitates, then finally nods. “I’ll do it, on one condition,” she begins. “If at any point either of us wants out, we can walk away.”