Perfectly Wedded (Perfect Crush #1)

6. Sloan

SIX

Sloan

W hat happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—unless, of course, you get married and have to drag your Vegas decision home with you. That’s exactly how it feels when I’m caught sneaking out of our hotel room after waking up next to Vale. Suddenly, I’m frozen, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

Of all the things to happen in the “marriage capital of the world,” getting caught by my husband trying to escape was not part of the plan.

“Forgive me, I’m operating on zero caffeine right now,” I say, before turning back to Vale. “But, seriously, why were you sleeping next to me?”

He raises his hands, his voice soft. “Just to be clear, nothing happened. But I was worried about you last night. You weren’t feeling good, and I wanted to stay close, to make sure you were okay.” He pauses for a beat, studying my face. “Are you?”

I wave him off, pulling his coat tighter around me like some kind of shield protecting me from making any more terrible decisions. “I’m fine. Just a little groggy from the headache.”

I can’t admit that I forgot about our wedding last night. He’d freak out. My temporary memory lapses really know how to pick the worst moments. If Vale knew, he’d feel responsible, like this entire situation is somehow his fault—even though we both signed up for this insanity.

He gives me a look like he’s not buying it, but lets it slide. “You want to get coffee and then go shopping?” He pulls on a shirt that stretches across his chest in that annoyingly perfect way, showing off muscles that should be illegal. My eyes linger a little too long, tracing the hard lines of his abs disappearing just above the waistband of his joggers.

Before I can stop myself, Vale’s voice cuts in with a smirk. “Eyes up here.” He taps his face, his lips curling into a teasing smile. He’s clearly enjoying this way too much.

My face burns like I’ve been caught red-handed, and— okay, fine —I totally have. “Well, maybe if you wore a proper shirt, I wouldn’t be ambushed by all of... that .” I gesture vaguely at his chest, forcing my eyes back to his face. “And shopping for what? I don’t need anything.”

“For starters, I need some flannel pajamas, so I don’t ambush you,” he says with a smirk. “And you need a ring. It’s the only way we’re going to pull off this marriage when we return to Sully’s Beach.” Vale takes out his phone, tapping away as he searches for jewelry stores.

I blink. “You don’t have to buy me a ring, Vale. Seriously.”

He scoffs. “You are not wearing that ring. And lucky for us, Tiffany’s is close by.”

My jaw practically hits the floor. “What? Vale, no! You don’t have to spend that kind of money on something that isn’t real.”

For a second, his lips tighten. Did I just imply that our marriage is a complete farce? Well, okay, technically it is, but it’s not like I’m trying to be cruel.

“You’re not changing my mind about this. You deserve more than costume jewelry from a charlatan on the street corner.” Then he grabs my hand and holds it up for us both to see. “No wife of mine will wear that ring. ”

I yank my hand away, feeling the heat creep up my neck. “No one would even know.”

“ I would know,” he says under his breath in a low, growly voice that sends a shiver down my spine. “If we’re returning to Sully’s Beach as a married couple, then you’ll wear a ring that’s up to my standard.” He levels his gaze at me. “My wife only deserves the best.”

Hearing those words sends a tremor through my body, the kind that’s unsettling and oddly thrilling. Of all the things he could call me, my wife will always be my kryptonite, the one thing that’ll make me crumble every time. But I can’t let myself get too comfortable, not when I know that someday, I’ll have to let him go.

I force out a laugh, trying to shake off the effect of his words. “Vale, come on. People in Sully’s Beach are going to have a field day with this. You know that, right?” I can already picture the way the team is going to take this news. And then there’s the whole family complication. “It’s not just about us. Your brother is married to my sister. If this goes south, the fallout is going to ripple through both our families.”

Vale stares at me. “You think I haven’t realized that? That’s why we’re not going to let it go south. We’ll make it work.”

“You say it like it’s simple—like you can just make things go according to plan.” I sigh, rubbing my temples where there’s still a mild ache from last night’s migraine. “Our lives are already tangled enough. This marriage just took things from ‘mildly complicated’ to ‘full-blown family soap opera.’ If something goes wrong, it’s not just us. It’s everyone—Brax, Jaz, your sister and mom. We’re practically one big, dysfunctional family now.”

He steps closer, his tone softening. “Sloan, I get that this isn’t easy. But we’ll figure it out. I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t think we could pull it off.”

I give him a smile that says I don’t believe him. “Yeah, but that’s the thing about me, Vale. I always manage to overcomplicate things.” I point at the ring again. “Like buying a ring. But Tiffany’s? Really ?”

He grins, shaking his head. “You deserve it. And if this marriage is happening, we might as well make it look good.”

I cross my arms. “You really don’t do anything halfway, do you?”

He smirks. “Nope. Especially when it comes to you.”

When I see the sign for Tiffany & Co., my heart does a flip. I never imagined I would be browsing for rings at an outrageously fancy jewelry store, let alone buying an engagement ring.

Two days ago, I would have screamed into a pillow at this news. Who doesn’t want a gigantic rock from an iconic jewelry store? But now I’m scared to death that Vale will drop so much money on a ring that means nothing.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I whisper, halting outside the door.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“For starters, I don’t belong at a store like this.”

“Hey, at least I convinced you to ditch the nightgown,” he says with a smirk.

Vale insisted I change before we left, so now I’m in a cute sundress, feeling a little more presentable but still out of place. Vale grabs my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Let’s go inside and look—just for fun.”

He leads me inside, his touch making my heart flutter. When I shoot a sidelong glance at him, he gives me an easy smile, clearly unaffected by the moment, while I’m silently reminding myself to keep him in the friend zone.

A man dressed in an immaculate suit approaches us. “Welcome to Tiffany & Co. My name is Edward. Are you looking for something special today?”

“We’d like to look at some engagement rings, Edward,” Vale says, then turns to me. “Unless you’d like something other than a diamond?”

My heart skips a beat, but Vale’s smile is the only thing keeping me from running out the door. If I’m this nervous faking our marriage in front of a stranger, how am I going to act when I have to put on a show for our friends and family?

“No, a small diamond is fine,” I say, trying to steady the nerves bouncing around my body.

The salesman doesn’t seem to notice I’m not someone who belongs here. He’s enamored with Vale, who’s used to turning on the dazzle whenever he goes out in public.

Edward leads us to a glittering display of diamonds behind a glass case. They’re all enormous and probably have price tags that would make me throw up.

My eyes zip over the jewelry case. These are clearly out of our price range. I clear my throat. “Uh, where are the ones on clearance?” I spin in a circle, trying to locate a giant yellow clearance sign.

Edward laughs. “We don’t have any on sale.”

“Sloan,” Vale says, arching an eyebrow. “I’m not here to get you the cheapest ring. I want you to pick a ring you like.”

I lean closer to Vale with a frozen smile and whisper, “Have you looked at the prices? They’re ridiculously expensive.”

Vale shakes his head. “I’m not worried about the cost. I want you to be happy.”

The words prick something inside me. He wants me to be happy? No one’s ever said that to me before—probably because I’m always so busy making sure everyone else is okay.

Even though he’s giving me free rein in this store, I choose the smallest diamond, which is still a huge rock by a normal person’s standards. Jaz is going to scream when she sees this. It’s even bigger than the ring Brax picked for her.

Edward pulls it from the display case and holds it out for me. I’m so nervous about dropping it, my hands shake, and I fold them together so no one will notice.

“That’ll work,” I say, refusing to touch it. Maybe it’s because I’m afraid it’ll disappear once I hold it, and I’ll discover this whole fairy-tale marriage was just a dream after all.

“Don’t you want to see how it looks on?” Edward asks.

Vale takes the ring for me. “Don’t worry, Sloan, it’s not going to bite,” he says with a wry smile, echoing my own words from last night.

I can’t help but grin as I hold up my hand. “Okay, fine.”

He removes the fake ring that I was perfectly happy with and slides the enormous diamond in its place, the heat of his touch traveling up my arm.

I wiggle my fingers so the light catches on the stone. Something twists in my stomach—a gut-wrenching feeling that makes me lightheaded. Here I am, married to a gorgeous man who promised me any ring I want. Most women would kill to be in my shoes, but the weight of it all feels suffocating. I don’t want to use Vale for his money. Marrying him for his insurance was bad enough.

“What do you think?” he asks.

“It’s beautiful,” I begin, admiring the gem glittering in the light. “But...”

“You don’t like it?” His brows knit together.

“We have so many others to choose from,” Edward says. “Try another one.” He pulls out two more rings that are even bigger than the one on my finger.

Vale takes off the ring I’m wearing and slides on the next one, a square diamond with two diamonds on each side.

I move my fingers and the diamonds wink back at me in the light. A few days ago I couldn’t have even imagined this.

“You don’t look pleased,” Edward says.

“It’s not the ring’s fault,” I say, trying to figure out why these rings feel all wrong for me. “I just don’t think they work for me. I’m not into big rocks. Do you have anything more... modest?” It almost feels wrong to say those words in this store.

“I want you to be happy with your choice,” Vale says taking the ring off and handing it to the man.

But that’s just it—how could I be happy with something I’m going to return later?

Edward holds up another ring for me.

I pull my hands away like he’s offered me a live snake. I can’t have any emotional attachment to this ring or that will make giving it back all the harder. I turn and head toward the door.

Vale trails after me and stops me before I can leave. “Is there something wrong?” His eyes search my face.

“It’s not the store,” I begin, stumbling over my thoughts. “I always imagined holding out for something different.”

“Which would be?”

“I don’t have a clue.” I drop my head in my hands. “I am the world’s worst bride,” I moan, trying to force myself not to feel anything about this insignificant piece of jewelry.

It’s just a ring! It’s not forever!

But in my heart, I know I’m lying. It’s more than a piece of jewelry. I thought when I’d get a ring like this, it would be until death do us part .

“Sorry,” I mumble, finally meeting Vale’s concerned gaze. “I usually don’t get emotionally attached to things, but a ring is symbolic. The whole ‘circle never ends’ thing.” I make air quotes with my fingers.

“Don’t apologize for feeling that way,” he says. “We don’t have to buy a ring here. As long as you have one before we return to South Carolina.”

“We can’t choose one later? Maybe a few months down the road?” I know I’m just delaying the inevitable by kicking the can down the road for Future Sloan to deal with.

“I’m not trying to pressure you,” Vale says softly. “But what will your sister say if we return without a proper ring? ”

I cringe. “She won’t believe we’re married?”

Vale nods. Returning with a fake diamond isn’t an option if we’re going to pull this off. “Could we look somewhere else?”

“This place isn’t good enough for you?” He grins.

“The problem is it’s too good. I’m a simple girl. I don’t need a huge rock to impress people.”

“Then it’s settled. Instead of a ring, let’s do something fun, like get coffee.” Vale knows me too well. We thank Edward and then head outside, where the sunny day is almost blinding.

The guilt I felt in the store hasn’t subsided completely, but at least it’s not eating me alive. I tell myself this ring is a business decision, not an emotional one. I’ll accept the first tiny diamond I can find.

As Vale scrolls through his phone, searching for jewelry stores, we head down the street for coffee. I sip my iced caramel latte, savoring the sweetness, but my mind can’t stay still. The city’s flashing lights and chaotic energy pull me in at every turn. Vegas is like a giant funhouse, full of mirrors and lights, and I’m completely mesmerized, barely noticing where I’m walking.

Suddenly, Vale grabs my hand, gently steering me out of the way of a lamppost I almost walk into. He knows how easily distracted I get, and Vegas isn’t helping with that. Part of it is my ADHD, sure, but the other part is him—his touch, circling through me like a slot machine on the verge of hitting the jackpot.

We pass by a pawn shop, and a glittering object in the window draws my attention. I stop to press my hand against the glass. Next to a gold necklace sits an antique velvet ring box. Inside, a small diamond winks in the bright sunlight. When I study it, I realize it’s not one diamond, but seven small diamonds in a circular shape with a center diamond in the middle. The setting looks like a flower, even though they hardly compare to the ridiculously huge diamonds we saw at Tiffany’s. But I prefer this version.

“I’ve never seen a ring like this before,” I say.

Vale looks at the ring, then me. “Are you sure about this? ”

His hazel eyes catch the sunlight, and I have to remind myself: Don’t get attached. Not to the ring, and definitely not to Vale.

“I know I’m not your real wife, but I think this is the one.”

He holds my gaze and gives my hand another gentle squeeze. “You are my real wife, Sloan.” His voice is soft, but serious. “And I’ll never be ashamed to tell anyone that.”