"I feel like you will continue to spring things on me until I day I leave this planet and expire." My mother sighed as she brushed some stray strands of hair out of my face.

"Izzy and I simply hate being the centre of attention. Live a little, Mum. Live in the now!" I smiled smugly.

I saw Izzy look at me quickly and he tried his best to hide his smile. We, being Izzy, Mum and Dad, and myself, were all making our way into Griffith Park. Griffith Park, is if you remember, was the one where Ripley pretty brought the two of us together when she made a beeline for me. Izzy and I decided to spring our wedding on my parents to completely avoid planning anything that would become a bloated event. We didn't want a massive audience, it was a private thing we were doing and we believed no one really deserved to see us being so intimate. The only other guests attending was Izzy's parents and his brothers, Duff, Slash and Axl, Deb, and of course, Ripley.

We had sprung our wedding plans on everyone actually, even though we had been planning what to do since Izzy proposed. It was our strategy to avoid as many people coming as possible; hoping it wouldn't be enough time for people to organise trips to L.A., and it worked in our favour pretty well. Izzy was glad his step-dad was busy working far away in another state, and couldn't make it. The only thing he was concerned about was that his divorced parents would have to be in the same vicinity as each other, but I assured him they wouldn't dare make a scene at their son's wedding... hopefully. We didn't want the traditional wedding where I would have to walk down and isle, with some crappy, overused music playing and people all staring at Izzy and me. I couldn't bear to imagine that awkward silence and eye contact while I would have to walk in a slow pace up to the alter to be with my future husband. Ugh, it was not our style at all.

As we made our way through the park, Izzy and I hand in hand, the excitement began to build up inside me to a point where I thought I was going to faint. I'm about to become a wife. I'm going to have a husband! It was positive excitement though, don't be alarmed, and as we walked over the luscious, green, spongy grass I gripped Izzy's hand as tightly as I could. In the distance, I could see our celebrant having a casual chat with Izzy's bandmates, who were dressed like they were about to do a show. Slash had his shirt completely unbuttoned, and the other two were in a lot of leather. Deb had her arm linked with Duff, and she looked gorgeous, dressed in a thin-strapped floral dress. Izzy's parents looked pretty unimpressed with the band's ignorance to wedding attire, but soon their attention was torn away from the scruffy boys as they saw the four of us coming towards them.

I wasn't wearing your typical wedding dress. I had decided to wear a tight, long-sleeved white skivvy tucked into a lengthy and flowy-laced skirt with a slit down the middle to show a bit of leg. Izzy looked stunning and the classiest he's ever looked – he had an all-white, tailored suit. His reasoning behind the white suit was "if you get to be painted in white as a pure virgin I want to be too". He had his hair tousled, just the way I liked it, and I convinced him to wear his hooped earrings and his nose piercing. It was an extreme challenge to not tear his clothes off him and boink him in the middle of the park.

"Melanie, you look amazing!" Deb screamed as tears suddenly streamed down her face, and she left Duff's side to come bounding towards me. She embraced me in such a strong hug I thought she was going to break my back.

While Deb was fussing over me, Izzy introduced our parents to each other, hugged his brothers (Tim was holding Ripley on her lead as she happily panted away) and sauntered over to his bandmates. Axl hugged him, Slash patted him on the back, Duff shook his hand and for the rest of the evening, Axl looked at Izzy like he was a proud parent. It was pretty cute, really. After Izzy was finished having his bro moments with the guys, the celebrant finally called us all together.

"Are we ready to commence the ceremony, folks?"

Izzy held his hand out for me to hold and just looking at him at that moment made my legs go gooey. The feeling I had reminded me when Izzy and I finally became an official couple; billions of butterflies.

"Let's do this," Izzy winked at me.

My parents and Deb stood beside me, and Izzy's family stood beside him.

"Family of the bride, family of the groom, friends of the bride and groom, I welcome you here on this beautiful day to celebrate and witness the joining of Melanie Buchanan and Jeffrey "Izzy" Isbell. These two will wish to make public vows to declare their intention to be united in marriage and to be true and loving to each other. Melanie and Izzy both met while they were working, and we could say the rest is history, with the help of Izzy's gorgeous pup Ripley. These two have managed to stick out some tough times, indeed, but it just shows the power of love can keep you fighting for the ones you cherish. Melanie, I now invite you to say a few words to your future husband."

I took a big breath.

"Well, we made it, dude!" I laughed, "You know how much I love you and how much you mean to me. I'm so proud of you and I promise to stand by your side no matter what. I cannot even express how excited I am to spend the rest of my life with you and to see what adventures we get ourselves into. You make me so happy... okay I'm done if I keep talking I'm going to start crying." I laughed again as I looked down at my feet.

Everyone let out a small chuckle, except Deb who was trying to stifle her cries in silence.

"I'm already crying, you guys! Stop being cute." She sniffed.

"Jeffrey, I now invite you to say a few words to your future wife."

I looked up to see Izzy's beautiful eyes staring into mine. Must. Contain. Urges. Don't jump him yet – wait, woman!

"Mel, without you I believe I would probably be dead by now. You have completely changed me and made me become a better man – you made me become a man. I was an immature boy before you came into my life. You inspire me. You've made me appreciate life. I would be lost without you. I am sorry for the things I've put you through, and I am forever grateful you chose to continue to love me through... everything."

I couldn't help it, I felt the hot liquid built up in my eyes, and tears started to spill out. Izzy took both of my hands and squeezed them tightly and continued to talk.

"I cannot wait to take this 'adulty' step with you, we're big kids now. I want to start a family with you and grow old together. I love you so much and I don't know what I would do without you. I feel like the luckiest man in the world that I have you all to myself, and I hope I make you happy... and not to be morbid, but for the rest our lives together." He smiled.

"You make me so happy, every day, every second, Izzy." I sniffed.

"Jeffrey, will you take Melanie to be your lawful wedded wife? To love, honour and respect her, to be honest with her, and to stand by her side through whatever may come, so you can genuinely share your life together?"

"I will." 

"Melanie, will you take Jeffrey to be your lawful wedded husband? To love, honour and respect him, to be honest with him, and to stand by hid side through whatever may come, so you can genuinely share your life together?"

"I will." I managed to squeak.

"It is now time to exchange rings. Deborah, if you could kindly pass me the bride's ring, and Axl groom's ring?"

Deb handed our celebrant my ring, letting out a big sniff, and she gave me a quick squeeze on my shoulder. Axl did the same but gave Izzy a big 'bro' pat on the back.

"Melanie, place the ring on Jeffrey's finger. Jeffrey, place the ring on Melanie's finger, and please repeat after me: I take you for now and for always. I wed you and pledge my love."

"I take you for now and for always. I wed you and pledge my love."

"I take you for now and for always. I wed you and pledge my love." Izzy replied, giving me his usual sexy smile.

"Melanie and Jeffrey, as you have promised to share your lives together and to love each other endlessly, no matter what circumstances may arise, I declare that you are now husband and wife. You may seal your vows with a kiss."

This is it, it's happening. We did it.

Izzy leaned in and gave me a gentle kiss on my lips. It was yet another extreme challenge to not stick my tongue down his throat and start ripping his clothes off of him.

Everyone clapped and cheered. Of course, the band were much more enthusiastic screaming "hell yeah, Iz!" and whooping loudly. Deb eventually joined in with them. After our kiss, we both had to sign our marriage certificate, and we chose our mothers to be our witnesses.

"Okay, you two, smile!" Deb brought out her Polaroid camera and took a snap of Izzy and me as he wrapped an arm around me.

"As the two have signed their certificate, I would now like to introduce Mr and Mrs Isbell."

*

I was over the moon, and so was Izzy. For the remainder of our wedding day, we had booked a table at this super fancy restaurant and cocktail bar. We feasted on delicious cheese platters, delicate hors d'oeuvres, and I had the best salmon main I'd ever had in my life. We had a very low-key wedding cake for dessert. It wasn't swamped in that white, crappy fondant, it just had a thin layer of buttercream icing, so thin you could see bits of the rich chocolate cake underneath. We were against speeches of any kind, but my Dad had other ideas when he decided to stand up after a little too much liquid courage.

"I know you kids said no speeches, but I can't help myself."

Mum was trying to pull him back down to the table, but she failed as she was a little too drunk herself and she couldn't stop laughing.

"You kids seem great for each other, really. Your friends here are amazing, Izzy your parents are gems and Izzy... I can see how happy you've made our Melanie. She's got that look in her eyes, I can see it," he hiccupped, "and not only that, you two are just the cutest couple ever."

"Here, here!" Deb yelled out, holding up her martini.

"So, from the bottom of my heart, I love you kids, and I wish you all the best with your future together."

We all cheered, raising our drinks together, although Izzy held up his glass of cranberry juice. Izzy kept his word and only had one beer at the start of the night, and that was all he wanted. I was so proud of him. He had said to me that he didn't want to dampen the mood, and he encouraged me to get as plastered as I wanted to. I may have had a few drinks, but I still had my wits about me. I didn't want to not remember my wedding night.

It was about to hit 1 am and we were all pretty partied out. My parents stumbled out; taking a cab back to their motel they decided to book so they could give us privacy at our house. Izzy's parents did the same but they took separate cabs, Joe and Tim both went with their mother. Obviously, Deb and the guys wanted to keep partying, and that's just what they did. The last images I remember of them from that night was them running down the busy street acting like hooligans. Izzy and I took a cab back to our abode in Venice Beach and waiting for us in the hallway was Ripley, who had been dropped off before we went out to celebrate. She looked so cute I started to laugh uncontrollably... because alcohol... and Izzy just smiled and shook his head at me.

"Come on, you, let's go to bed."

"No, wait! You need to carry me to the bed, bridal style!" I slurred.

"Okay, you ready?"

Izzy scooped me up in one swift movement, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, and I couldn't help but let out another sudden wave of giggles that came over me.

"You are my husband."

"And you are my wife," Izzy replied as he gently kissed the tip of my nose.

He plonked me down on our bed and I spread myself out like a starfish. Izzy had started to undress, and I feel like my tipsy-ness had me hornier than I usually was. I lowered my eyelids at him and tried my best to be sensual.

"I want you, Izzy."

He paused to study my face.

"You sure you're not too wasted, babe?"

"Nuh. I want to consummate this marriage, boo boo."

Izzy started to laugh and he slid into bed next to me, with just his boxers on. He pulled me close to him and he rested one hand on the side of my face.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded eagerly. Izzy read my face for a few more moments before he started to make his move on me. His calloused hand delicately tickled its way up my skirt and he nestled his head into my neck, pressing his lips against my ear.

"I can't wait to feel you."

~

Eep! They tied the knot! I felt so goofy writing this chapter, so happy for them haha.

Pic attached is what I imagine them looking like.

Don't forget to comment and vote! Your feedback always brings a big smile on my face xx (Also this lil book just hit 69k reads!!! Love you guys so much)