chapter sixty
feelings
[anya rose steinburg]
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"ready, wife?" shawn smirks, walking out of the fairly large bathroom of the hotel cabin type suite we share at the venue.

"as ready as you are, husband," i compliment back, standing up and linking my arm with shawns. "shawn, you actually look beautiful."

"so if i'm beautiful what are you? because you're clearly a million times more stunning than me." he teases back, making me roll my eyes, and a faint blush appear at my cheeks.

"you're so cheesy now we are married." i notice, as shawn chuckles, locking our room door as soon as we leave it, placing the key into his blazer pocket.

"you're my wife now, i can be as cheesy as i want." he stops us in our tracks, cupping my cheek gently, and leaning down to press his lips against mine. "i'm sorry to say this hun, but you're stuck with me forever." i chuckle against his lips, wrapping my arms over his neck. "and can i just say, this dress is gorgeous on you, but i can't wait to rip it off tonight."

"shawn!" i gasp, pulling away and laughing at him, as my now new grey dress flows around my legs. "i can't wait for tomorrow." i sigh, joining my arm with shawns again, leaning my head against his bicep. "paris and then the maldives, shawn i literally can't wait."

"neither can i, my love." shawn hums in response, as we stroll to the next venue where the dinner and dance is to be. "just me and you, in the city of love, followed by one of the most beautiful beach areas in the world."

"are you ready?" i ask shawn quietly, turning to him as we stop outside the grand wooden doors. he smiles gently down at me, nodding and pressing his lips to my forehead.

"i'm ready." i let go of shawns arm, holding onto his hand instead, whilst shawn opens up the doors, all of the eyes of our guests lying on shawn and i. almost immediately, ed sheeran's thinking out loud blasts into the room, and everyone clears, revealing a dance floor in the middle of an array of circle tables.

"shall we, baby?" shawn asks, letting go of my hand and holding out his arm to guide me to the dance floor. i nod sheepishly, my cheeks flushed, as we make our way onto the dance floor.

shawns hands are placed on my waist, as i rest my hands on his shoulders, holding him close to me, yet not too close so it's like we are hugging instead of dancing. we slowly begin to sway, our eyes connecting with each other, reflecting all the love and endearment between us. i see shawns eyes pool with tears, as he grins at me, leaning down and kissing my lips gently.

"don't cry." i warn, with a soft chuckle as shawn shakes his head, a tear sliding down his cheek. "shawn, you're gonna make me cry now."

"it's happy tears, i promise." he chuckles, as i cup his cheek, wiping the tears away. "i love you so much."

"i love you so much." i repeat, kissing shawns cheek.

"god, i can't wait for our year in london." he mumbles.

"yeah um about that," i begin, swaying softly. "can we sell up my place in london after that year? i want to settle down in toronto."

"are you sure, love? i know how much you love your apartment." shawn asks me softly, rubbing his thumbs against my waist. i nod, beaming up at him.

"i want our kids to be raised in toronto." i say softly to shawn. he smiles gently at me, leaning down and kissing me once more, cupping my cheek in the process.

the song ends and shawn pulls his arms away from me, pressing his lips to my cheek before running up to the dj area, pulling out a guitar from round the back of it, and walking to a microphone that is set up, a little stool behind it. shawn perches himself on the stool, placing the guitar over his lap.

"so, i'd first like to start off by saying, thank you so much for attending today. on behalf of anya, we are both so immensely happy to spend this momentous day in our lives with everyone here." most of the guests begin to clap, as i grin up at shawn. "since many of you know i'm a singer, i decided to write another song for anya, which i'm gonna preform now. i hope you enjoy, hunny." he says, looking straight at me. my cheeks immediately heat up as shawn stars strumming a melody of chords, grinning at me.

the next couple minutes are honestly some of the minutes i will treasure for the rest of my life.
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"so, basically, shawns had his ups and downs with love." ian says, making everyone laugh at his best man speech. "god, i remember the first time he ever got broken up with. we were like five, and his 'long term' girlfriend of one lunch break broke up with him as soon as we got back into the classroom. of course, shawn being the emotional freak he is, started crying and got to leave school early." i burst out into a fit of giggles, squeezing shawns hand that rests in my lap, as his cheeks blush bright red, his lips emitting a laugh. "but when he met anya, oh god, i swear, i've never seen him so happy before." i look up at shawn, smiling gently at him, as he looks down at his lap, his cheeks still flushed. "i think the first time they broke up, he was a mess even if he didn't want to admit it. anya and shawn are meant for each other - that's what i'm trying to say. both of them give each other things to keep the other one sane. as much as shawn won't want to admit it, anya is the one keeping him grounded and calm through the insanity of his life." i lean up, pressing my lips to shawns cheek gently. "so, to conclude, to anya and shawn mendes!" ian raises his glass of champagne, as all the guests respond, including shawn and i who clink glasses with each other.

"anya, speech!" aaliyah yells from our main table, making shawn chuckle gently.

"yeah anya, speech." he urges, as i sigh, shaking my head and smiling at him, standing up from the table, and grabbing the microphone from ian.

"uh, hi everyone," i say into the microphone, as a chorus of hello's are heard. "i'm anya, but i guess you probably already knew that, anyway," i chuckle. "so, sadly, i'm stuck with that loser over there for the rest of my life now." i begin, earning a laugh from all the guests, and a playful glare from shawn. "no, i'm kidding, shawn is genuinely the best person in my life."

"hey!" kelsey shouts, getting everyone's attention, as i laugh, rolling my eyes.

"okay, second best." i say, making shawn sarcastically scoff again, laughing at me. "when i first met shawn, well, let's just say there was a mutual hatred for each other." shawn lets out another chuckle, as i continue. "he sent me out of a car in london, apologised with macaroons, and then we got drunk, well i got drunk, at the pool and he took care of me. i guess i realised it then; i was definitely starting to gain a crush on shawn. people may say our love was fast, and i'd say that too, because it was." i say. "but i believe that when you know and you feel as though the person you are with makes you happy and makes you feel content, you really do love them. granted, shawn and i probably said it too early, but i don't regret anything." shawn grabs my hand in his, holding it gently, and squeezing it. "i remember the exact moment i realised i actually love him. i was alone in our hotel room, and it took me crying and falling asleep alone to realise that." i take a sigh. "ever since then, my love has continued to grow, and i'm sure it will continue to thrive." i bite my lower lip gently, shawns thumb rubbing over my hand. "shawn is an actual inspiration to me, and i'm sure he is to a lot of other people, but personally, he inspires me to keep an open mindset, and inspires me to love with that said, i'd like everyone to raise their glasses now with me," i pause, picking up my wine glass and holding it up, looking down at shawn. "to shawn."

"to shawn!" the guests echo, as i take a quick sip of my drink, before leaning down and pecking shawns lips gently, and sitting down once again.

"i love you so much." shawn tells me softly, as the music starts back up again, people eager to move to the dance floor. "that was beautiful, anya."

"i love you," i reply, smiling back at him as i see children at the wedding helping themselves to the wedding cake, probably getting a sugar high from the icing. "wanna go dance?"

"i thought you'd never ask." he grins back, standing up and holding his hand out. "shall we, my wife?" my cheeks flush at him, and i nod, clutching onto his hand.

"let's do it, hubby." i wink, as shawn grins wider, pulling me to the dance floor, just as there's nothing holdin' me back starts blasting through the room.

"oh shit, i forgot you put this on the playlist." shawn chuckles, twirling me about as soon as we get onto the dance floor.

"there's some throwbacks on there too." i laugh. "don't blame me when one of those nights starts playing."

"anya you know i hate that song," he groans, as i smirk back at him, pulling him to the centre of the dance floor.

"oh baby, there's nothing holdin' me back tonight." i sing along at the correct parts, making shawn laugh as he continues to dance with me.

"anya!" i hear aaliyah squeal as she runs up next to shawn and i. "come on, you need to toss your flower bouquet."

"aaliyah i hope you're not making any plans in your head." shawn warns sarcastically, making aaliyah roll her eyes.

"no promises bro, sorry, but i have to steal your wife quickly." she grabs onto my hand, pulling me away from shawns grasp with a laugh. i mouth a sorry to him, as he smiles back, finding ian, matt and brian to hang out with them instead.

i eagerly follow aaliyah to the centre of an open space, where she hands me my flower bouquet. on a chair, geoff stands, surrounded by most of the young women at the wedding, wanting to catch the bouquet.

"alright ladies, same rules apply to basically every one of these." geoff says bored, as i laugh quietly. "the one to catch it gets married next, good luck." he says, trying to act excited, but in reality failing. "anya, go whenever you want." i nod, turning my back, and getting ready to throw the bouquet.

"ready?" i call, before pushing down the bouquet and pulling it up, throwing it over my head, hearing the squeals of the girls.

"i got it!" jasmine yells! holding up the bouquet. i grin widely at her, catching sight of nate, who smirks gently at jasmine, before walking off. i then see him approaching jasmines dad, and i gasp, excitement filling my body.

"jas!" i screech, rushing towards her and embracing her. "i can't wait!"

"chill, i'm not even engaged yet." she chuckles, hugging me back.

"yet." i correct her, with a smirk, pulling away. "come on, let's go dance!" jasmine nods eagerly, grabbing onto aaliyah's hand on the way, as aaliyah pulls sophie, brooklyn, poppy, kelsey, and peter with her. i end up crashing into shawn, causing him to jump, but then laugh seeing it's only me.

"back already?" he smirks, yelling over the loud music, as the song switches to friends, by justin bieber.

"let's just say we're gonna have another wedding to go to very soon."
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hi mendes babies soon?