This has been such a fun story to write, and has had the best feedback I've received on this site yet.

I cannot stress how much your reviews have inspired me to sit down and write out the next chapter, and it's so amazing knowing that there are people out there interested in reading my cliché romantic musings. :D

Thank you so much for your kind words along the way, especially to those who time and time again gave me their support. I'd like to extend a special thanks to my most faithful reviewers:

bookgeek97, deadkitty1, flunkybubbleshorts, , jasminesurf, leavesfallingup, ABSURDLY BRIGHT LIGHT, funnechick, fuwafuwafuwari, dream-beautiful, clkamp, toffeecakesxox, Choukou, sizzymustard12, Northfacegrl5, and Preposterous.

Thank you, thank you!

I'll have more twenty-something romances to post soon.

..and thenifoundfivedollars

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"Quit fidgeting," Nora scolded, grabbing my upper arm and spinning me away from the window.

I'd been gazing out through the slatted blinds, trying to get a peek at Aaron, but with little luck. Shifting my weight from one foot the other, I frowned.

"I can't help it. I'm nervous."

Across the room, in their matching Tiffany blue dresses, Alice smiled reassuringly while Gemma glanced up from her cell phone.

"If it makes you feel any better, Paul says Aaron's just as edgy."

"No." My clammy palms pressed against the skin on my forehead. "It doesn't, actually."

Making a face, my sister pulled my hand away from my brow and sighed. "Stop touching your face." Her lips pursed as she rifled through her makeup bag. "I'm going to have to touch up your foundation now…"

As she reapplied the spray to a sponge and began to even out my skin tone, my eyes drifted back to the large bay window of the bridal suit and I smiled. I may have been nervous about everyone looking at me – and all the million details that could go wrong – but I certainly wasn't second guessing my decision to marry Aaron.

The sky was a clear blue, a few white clouds streaking horizontal stripes above the ocean. Once, when we were tasting cake for Nora and Jake's wedding, an event that now felt ages ago when in reality it had been about a year, Aaron had said he wanted to get married someday but that he just wanted to invite the forty or so people that were closest to him and get married on a beach.

And here we were, on a beautiful August afternoon in the Riviera Maya. Me pulling at the empire waistline of my white, chiffon dress as Nora fidgeted with my makeup and Alice straightened my headband and Gemma rolled her eyes at us and poured another glass of champagne. Somewhere in a room across the way Aaron was suiting up alongside his brother, best friend, and Tyler, and according to Gemma's text from her boyfriend Paul, he was just as antsy.

That made me smile. Because of all the things in the word Aaron was, relaxed was usually one of them.

"Beautiful," Alice sighed as she and Nora took a step back. I surveyed my appearance in the mirror and grinned, deciding it was my day and I was inclined to agree with her.

I caught Nora's watery smile in the mirror and nudged her with my shoulder. "Relax. Mom's probably on the beach fussing with all the reception details. If you want to cry, find her. But I'd rather not have my makeup done a third time, thank you very much."

Despite my words and playful tone, Nora sobbed and tossed her arms around my neck while Alice watched on, tears threatening to fill her own eyes. Laughing, Gemma handed me the champagne she'd poured earlier and instructed me to drink up.

A nock on the door sounded, and the four of us turned to see my photographer smiling from the doorway.

"You ready?" she asked, and with a nod I detangled myself from my bridesmaids and closest friends before following her through the hall and out into the beautiful, sunny afternoon.

My face turned upwards, catching the rays of sunlight, and I smiled to myself as we made our way towards a spot on the beach our photographer had deemed beautiful enough for our 'First Look'. It wasn't the most traditional wedding costume, but I was eager to have some alone time with Aaron before the chaos unfolded. True only our families and close friends were in attendance, but with my family and our friends and coworkers, it was sure to be chaos once the booze was free flowing and the music was playing.

I continue to walk along the beach, thankful for my little blue flats so I wasn't sinking into the sand. It was difficult to walk as it was, and spotting a tall figure standing in the distance, I froze.

His back was to me, grey suit jacket flapping slightly in the wind and his dark, tousled hair as unruly as I always loved it. A smile lit my features, and without realizing that the photographer had lifted her camera and was snapping away, I took off running. Quickly closing the distance between us, I tossed my hands around Aaron's middle, grinning into his chest as he chuckled and turned towards me.

"We practiced this," he said, dark eyes grinning down at me. "You said you wanted to put your hands over my eyes like in that picture you bookmarked."

My smiled widened. "I wasn't thinking."

"Wow." Taking a step back, his eyes raked over me and a small, content smile settled on his features. "You look beautiful, Sam."

Aaron's grey suit had a single white orchid pinned the breast pocket, and his crisp white shirt made his tan skin and dark eyes stand out. Stretching with my toes, I kissed his mouth and pulled away. "You look nice, too."

Kissing my temple, I felt the curve of his lips as he said, "I heard you were nervous."

"Not about you," I replied, shaking my head. "My mom's setting everything up. And I know she has an eye for these things, but…"

With a chuckle, Aaron brushed a strand of my long brown hair away from my face. I was wearing it down, slightly curled and with a sparkly headband, but it was still free enough to toss about in the wind. Our hands intertwined, and I glanced down at the modest rose gold band encircling my left ring finger. Aaron squeezed my hand and I turned my gaze to meet his.

"Everything will be perfect." His dark eyes shining down at me, I was helpless to nod. "And if it's not, there's chocolate hazelnut cake."

Laughing, I tossed my arms around his neck and squeezed him close. While I adored chocolate hazelnut cake and I knew that our families and friends were waiting patiently for us a few hundred feet down the beach, none of it mattered. Because I was going to spend my life with Aaron. And while it was a strange, twisted road that led us here, I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

The End