The Broken Vows: Zane and Celeste’s Story (The Windsors)

I smile at my nails as I walk up to my front door, the design reminiscent of Zane’s rose garden with its variety of roses and the coral, red, and pink shades. It’s beautifully intricate, and in hindsight, I’m glad I let the girls abduct me. My entire day was simply perfect, right down to the champagne we shared, the massages we had, and the stunning blow-dry I walked away with. I hadn’t even realized how wound up I was until they forced me to relax, and that’s probably why they did it in the first place, because life has truly been a lot lately — in the very best ways.

I frown when I walk into the house, my gaze dropping to the red roses on the floor. They’re placed so they’re creating a path, candles in between the flower heads. Zane. He did mention he had a surprise, and I suppose this is it, but why? It isn’t my birthday.

My heart begins to race, and I can’t wipe the grin off my face when I notice little nail polish bottles in between the roses and candles. I pick one up, only to burst out laughing when I realize the beautiful coral shade is called Celestial. Did Zane have this custom made for me? What’s going on?

I take another step forward, my gaze roaming over the path, my heart skipping a beat with each bottle I pick up. There’s a red shade called Mrs. Windsor, a peach shade called Zane’s Goddess, and then there’s a deep crimson color called Zane’s Wife. I frown when I realize why they look so familiar. These are the shades my nail artist used today, aren’t they? They’re all the shades of the roses in the garden.

I’m oddly nervous as I enter the observatory and follow the trail down to the rose garden, noting the countless fairy lights everywhere that perfectly complement the starry skies visible through the glass ceiling. This place looks even more magical than usual, and I can’t quite figure out why. What is my sweet husband up to tonight?

In the distance, I can hear a faint piano melody, and I follow the sound with a hopeful heart. I pause when I notice Zane standing in the same spot he first kissed me in, a beautiful gazebo now standing where there used to be empty space, roses crawling up its sides. Zane smiles nervously, and I suck in a breath as I take in the tuxedo he’s wearing tonight.

I begin to tremble as I walk toward him, and the way he smiles brings tears to my eyes. “Zane?” I whisper.

He reaches for me with a shaking hand and gently pushes my hair out of my face, his gaze searching for a moment, before he slowly lowers himself down to one knee in front of me. I gasp when he pulls out a ring box with the famous Laurier logo on it, my hand covering my lips as pure disbelief crashes through me. What is happening? This cannot be real.

Zane smirks at my expression and pops the box open, revealing a stunning diamond ring, its shape reminiscent of a rose. “Oh my God,” I whisper, and he chuckles.

“Celeste,” he says, his gaze rapidly becoming serious, despite the joyful twinkle in his eyes. “My entire world has revolved around you ever since we were three years old, and you walked into class with those adorable braids of yours. I thought you were an actual princess, but as it turns out, you were an enchantress, because I’ve been under your spell ever since.”

I laugh, and he grins up at me. “You were the reason I became the person I am today, Celeste. All our lives, you challenged me to do better. Through the good and the bad, there was always one constant: you. As we grew up together, you were the one who taught me what love really is. I think I first realized I was in love with you when we were fifteen, and Tommy asked you out on a date.”

His expression turns stormy then, and I bite back a smile. I can’t believe he’s still upset about that. He’s truly ridiculous, and I love him for it. “I don’t think I’ve ever sabotaged someone that quickly. Within hours, I had his father on the phone, begging me to tell him what they’d done to offend me. That’s what you do to me, you know? You drive me a little crazy, in the very best ways.”

I can’t help but giggle, the sound so joyful that he smirks back at me. “I knew I couldn’t live without you when you left for college, and I found my entire life empty. My nemesis was suddenly gone, and I knew that when you came back, I had to shoot my shot. I still count my lucky stars that you gave me a chance, Celestial. I thought I’d loved you then, but everything that followed showed me what true love really is. You taught me that love isn’t always perfect, like I once thought it would be. It’s laughter and inside jokes, home-cooked meals and flowers, long conversations and apologies. It’s patience and grace, but above all, it’s choosing each other, over and over again, even when it isn’t an easy choice.”

Zane bites down on his lip for a moment, nerves contorting his face. He draws a shaky breath and looks into my eyes. “Celestial, I want it all with you. Everything we missed out on, everything we should’ve had. I want everything we’d planned on, right down to the cake we chose. If you’ll let me, I want to write my own vows, and see you walk down the aisle with a smile on your face. Celeste, will you marry me? Not because you had to, but because you want to?”

I blink back my tears and nod, my heart racing. “Yes,” I tell him instantly. “Nothing would make me happier, Zane.”

He breathes a sigh of relief as he slides my engagement ring onto my finger, and I smile at him, surprised he’s so nervous when we’re technically already married.

Zane rises to his feet and smiles at me, his eyes twinkling with pride as he lifts our joined hands to his lips and turns my hand to kiss the inside of my wrist. “I love you,” he whispers. “I’m going to make you so happy, Celeste. I can’t wait to show you what our engagement and marriage should’ve been like.”

I cup his face, and he drops his forehead to mine. “I love you more, Zane. You already make me so incredibly happy, you know? I don’t need any of this. You’re all I need, all I’ll ever need.”

His lips find mine, and he kisses me slowly, deeply, like nothing else matters. Rose petals begin to fall from the sky, and I lean back in his embrace to find our families walking up to us, all of them hurling the petals into the air.

Zane laughs and pulls me closer, his lips brushing against my ear. “When they found out I was going to propose, they all wanted to be part of it, and I couldn’t really say no. Your dad cried when I asked for your hand, and my brothers were all overly emotional when I told them about my plans too. The girls… well, they were something else. Faye insisted on playing the piano during my proposal, Sierra and Raven decided you had to have the perfect hair and nails, and Val sourced and acquired the company that made your custom nail polish.”

I turn in Zane’s embrace as everyone begins to congratulate us, and my eyes settle on Lex’s proud gaze for a moment, before taking in Archer’s identical expression. When I first married Zane, I didn’t think I’d ever find myself here, surrounded by people who love us and who just want us to be happy together. This, right here, is my biggest dream come true. I can’t believe we made it.