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

Celeste grins at her ring as I drive us over to Grandma’s house, and I can’t help but smile too. I don’t even have to ask her which color she’s wearing today, it’s Zane’s Goddess. “There’s something I didn’t tell you about your ring.”

She looks up and raises a brow inquisitively as I park in front of my grandmother’s house. “Oh?”

My heart races as I turn to face her, heat rushing to my cheeks. “I’ve had it for years. It’s the same ring I planned to propose with years ago, and I could never get rid of it. I guess deep down, I’d kinda been hoping it’d eventually still end up on your hand. It’s the shape of a rose because I told you the rose garden was always meant for my wife.”

She smiles and places her hand on my thigh, her gaze filled with the endless happiness I’ve been feeling too. When I proposed, I genuinely thought things couldn’t get any better, but they did. In the last few weeks, we’ve only grown closer, and the bond between us feels stronger than it’s ever been before.

“I love you,” Celeste says, before glancing at her ring. “It’s just so perfect. I honestly still can’t stop staring at it.”

I grab her hand and kiss the inside of her wrist, my heart overflowing with love for her. I can’t believe we made it, after all these years. “What do you think of getting married in the rose garden? It belongs to you now, but perhaps we could open it up to our guests for a day?”

She entwines our fingers and brings our joined hands to her chest, her whole face lighting up. “I would love that!” Her gaze roams over my face then. “Did you know? That I really wanted to get married in the rose garden?”

I shake my head and reach for one of her curls. “No, Celestial, but you and I have always been crazy in-sync, so I figured if I wanted to, you would as well.”

She nods and leans into my hand when I cup her face. “I didn’t want to ask you, because I know how much the observatory means to you — especially the rose garden. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to do something you might not feel comfortable with.”

God, I love her. “It’s where I kissed you for the very first time, so it feels perfectly… full circle. It’s also where I made some really special memories with my parents, so it’ll be like they’re with us too. I can’t think of a better place for us.”

She nods and leans in to kiss me, her touch leisurely and needy. I sigh against her lips and bury my hand in her hair. “Should we skip dinner?”

Celeste laughs and shakes her head. “We can’t. Grandma said she had an announcement we all had to be present for.”

I groan when she pulls away and shoots me a chastising look. “Fine,” I murmur, before getting out of the car and walking around it to open the door for her. She holds my hand as she drags me through the house, only to let go promptly when she sees the girls standing in our formal drawing room.

“You get used to it,” Ares tells me, sighing.

“To what?”

Dion moves to stand next to me and shakes his head. “The way our wives abandon us for each other.”

Luca nods and crosses his arms, his eyes on his wife. “I literally had to pick Val up from Sierra’s house the other day because they’d decided on an impromptu sleepover after too many drinks. I draw the line at any of the girls stealing my wife away from me overnight.”

I simply grin as I watch Celeste chat with my family, big smiles on all their faces. “I don’t mind,” I tell them, meaning every word. We had to fight to get back to where we are now, and I won’t ever take it for granted.

Lex walks into the room and nods at us before sauntering over to the girls, his demeanor surprisingly relaxed when we all know what this gathering is going to be about. I watch as he ruffles Celeste’s hair and rests his elbow on Faye’s shoulder, earning himself hateful glances from both and a reprimand from Raven. Sierra stamps on his shoe, and he stumbles back. Moron. At least he’s learned not to mess with Val.

He tenses slightly when Grandma walks into the room, and as if on cue, Celeste walks over to me as the other girls find their husbands, all of us standing together like little united fronts, with Sierra and Lex in the middle.

“Kids,” Grandma says, her stern gaze roaming over Ares first, then Luca, Dion, and finally pausing on me. Her deep pink suit doesn’t even remotely make her look any less terrifying when she looks at us like that, and even Celeste tenses a little. I wrap my hand around her waist and pull her a little closer.

“I’m sure you can guess why I’ve gathered you all here.” Grandma looks at Lex then, a deceptively sweet smile on her face. “Lexington.” His shoulders tense, but his expression remains perfectly unreadable. “All four of your brothers are happily married, and all four have committed to unions that have greatly benefited our family. We are exceptionally lucky to have Raven, Val, Faye, and Celeste, and I know I speak for all of us when I say with each addition, the love between us just grows.”

We all nod, unable to refute her words, and I tighten my grip on my wife when Grandma pins Lex down with a pointed stare. “Now it’s your turn, Lexington. Your engagement has been decided.”

I watch him bite back a smile. “Enlighten me,” he says, his tone indulgent. “Who am I marrying?”

Grandma looks slightly thrown off, and Celeste throws me a questioning look. I just shake my head, indicating that I’ll tell her later.

“Raya Lewis.”

Lex grins then, earning himself a confused stare from Grandma. “Interesting,” he says, nodding. “The Lewises are tech giants, so it’s an excellent choice.”

Grandma raises a brow. “Raya is currently an engineering student at Astor College. Her family is not opposed to her getting married prior to graduating, but Raya has requested her marriage be kept a secret from the press, so she’s able to complete her education in peace.”

Lex crosses his arms, a wicked smile on his face. “What a coincidence,” he says. “I just agreed to teach an engineering class at Astor College next semester.”

It takes all of me to keep from laughing at my grandmother’s expression. She clearly expected Lex to be reluctant, and nothing about this situation is as she thought it would be. She should’ve known, though. Lex has always been our troublemaker.

“We’ve set the wedding date one month from now. Since we agreed to their request for secrecy, we felt there was no need to delay the paperwork. The two of you can simply have your ceremony once Raya graduates.”

Lex merely nods, and Celeste raises a brow. “What is going on?” she whispers.

I position myself behind her, my lips brushing against her ear. “He had one of his friends hack grandma’s systems and found out who he was marrying long before this announcement. Lex then tracked her down at a party, and I’m not entirely sure what happened there, but shortly after, he signed on to teach at her college. I have this sinking feeling he never told her who he was when they met.”

Celeste lets her head fall back against my shoulder and laughs, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room. I press a kiss to her temple before letting go of her, unable to push aside my own amusement. Raya has no idea what she’s getting herself into, but if she managed to get Lex’s attention at all, she probably is someone who can handle him. Behind his often eccentric charade, he has the kindest soul, and I just hope Raya will be able to see and appreciate that.

If he’s as lucky as the rest of us have been, he’s about to find out what real happiness is — the kind I know he’s been missing since our parents died. I smile to myself and grab my wife’s hand, quietly excited to see my youngest brother meet his match.