Chapter 6 The Midnight Chapel
The air in Vegas was cooler than Zoe had expected, the desert night wrapping around her like a gentle exhale after hours of noise and heat. Neon lights bled into the sky, casting pinks and blues onto the sidewalk as she followed Maya and the others toward the hotel.
Her mind buzzed, not solely from the drinks but because of him.
Adrian
His name reverberated in her thoughts with every step, weaving in and out of reflections she didn’t want to analyze closely. She recalled how he had laughed, how he had looked at her as if she mattered, rather than being just another indistinct figure in a crowded space. The way he'd said he had fun, like it meant something.
“Zoe, earth to you,” Maya said, nudging her shoulder. “You’ve been smiling at nothing for three blocks.”
Zoe blinked. “I am not.”
“You absolutely are,” Maya smirked. “You get that smile when you’re about to do something wild.”
“That’s defamation,” Zoe countered. “I smile like this when I think about garlic bread.”
Maya snorted. “Sure you do.”
As they arrived at the hotel entrance, laughter surrounded them as the automatic doors opened. The lobby was vibrant and bustling, tourists pulling their suitcases behind them, the air rich with perfume and polished marble.
Zoe let out a breath, feeling the weight of the night settle onto her shoulders. The rush of adrenaline was fading, leaving her with a pleasant haze and an unsettling sense of unfinished business.
She instinctively took out her phone.
No messages.
Her thumb hovered over the screen. She realized she didn’t even have Adrian’s number. The realization hit her harder than anticipated, a strange emptiness blossoming in her chest.
Get it together, Zoe. You met him just hours ago.
Still.
“Okay,” Maya declared, clapping her hands together. “Who’s up for a final adventure before we call it a night?”
Zoe groaned. “Maya, it’s almost midnight.”
“Exactly.”
“That's not a reason.”
Maya’s eyes sparkled. “It’s Vegas.”
Zoe could have said no. She could have headed upstairs, kicked off her shoes, and collapsed into bed. She could have let the night end gently, preserved in her memory as something sweet and fleeting.
Instead, she found herself being pulled back outside, the city consuming them whole once again.
They wandered aimlessly, laughter echoing between towering hotels, the streets filled with music and motion. Somewhere along the way, someone suggested more drinks, while another suggested getting tattoos. Zoe swiftly vetoed that.
Then...
“Oh my God,” Maya exclaimed, stopping suddenly. “Look.”
Others followed her gaze.
A small chapel sat tucked between two grand hotels, its white facade glowing softly under shimmering fairy lights. A neon sign above the door flickered lazily:
WEDDINGS — WALK-INS WELCOME
Zoe laughed. “No way.”
Maya gasped. “Zoe. Midnight weddings. Iconic.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Legendary.”
“No.”
“Romantic.”
Zoe narrowed her eyes at Maya. “You’re drunk.”
“Just a bit,” Maya admitted. “But think of the story!”
Zoe shook her head, chuckling in spite of herself. “The story would be: College Undergraduate makes the worst decision of her life.”
But even as she said it, something caught her attention.
The doors of the chapel swung open.
And Adrian stepped out.
For a second, Zoe thought her brain had finally snapped.
He stood there, jacket over his shoulder, tie loosened, his expression unreadable as he scanned the street. The soft lights glimmered in his hair, making him appear otherworldly.
Her heart raced.
Maya noticed and froze. “Is that--”
“Yes,” Zoe whispered. “That’s him.”
As if sensing her gaze, Adrian looked up.
Their eyes locked across the sidewalk.
The noise of Vegas faded away. The laughter, traffic, music, it all blurred into silence as the distance between them seemed to shrink, as if the universe had folded in on itself.
His expression changed, first surprise, then a warmer emotion that felt almost like relief.
He crossed the street without hesitation.
“Hi,” he said, stopping in front of her, slightly out of breath.
“Hi,” Zoe responded, her voice softer than she meant it to be.
Maya, always perceptive, cleared her throat loudly. “I’m going to… not be here,” she declared. “Come on, guys.”
Before Zoe could object, Maya gathered the others and disappeared down the sidewalk, shooting Zoe a thumbs-up over her shoulder.
They shouldn't have left.
Zoe stared after them. “I’m going to kill her.”
Adrian smiled faintly. “Your friend is… efficient.”
“She’s a menace,” Zoe replied, awkwardly gesturing between them. “What are you doing here?”
He glanced back toward the chapel, then shrugged. “I was walking. Thinking. I needed some air also.”
“Same,” she admitted.
A comfortable silence settled between them, heavy with unspoken tension. The fairy lights above flickered, casting soft shadows on his face.
He looked at her more openly now, less guarded. “I didn’t think I’d see you again tonight.”
“Neither did I,” she said. “Vegas has its weird way like that.”
“Yes,” he agreed quietly. “It does.”
They stood there, neither moving, like something delicate hovered between them, one wrong away from shattering the moment.
Zoe suddenly laughed, the sound a bit breathless. “Okay, this might sound crazy.”
Adrian’s lips curved. “I’ve noticed that about you.”
She smiled. “But earlier, when you asked if you should follow me…”
“Yes?”
She gestured vaguely toward the glowing chapel behind him. “This feels like the universe taking that as a challenge.”
He followed her gaze, then looked back with a glint in his eyes that seemed almost daring. “Are you suggesting something?”
“I’m suggesting,” she said slowly, the alcohol warming her veins, “that Vegas is built on bad ideas.”
“And you want to test that theory?”
She swallowed. “Maybe.”
His eyes briefly dropped to her lips before returning to her gaze. “Zoe,” he murmured, “this is a terrible idea.”
“I know.”
“We’ve been drinking.”
“Definitely.”
“We don’t know each other.”
“Yeah barely at all.”
A moment passed.
“Still,” he said.
“Still, wait... what are you thinking?"she whined.
As he was about to answer, the chapel door swung open again, and a cheerful woman in a sequined jacket peeked out. “Evening! Looking to get married?”
Zoe burst into laughter. Adrian looked at her, something unguarded in his expression, as if he were finally seeing her clearly.
On impulse, pure, reckless impulse, Zoe reached out and took his hand.
The contact sent a spark through both of them.
She squeezed once. “Just to see,” she said. “We can just walk away after looking around.”
Adrian looked down at their hands, then back at her face. His expression softened, revealing something lonely and hopeful.
“All right,” he said quietly. “Just to look.”
They stepped inside.
The chapel was cozy and warm, filled with soothing music and the faint scent of roses. A drowsy Elvis impersonator adjusted his collar near the altar, humming softly.
Zoe giggled. “This can’t be real.”
Adrian leaned closer, his voice low. “We can leave.”
She looked at him, truly looked at him, at the man who had laughed with her, listened to her, and steadied her without hesitation. The man who felt inexplicably familiar in a way that made her chest ache.
“I don’t want to,” she confessed.
Something in his eyes broke open then.
“But we can't do thi--.”
After that, laughter spilled out, signatures, vows mingling into promises neither entirely grasped. Zoe barely remembered the ring sliding onto her finger, cool and foreign. She recalled Adrian’s warm hand in hers, anchoring her when the room spun.
“You may kiss the bride,” the officiant announced.
Zoe’s breath hitched.
Adrian hesitated, just for a heartbeat, giving her a moment to back out.
But she didn’t.
Their lips met, softly at first, then deeper, sealing a decision made on impulse, emotion, and something dangerously close hope.
As they stumbled back into the Vegas night, the clock struck midnight.
Zoe laughed, dizzy and uplifted, holding up her hand to admire the ring sparkling under the neon lights. “I think,” she said slowly, “we might have just ruined our lives.”
Adrian looked at her, his expression unreadable, eyes dark and intense. “Or,” he said softly, “we may have just changed them.”
Neither of them noticed the camera flash from across the street.
Neither of them saw fate smile.
They walked away hand in hand, married by midnight, oblivious to the consequences that awaited them with the dawn.
