A LOVE Worth Ruin

Evelyn's Pov I stared at the girl in the mirror. She wore white. A perfect dress for a perfect bride. But the fear in her eyes gave her away. She was anything but ready. “Think of it as a vacation…” my mother said to me, rubbing my cheeks gently. As gentle as her touches were, it did nothing to soothe my heart. “A vacation, mom? I'm getting married to a man I barely even know,” I sighed, my voice thin from saying it over and over again. “I know, my love,” She squeezed my hand gently, her eyes welling up with tears. I reached up and brushed them away with my thumb, forcing a smile I didn’t feel. “Maybe it won't be so bad. An adventure would be the right way to describe it.” I reassured, more for her than for me. I knew it was going to be bad… or at least painfully awkward. My response made my mother smile, and she gave me a tight side hug. A sniff made both of us look towards the door. My father stood there, his hat in his hand, as he beheld the scene in front of him with an emotion akin to regret in his eyes. “I’ll give you two a moment,” Mom said quietly before she left. She gave him a glance and a tap on his shoulders as she left. I watched him through the mirror as he approached. His footsteps were hesitant, unfamiliar for a man who once filled every room he entered. “It wasn't supposed to be this way,” He muttered, stopping just a few places from where I stood. I waited, not knowing what to say to those words that I've heard several times before. “I didn’t want this for you, Evie. Marrying someone you don’t know… You have to believe me.” His voice cracked, and my chest tightened. I couldn’t look at him, so I focused on the fabric of my gown, my fingers tracing its hem with practiced numbness. “I'm sorry,” he said again. I played with the hem of my gown. I could hear my heartbeat drum in my ear. “I'm sorry too, Papa,” I whispered to him, still watching him from the mirror. “Please look at me, please,” He pleaded, quite unlike the man I knew. As I turned to look at him, he fumbled with his handkerchief, wiping his eyes vigorously. “I promise I'll change. No more casinos from now henceforth. It hurts me so much that I cannot get you out of this,” His 6’1 frame shook as he spoke. My father was not a little man. Watching his huge frame shake with emotions made me feel bad. I slowly hugged him, not caring that he may smudge my dress. It was just a dress after all. A dress my soon to be husband would see me in. I pushed that thought away and moved away from him. “It's okay, Papa. Really, it is,” I said. “THEY'RE HERE!!” We both turned our heads to the direction of the voice. My heart dropped several fevers down. I heard my mom say some greetings and swallow. They came earlier than expected! “I've got to go now. I'll call you down soon,” my father put on his hat and patted my cheeks. “Smile, love. You look beautiful in that dress,” He said and headed out of the room. I looked in the mirror again and sighed. I do not feel beautiful. I do not feel anything but this overwhelming feeling of fear flooding my whole mind. I looked down at my feet and paced around barefoot. I could hear some chattering happening downstairs and it only made me more anxious. What if he doesn't like me? What if he was an old man? My mind ran with a thousand probabilities of how everything could go wrong, until- “Evelyn!!” I heard my mother's voice call from the living room. I froze in my steps, feeling my bodily functions stop. My shoes were by the bed. I had taken them off because they were hurting - that pain that I never seem to be rid off. I went to the bed to get them out but I heard my mother's voice again. This time it was louder and nearer. “Evie?! Come down, please!” She called again. I put the shoes on and headed for the door. Letting out a sigh, I finally stepped out of the door and looked down to the living room from the stairs. I could see men dressed in black. They all looked up back at me, a few smiled at me but most just had straight faces. Which of them might he be? “Evie?” My mother called again, she was by the end of the stairwell, “here, sweetie.” I took slow steps, feeling that familiar pain in my legs, and hoping I do not do anything embarrassing, like trip over myself. Thankfully, I reached the bottom of the stairs without any drama. “Come and meet your husband,” she said with a small smile, and held my arms, leading me inside the room. My feet felt like they were tied with blocks of lead, I took slow steps, walking with my mother. She leaned closer and whispered to me “Smile, Evie.” I forced out a small smile after her words as I stopped in the sea of men. My father sat in the middle, a mixed look of pride and regret in his face. He stood up and held my hand in his big palms. “Gentlemen, may I present my daughter, Evelyn Voss!” The men started clapping and smiling. “She's beautiful!” One of them exclaimed and the others concurred, breaking off into smaller conversations. I looked around, wondering which of them was supposed to be the husband. They all looked..well, similar. My eyes scanned their faces as I tried to figure out which man was Adrian. “I'll take her with me today,” a voice came from the far side of the room. My eyes went there, as well as the eyes of everyone else in the room. A figure stood there, away from the light, but I could feel the piercing eyes on me. “What?” My father asked, confusion making his deep voice rumble in his throat. The figure took steps to the ligh t and I was finally able to see him. His eyes met mine, chilling, precise as he scanned my whole figure. “I said, I'll take her with me, today!”