Chapter 4- Before The Wedding
2370 Words
Vivi’s POV
The wedding was now only a few weeks away.
Everywhere I went someone seemed to have something to say about it.
My mother wanted to know if I had made a choice regarding my shoes.
Alex wanted to know where I chose for our honeymoon.
His mother called almost every evening to discuss the wedding preparations.
And Maya somehow managed to turn every conversation surrounding my dress into an argument.
“You need to try it again.” She insisted.
I stared at her.
“I already did.”
“That was before the changes.”
“It fits perfectly.”
“You’re supposed to say that,you are the bride.”
I laughed.
“You’re more worried about the wedding than me.”
“Of course I am. I’m your friend.”
That word made me smile.
Friend.
It still felt strange sometimes.
A few months ago I barely knew Maya.
Now she knows my favorite restaurant, my personal habits and the kind of expression I make whenever I am angry.
“Come on.” She said, pulling me towards the fitting room.
“You’re bossy.”
“And you’re stubborn.”
“You sound like Ethan.”
The moment I said his name I went quiet.
Maya noticed but didn’t say anything.
She simply just smiled and handed me my dress.
“Go try it on.”
I collected it from her.
“Fine.”
When I stepped out a few minutes later, Maya's eyes widened.
“Okay.”
“What?”
“You look beautiful.”
I looked at myself in the mirror.
The dress truly was beautiful.
For a moment I imagined walking down the aisle.
Alex waiting for me.
Our families watching and smiling.
It should have made me excited but instead something inside me felt heavy.
“You okay?” Maya asked.
I nodded.
“Yes.”
She looked at me.
“You’re thinking too much again.”
I smiled.
“Maybe.”
She walked closer and fixed a button on my dress.
“Don’t ruin your happiness by worrying about something that’s yet to happen.”
I looked at her.
“You make everything sound so easy.”
“Well that’s because someone has to.”
I laughed.
Then my phone rang.
I looked at the screen.
It was Alex.
I answered.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?”
“With Maya.”
“Again.”
I smiled.
“Yes, again.”
“I wanted to see you.”
“You should have called earlier.”
“I did.”
“You did?”
“Yes, three times.”
I checked my phone.
There were indeed three missed call.
“I didn’t hear it.”
“I figured so.”
I smiled.
“Do you need anything?”
“I wanted to take you somewhere.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see.”
I looked at Maya.
She immediately understood and told me.
“You should go.”
I nodded.
“Okay I’ll be there soon.”
I ended the call.
“Where is he taking you?”
“I don’t know.”
Maya smiled.
“Then I guess you will go find out.”
I changed out of the dress and left the store.
Alex was waiting outside.
The moment I saw him, he smiled.
“You look beautiful.”
“Have been hearing that a lot today.”
“That's because you are.”
He opened the car door for me.
I got in.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
I rolled my eyes.
“You and your secrets.”
He laughed.
The drive was quiet for a while.
I looked out the window.
Alex reached for my hand.
I looked down at both our fingers.
“Vivi.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you happy?”
I turned toward him.
He wasn’t smiling anymore.
There was something serious about his face at that moment.”
“Yes.”
“Promise?”
I swallowed.
“Promise.”
He smiled.
“That was all I wanted to hear.”
I smiled back.
But as I looked outside the window guilt settled down in me.
Alex trusted me completely.
He had no idea the woman standing here was still carrying feelings for someone else.
And he certainly didn’t know that she accepted the proposal for a reason he would never forgive.
The car eventually stopped in front of a restaurant.
I looked at him.
“What are we doing here?”
“Having dinner.”
“You brought me all the way here just for dinner?”
“Not just dinner.”
He got out and walked to open my door.
I stepped out.
“What else?”
“You’ll see.”
Inside the restaurant the place was almost empty.
A table had been reserved near the window.
There were flowers in the middle and a box beside Alex’s chair.
I stared at it.
“What’s that?”
He smiled.
“Sit down.”
I sat.
He took out the box and placed it on the table.
“Open it.”
I slowly lifted the lid.
It was a bracelet.
It was simple but beautiful.
I looked up.
“Alex…”
“I wanted to give you something before the wedding.”
I touched it gently.
“It’s beautiful.”
“I know you have everything already.”
“I don’t.”
“You do.”
He smiled.
“But there are some things you can’t buy.”
I looked at him.
“Like what?”
“Someone who chooses you.”
My heart tightened.
“I know I’m lucky to have you.”
I didn’t know what to say.
He continued.
“I’ve loved you for years, Vivi.”
I looked down.
“And I know you don’t always say your feelings but I hope one day you would realize that you never have to doubt me being there for you.”
I forced a smile.
“I know.”
He smiled.
“I just want us to be happy.”
I nodded.
“We will be.”
But even as I said it a part of me knew there alwa something I wasn’t honest about.
And as the wedding grew closer the secret became harder to keep.
The rest of the evening passed…..
Alex didn’t ask any more difficult questions.
Instead he just talked about the wedding, the plans he has for us and about the house he had been looking for us.
I listened.
Sometimes I laughed.
Sometimes I replied.
And every now and then I caught myself just staring at him.
Alex was a good man.
Maybe that was why the guilt kept getting worse.
He wasn’t forcing me into anything.
He genuinely loved me and wants a life with me.
And I was keeping a part of the truth from him.
When we finished dinner he drove me home.
Before I got out of the car he held my hand.
“Seeing you tomorrow?”
I smiled.
“Of course.”
He leaned back.
“Goodnight Vivi.”
“Goodnight Alex.”
I stepped out of the car and watched him drive away.
I stood there for a moment before entering inside.
My mom was in the living room.
“There you are.”
I smiled.
“Hi mom.”
“How was your dinner?”
“Good.”
She looked at the bracelet on my wrist.
“Alex gave you that?”
I nodded.
“He’s such a thoughtful man.”
I smiled.
“He is.”
“Are you happy?”
I knew that question will keep on following me everywhere.
“Yes mom.”
She smiled.
“Good, you know the Blackwood have always been like family to us. I couldn’t have imagined a better family for you to have married in.”
I swallowed.
“Me neither.”
She hugged me.
I closed my eyes.
For a moment I wished I could tell her everything.
That I wasn’t marrying Alex for the reason everyone believed.
That my heart is still tangled upon feelings I haven’t escaped from.
But I couldn’t.
I wasn’t ready.
So I kept quiet.
The following morning….
Maya came over.
She walked into my room carrying two cups of coffee.
“One for you.”
I took it from her.
“Thank you.”
She sat beside me.
“You look tired.”
“I didn’t sleep well.”
“Wedding stress again?”
“Something like that.”
She looked at me for a moment.
“You’re thinking too much again.”
I smiled.
“You know me too well.”
“I’m getting there.”
I laughed.
She looked around my room.
“So are you excited?”
“About the wedding?”
“Yeah.”
I stared at my coffee.
“I think so.”
“You think so?”
I smiled.
“I’m excited about starting a new chapter.”
That was true.
At least, I wanted it to be.
Maya leaned against the headboard.
“So have you and Alex talked about where you will both live?”
“Not really.”
“You should.”
“We will.”
She nodded.
Then she looked at me.
“You know I think you’d actually make a good wife.”
I laughed.
“That’s a lot of pressure.”
“I’m serious.”
I looked at her.
“Thank you.”
She smiled.
There was a brief silence.
Then she asked.
“What do you want you life to be after wedding?”
“I want peace.”
“That’s it?”
“And happiness.”
She smiled.
“Those are big things.”
“I know.”
“What else?”
I thought about it.
“I want a family someday.”
Maya smiled.
“You would really make a good mother.”
I laughed.
“You’re really getting ahead of yourself.”
“I’m just saying.”
We spent the rest of the morning talking about the future.
And at that moment I didn’t even think of Ethan.
I didn’t think about what I once imagined my life to become.
I simply just talked about a future I was supposedly building with Alex.
And somehow discussing it with Maya made it easier.
By the afternoon we were out again.
Maya helped in choosing between two pairs of shoes for the wedding.
“This one.” She said,
I shook my head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Too high.”
“You need to stand out.”
“I need to be able to walk.”
She laughed.
“Fine, the other one.”
I smiled.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
As we walked out of the store Maya suddenly stopped.
“Wait.”
“What?”
She pointed across the street.
“Is that not Ethan?”
I followed her gaze.
My heart immediately reacted to seeing him.
Ethan was standing towards a bookstore.
He was alone.
I hadn’t seen him for a few days now.
“Yes it’s him.” I said.
Maya looked at me.
“We should say hi.”
I hesitated.
“Maybe.”
She smiled.
“Let’s go.”
We crossed the street.
“Ethan!”
He turned.
His face lit up.
“Vivi, Maya.”
He walked towards us.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“We are shopping,"Maya replied.
Then Maya suddenly remembered she forgot something in the store.
Leaving me and Ethan alone.
“You two are really close now.”
“Maya’s a good friend.”I said
“I’m glad.”
Then he looked at me for a moment.
Then his eyes dropped at my bracelet.
“Okay that’s new.”
“Alex got it for me.”
Ethan smiled.
“It’s nice.”
“Thank you.”
There was a brief silence.
“The wedding is really getting close.”
“Very close.”
“Are you nervous?”
I smiled.
“A little.”
“You’ll be fine.”
I looked at him.
“That’s all you got to say?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t know.”
He laughed.
“Alex is lucky.”
My heart skipped.
I forced myself a smile.
“Yeah”
“You should get back to meet Maya.”
I nodded.
“Okay.”
Before I left he pulled me for a quick hug.
“I’m happy for you Vivi.”
I closed my eyes for a moment.
“Thank you.”
Then I returned to Maya meeting her when she was coming out of the store.
She looked at me.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re staring.”
She smiled.
“Just wondering what kept you for so long.”
“Nothing important.”
She nodded.
“Okay.”
We continued walking.
Maya started talking about the shoes again.
I laughed at something she said.
For that moment once again, everything felt normal.
But as we walked down the street of New York, I found myself thinking about Ethan’s word again.
“Alex is lucky.”
I didn’t know why I remembered the words again.
Maybe because I wanted to hear something different.
Something that would assure me that I did waste those years hoping for nothing.
I glanced at the bracelet round my wrist.
Then I thought of Alex.
About the wedding.
And the life that awaits after it.
Everything was happening so quickly and very soon I would officially become Mrs Blackwood.
Not for the one I truly love but for his brother, Alex.
I told myself once the wedding was over, everything else would become easier.
I would learn to let go of my feelings for Ethan and be able to love Alex the way he truly deserved.
At least that was actually what I hoped.
Because the closer the wedding got near the more I realized that I found it hard to let go of my feelings.
And I was about to make a promise while I was still holding to the one I made to his brother years ago.
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