Chapter 33 Simply dressed.
~Haven.
Walter's hand gently stroked my back…… “I….I miss you,” he whispered…. And I felt something shift inside me. “Harrington and I spoke,” he said. “He told me how you'd struggled to….to get over me even though you were with him. He told me how you barely let him touch you. How you'd make every conversation about me. How much you were hurt by the things I did…..”
I sobbed. “You didn't believe me when I told you.”
My heart thumped…not because I was scared of Walter, but because I was scared of how much my body wanted him.
Walter's hands grabbed a firm grip around my body before lifting me. I rested my head on his shoulder as he carried me outside like a child.
“I'm sorry….I doubted you.”
I opened my eyes slowly, resting gently in Walter's arms, then my eyes met with Mason's. He smiled….. it was soft…real….not the dangerous, fake ones he always had on.
I immediately looked away ….to me? That moment with Walter was pure gold and I didn't want anything ruining it.
After a while of just standing there, Walter finally carried me outside. We sat somewhere in the backyard …on the ground. I folded into his arms and he kept petting my head. He'd constantly kiss my forehead, and whisper that he was sorry and those? They were all I needed.
“What am I going to tell mother?” I finally broke the silence. Not that I wanted to ruin the mood, I just needed to make sure things were set in place. “If Harrington doesn't come.”
“I…… have no idea,” he answered, his voice laced with fear.
I sighed. “I never got invited to family functions. I have no idea why she's hell bent on the fact that I attend this one. With Harrington. And…. simply dressed.”
“Simply dressed? To Vensessa's wedding after-party?” Walter asked, surprised.
And so was I. “Vensessa? As in Aunt Cheryl's daughter?” I exclaimed. I'd never really gotten close to anyone before…. especially mom's siblings. But how come? How come my cousin was getting married and I wasn't informed? Fine.
I understand. I'm nothing but trouble… but why did she want me to attend a wedding after-party…. simply dressed? With Harrington? I wasn't getting it.
“You had no idea it was Vensessa’s party? And why would your mother specifically request that yoare… simply dressed?”
I sat properly, looking directly into his eyes. “For Hannah's sake of course. But …I still don't understand why she didn't tell me.”
“I….. I don't mean to make you feel bad but…. Hannah's married…and now, so is Vensessa…. I heard her younger sister is engaged as well.
She …. I feel like didn't tell you that's where you're headed because she needs you to look as unprepared and shocked as possible. She wants you to show up at the party looking average looking and of course…. Pregnant…. Without a husband.”
My throat tightened for a second. “Mom wouldn't want to do that. She has no reason to,” I whispered, forcing myself into thinking my words were true.
We'd finally gotten over the drama, right? Mom wouldn't want to ruin me for no reason. She can't….not in front of everyone in the family.
I couldn't stop the tears that rolled down my face. “Why would she want to do that to me?”
Walter immediately caught my hands, concern seeping into his gaze.
“Listen to me, Haven. You will attend that party with Harrington by your side, and you will be dressed more beautifully than any woman there—whether your mother, Hannah, or your stupid father likes it or not.”
He pulled me into his arms again.
“I know I’m supposed to be the one holding your hand tomorrow night. But I’m still married to your sister… and even if the child is mine, Harrington should stand beside you. Just for tomorrow night. For your sake. I promise.”
Walter held me tighter, pressing his lips to my hair.
“Just tomorrow night,” he whispered.
I nodded against his chest, pretending his promise was enough to silence the voices in my head but– It wasn’t.
The next morning, the storm still hadn’t settled.
I stood in the living room, clenching the cup in my hands.
The evening would approach in no time….and I didn't know what to do, what to wear or picture how I was going to deal with mom's drama when she finds out that I'd disobeyed her by not looking pathetic.
I was still struggling to put my thoughts in place when Hannah walked downstairs with Mason and Walter.
Mason held her while Walter arranged her hair. “I'm leaving for work,” he started, his voice remained stiff. “Haven's leaving for Harrington's, so I'd be dropping her off as well.”
“Why can't be pick her up?” Hannah shot me a glare.
“Bye,” Walter kissed her forehead without saying anything else.
“Let's go,” he said…….
I smiled, forcing myself to play along. I had no idea where we were going. Walter hadn't told me anything. And what I was wearing? It wasn't “outside” material.
But Hannah's gaze burned into my back, and in that moment, escaping the house mattered more than knowing where Walter was taking me.
Walter didn’t say a word as we stepped outside but the tension in my chest hadn’t eased.
I followed him to the car, still confused.
“Walter… where are we going?” I finally asked as he opened the passenger door for me.
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he waited until I sat down before closing the door.
“You’ll see,” he said simply.
The drive felt longer than it probably was. My mind kept running through possibilities but none of them made sense.
Walter finally pulled into a massive shopping complex. I stared at the building in confusion.
“Walter… why are we here?”
He turned to me, a small smile touching his lips.
“You’re not showing up to that party ‘simply dressed.’ Not if I have anything to say about it.”