┏━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┓ Dress ┗━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┛ Chapter 10: Dress (Rhys' POV) I stared down at her. "Choose," she repeated. She folded her arms across her chest that heaved up and down a little. She let out a breath like she'd been dying to snap at me and finally got the chance to. But she didn't. I know she didn't. She has so much that she wants to say to me, probably three years of pent-up anger, frustration, and hurt. I just walked out on her. I fed her lies and then left without even giving her a proper reason as to why. I left in the worst way possible because I needed her to hate me. I needed her to hate me so she'd give up on me, on us. And she did. And now it's back to bite me in the ass because ironically, now I need her to marry me. "You know I don't have a choice," I said through gritted teeth. "Then suck it up," she replied. She pushed at my chest and walked back into the living room. I huffed, leaning against the counter while scratching the back of my head. What the hell have I gotten myself into? I chose Brooke. Despite what my parents wanted, I chose Brooke so I wouldn't have to face Ava. And now fate's brought her back to me, dropped her right in my lap, as my wife. Where she has full authority to question me about the past. I never wanted her to know what really happened back then. I'll make sure she never finds out. I walked back to the living area and everybody seemed much more relaxed now. I figured they were convinced that Brooke was safe, since she's with her boyfriend, and now my problem has been resolved. "Ava, honey, why don't you get dressed? We'll leave in a while, hmm?" My mom smiled at her. "Leave for where?" I questioned, looking between them while my father shot me a nasty look, still angry about the way I was acting. "Wedding dress shopping," Mrs. Pearl replied. "Do you want to come? You can see the dress," Mom offered. Ava stiffened, turning to look at me. I looked at her and her eyes were screaming at me to say no. So of course, naturally, I said yes. "Sure," I shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, okay," Mom grinned, seeming surprised. "Ava, why don't you just change, and then we can head out?" "Yeah," she mumbled, glancing at me and then turning around, heading upstairs to her room. Her room. I haven't seen it in three years, I wonder if it's the same or if she changed it up a bit. I wonder if she still has that picture of us placed in the back of her favorite book. I'm curious now, I want to know. "Ava." I turned to look at her. She stopped near the staircase at the call of her name and spun around, seeming surprised that I called her. "What?" I glanced at our parents, saw that they were busy chatting and Ashton had gone into the kitchen, and then I met her at the staircase. "There's something I need to check." "Huh?" Her nose scrunched up in confusion. I ignored her and walked past her, upstairs, and into her room. She followed behind me. "What makes you think you can just barge into my room with my permission?" "The fact that I just did," I replied, closing the door behind her. I looked at the room, surprised that it looked the exact same. She had a few additions. A black screen for her to change behind that had a cherry blossom tree painted onto it, a few pictures of her, Brooke, and Victoria stuck to the wall near her desk, Ashton was in some of them too. "Get out," she demanded. "Why? Go get dressed." I walked over to her desk, looking through the window that showed their small backyard. I traced the edge of her desk while scanning the bookshelf for The Song of Achilles. The book's gone. I turned to her, she was still standing at the door, watching my every move like a hawk. As if I'm here to completely wreck her room. "What are you looking for?" she questioned. "Nothing." I scanned her room. My eyes landed on hers and she let out a small gasp. I watched in confusion. I followed her gaze to her nightstand where the copy of the book lay. "You're just so smart, aren't you?" I smirked, picking it up. She quickly rushed over, trying to snatch it away but I held it behind my back. "That's my book!" "I'm not taking it forever," I retorted. "What are you looking for?" "That's for me to know and for you to not." "You're looking for the picture, aren't you?" She scoffed, "It's not there. I burnt it the night you left me. Give me the book." I stared at her for a minute. "If it's not there then you shouldn't mind if I look." I turned my back to her and skimmed through the book, stopping at the last page, where sure enough, the picture was right there, separating the two pages. She snatched the book away before I could blink. But I remember that picture so vividly. It's a picture of the two of us sitting under the gazebo. I must have been only nineteen then, she was sixteen. Mr. Rufus took it for us. I was sitting on the bench and she stood behind me, her arms around me. I remember the moment more vividly than I thought I did. "Taking a picture is probably a bad idea," I warned, looking at her while she picked a flower from the vines that wrapped around the pillars of the gazebo. "So? I won't show anyone. Give me the camera." "No," I mumbled, still looking at it. "We could get in trouble." She picked the flower and then fell into the seat beside me. "Why do you worry about that so much? Nobody's going to know just from one picture, okay? It's for me to keep and treasure." "Treasure?" I smiled in amusement while she tucked the flower behind my ear. "Hmm," she nodded. She took a look around before quickly pecking my lips. I handed her the camera and she grinned, turning it on. Mr. Rufus was wandering around and she called him over. "What are you doing?" I asked, staring at her. "Hiring Mr. Rufus as our photographer." She stood up. "Ava-" "Could you take a picture please, Mr. Rufus? This button right here." "Of course," he chuckled. She came over quickly standing behind me and resting her arms on my shoulders. I looked at her over my shoulder. "You'll get us in trouble," I gritted. She leaned in closer. "I can guarantee Mr. Rufus doesn't care." "Say 'cheese!'" I didn't look away from her while she grinned at the camera. "Thank you," she sang as the polaroid printed itself. She showed it to me once it revealed itself. With her pale yellow sundress and my white button-up, we looked like two normal people. A normal couple. Not one that would be hiding forever. "Get out now, Rhys." She pushed me towards the door. I pulled it open and walked back downstairs, still thinking about that day. I have that picture carved into my memory. Her yellow dress, her hair in a half-up, half-down. She wore the hairband I bought for her. It was a warm, sunny day and the heat caused both our cheeks to flush red. She had on a vanilla lip gloss that I tasted in every single kiss we shared that day. "Is she ready?" I snapped out of my thoughts, facing my mother. "She's just getting dressed." She came down five minutes later wearing a pale blue sundress with her hair up in a bun. "Rhys, you'll drive, right?" Mom questioned. I nodded, fishing the keys out of my pocket. I unlocked the car, opening the passenger door for Ava. She climbed in, holding my gaze while our mothers sat in the backseat. I jumped in, started the car, and then started driving to Fantasia where we were led straight to the showroom once we arrived. The owner greeted us all and then asked, "Will you all be choosing the dress for the bride? I don't see her this time." I chuckled softly. "Actually." I gestured to Ava. "She's the bride." "Oh dear, I'm so sorry." "No worries, Christine. You just run your boutique, hmm?" Mom gave her a bitter smile before heading inside with Ava and Mrs. Pearl. I trailed behind them, sitting on the small couch while the three of them looked through the dresses. "We brought you here to help us, Rhys. Come here." I rolled my eyes and stood up, walking over. "Hold this." I held onto a few of the dresses and now I understand what Ashton meant that day when he said they were tormenting him. Ava watched in amusement but then took all the dresses from me and went into the changing room while the three of us settled on the couch. She tried on two dresses but none of them seemed right for her. They were too simple and they weren't the style I pictured her wearing, and trust me, I've spent my fair share from ages eighteen to twenty-one imagining her in a wedding dress. "Do you like any of them so far?" Mrs. Pearl asked Ava. She looked at her reflection. "They're nice but… I think I should try the last one." "Go ahead." She went back into the changing room and came out a short while later. I didn't bother looking because I couldn't care less about her wedding dress. Checking the time on my watch and counting each tick seemed more interesting. "This is it, this has got to be the one," my mom gushed. "Honey, you look beautiful!" Mrs. Pearl laughed. "Rhys, what do you think?" Mom nudged me. I looked up, my eyes going from the hem of the gown all the way up to the neckline at a painstakingly slow pace. I wanted to memorize every little detail of this moment because as much as I hate to admit it, this is the perfect dress for her. And she looks beautiful, she would look absolutely breathtaking at the wedding if she wears this. My eyes met hers and she swallowed, looking at the dress and smoothing it out. "She looks fine." My mother shot me a disgusted look and then sighed. "He means you look gorgeous. We'll take it, hmm?" When Ava went to change back, our mothers stood up. "We're going down the street to buy some shoes. Make sure you pay for the dress and then meet us there." "What?" "Bye-bye." They left. I sighed, leaning further into the couch. I just shouldn't have come here. But now I did, and not only did I get tortured with the sight of how beautiful she looked, but now I have to be around her. Alone. And when has that ever ended well for us? . . . . . Chapter 10 what's something you guys really want to see in this book?