Chapter 50 The Dress Dilemma

Chapter 50 The Dress Dilemma
Julian noticed the look on Adeline’s face almost immediately, and the moment he did, his smile began to fade just a little. What he had expected to see was excitement, or at the very least curiosity, but what he was getting instead was irritation, and not even a subtle kind. It was clear in the way her brows had drawn together, in the slight tightening of her lips, and in the way she was looking at the building in front of them like it had personally offended her. He turned slightly in his seat, studying her for a moment as he tried to understand where he had gone wrong.

“You don’t like it?” he asked finally, his tone carrying a hint of confusion. He gestured lightly toward the store in front of them, as if the answer should have been obvious. “I brought you here to look at wedding dresses. We’re getting married soon, and I figured this is something you’d want to do.”

Adeline didn’t respond right away. She kept her gaze fixed ahead for a second longer before turning to look at him properly, and the irritation in her expression didn’t soften.

Julian continued, clearly trying to make sense of her reaction. “I also thought,” he added, “that you probably don’t have any friends you’d want to go with, so it made sense for me to bring you myself.”

That was the moment her expression shifted completely.

Her frown deepened, her eyes narrowing slightly as she turned her body more toward him, her irritation now sharper than before. “And what exactly gave you the impression that I don’t have friends?” she asked, her tone calm but edged with clear offense.

Julian paused for a brief second, clearly not expecting that to be the part of his statement that she would react to the most. He tilted his head slightly, his expression turning a little more serious as he looked back at her.

“Do you really want me to answer that?” he asked.

Adeline held his gaze for a moment, but instead of pushing further, she looked away again, clearly deciding that she didn’t want to hear whatever he had to say next. The irritation was still there, but now it was mixed with something else, something quieter but just as firm.

“Just drive,” she said, her voice flat. “Take me away from here.”

Julian blinked, caught off guard by how quickly her mood had shifted from confusion to outright rejection. “What?” he asked.

“I said drive,” Adeline repeated, turning back to look at him with a sharp expression. “I have no intention of going wedding dress shopping. You should have at least asked me before bringing me to this ridiculous place.”

Julian stared at her for a second, clearly trying to process what she was saying. “What exactly is so ridiculous about a wedding dress shop?” he asked, his tone now carrying a hint of disbelief. “We’re literally getting married.”

Adeline let out a small, dry breath, her fingers tapping lightly against her arm as she looked away again. “That doesn’t mean I want to stand in there and try on dresses like some kind of excited bride,” she said.

Julian frowned slightly, his confusion growing. He leaned back in his seat, studying her more carefully now, as if he were trying to understand something he had missed.

“Are you… uncomfortable?” he asked slowly. “Is this about your first wedding?”

Adeline let out a bitter, almost humorless laugh at that, the sound low and sharp. She turned her head to look at him again, her eyes holding his with a look that made it clear she wasn’t amused.

“Have you ever looked up my first wedding and how I was dressed?” she asked.

Julian shook his head slightly. “No,” he admitted. “I never had a reason to.”

He paused for a second, then reached for his phone almost immediately, his curiosity now clearly taking over. “But I guess I should,” he added. “If it’s going to help me understand what the fuss is about.”

Adeline didn’t stop him. She simply leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms as she watched him, her expression unreadable as he unlocked his phone and typed quickly.

Julian searched her name, along with Patrick Sterling’s, and it didn’t take long for the images to appear. As soon as they did, his eyes widened slightly, and he leaned forward just a bit, staring at the screen like he wasn’t sure he was seeing things correctly.

For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Then he turned his phone slightly toward her, though his gaze stayed fixed on her face instead.

“What the hell is this?” he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

Adeline didn’t even glance at the screen. She already knew what he was looking at.

“Why were you wearing pants and a blazer on your wedding day?” Julian continued, his tone shifting from confusion to something closer to shock. “Who does that?”

Adeline’s lips pressed together briefly before she responded, her voice serious and unapologetic. “I do,” she said simply. “Because I could.”

She leaned back further into her seat, her expression calm but firm now. “I’ve never been interested in wedding dress shopping,” she added. “So you’re going to have to settle for seeing me in a blazer.”

Julian stared at her for a second, clearly not liking that answer at all. His brows drew together slightly, and he set his phone down, his attention fully on her now.

“You wouldn’t dare,” he said.

Adeline raised an eyebrow slightly, her gaze steady. “Wouldn’t I?” she asked.

Julian shook his head immediately, his expression turning more serious. “No,” he said firmly. “You wouldn’t.”

He leaned slightly closer, his tone becoming more pointed. “How is the world supposed to believe that I’m any different from Patrick if you show up dressed the exact same way you did when you married him?”

Adeline didn’t hesitate. “They’ll assume it’s my style,” she replied, her voice calm. “And just because I don’t want to wear a dress doesn’t mean I can’t pretend to be hopelessly in love with you.”

Julian stared at her, his expression clearly unimpressed now. There was a long pause before he spoke again, and when he did, his voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

“There’s no way in hell I’m letting you wear pants to our wedding,” he said.

Adeline rolled her eyes immediately, letting out a small scoff. “You don’t get to decide that,” she said.

Julian ignored that, his gaze steady as he continued. “One of us is wearing a dress,” he added.

Adeline blinked, clearly not expecting that.

“And if you don’t want to,” Julian went on, his tone completely serious, “then I will.”

There was a brief silence after that, and Adeline stared at him like she was trying to figure out if he was joking or not. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said finally, her tone flat.

Julian didn’t even hesitate. “Try me,” he replied.

He leaned back in his seat, his expression calm but determined. “It’s simple,” he continued. “Either you wear a beautiful white dress on our wedding day and look like the most beautiful bride anyone has ever seen…”

He paused for just a second before finishing, his gaze locked on hers. “Or I’ll be the one standing at the altar in a dress instead.”

The words hung in the air between them, and for a moment, Adeline didn’t respond. She just stared at him, her expression caught somewhere between disbelief and annoyance.

“The choice is yours,” Julian added quietly.