Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Emma peered up at me with an uncertain smile. I sat on one of the chairs so we’d be at eye level. I didn’t want to stare down at her the entire time.
Her smile became a bit broader, but she sobered considerably when I didn’t smile in return. I glanced out over our vast backyard, wondering what I was doing. “Danilo told you yesterday?”
She peered down at her elegant fingers. She still needed a ring. This announcement had come sooner than expected, and my mind had been far from thoughts about weddings or engagements these past few years.
“He did last night.”
“It must have come as a surprise.”
She smiled strangely down at her hand as if trying to imagine herself with a ring but couldn’t. “It did. A day isn’t much time to prepare for an engagement you didn’t expect. You had more time, I suppose.”
She peered up then, and her brown eyes searched mine as if she were testing her statement’s truth. I assumed Danilo hadn’t revealed when we’d struck the deal since it would raise too many questions. Obviously, she was wary of how the engagement had come to be. She had every reason to be, but she would never find out the distasteful truth from me. For one, it would crush not just her but also Sofia. And I didn’t really see how the truth would help anyone in this case. “Indeed, it didn’t come as out of the blue for me as it did for you.”
Emma nodded, then she shrugged. “It’ll have sunk in by our wedding. Two years is a long time.”
“It is.”
“A lot can happen before then,” she said in a strange tone. Her eyes became distant as if she remembered something. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was thinking about Cincinatti. Maybe she worried I’d change my mind and cancel our engagement, but I had no intention of doing that. From our short interactions, I could already tell that Emma was pleasant to be around, and she was very pretty.
“That’s true, but some things won’t as of today.”
She tilted her head curiously but then glanced back out toward the backyard.
“You don’t look happy with the engagement.”
“And I should definitely be happy, considering everything.” Her voice had taken on an almost petulant tone.
I frowned, not sure why my words had affronted her. I pushed my hands into my pockets. It was strange thinking that this girl, then woman, would be my wife, my responsibility for the rest of our lives. I’d grown up with a strong sense of protection toward my twin sister, but she was gone—part of which was my fault. I wasn’t sure how I felt about being responsible for Emma. She’d already suffered a lot in her short life. Her tragic accident and her father’s death. Being married to me wouldn’t be the blessing and gift so many people believed it to be.
People judged me by my looks and my standing. They saw the shiny outside, not the abyss beneath the misleading outer layer.
“Are you?”
I slanted her a questioning look.
“Happy, I mean.” Her voice had become painfully quiet.
“Since when has happiness ever been a deciding factor when it comes to marriage in our world?” I asked. I didn’t want to lie to her and pretend this engagement made me ecstatic. Emma flinched. I considered saying something else to soften my words, but everything that came to mind would’ve sounded fake.
“It’s for the good of our families.”
She gave a small nod. “For the good of our families.”
One year later
17 years old
I hadn’t really dared to dream about this day, but I could finally pick out my wedding dress today.
Mom had already cried twice before we even set foot in the bridal store in the afternoon. Anna and Sofia joined us, as did Giorgia. She was the only one from my old group of friends I still met with. Most of the others had become estranged in the months after the accident. I had known many of them from ballet, and since I didn’t dance anymore… I didn’t want to dwell on it.
While I wasn’t as close to Anna and Sofia as Giorgia, I was still happy for their presence. If I’d had to go alone with Mom, this day would have quickly become strenuous.
When Mom and I entered the store, the sales associate gave me an encouraging smile, which had quite the opposite effect. Did she think it would be difficult to find something for me?
Luckily, Sofia and Anna were already there, perched on a plush white sofa and having champagne. Anna got up first, dressed in a plaid miniskirt and over-the-knee boots, and came over to hug me. “I’m so excited for you.”
I grinned, then motioned at her glass. “They ditched the drinking age for you?”
Anna gave me a coy smile, her blue eyes twinkling with mischief as she tossed her sleek brown hair over her shoulder. “I’m resourceful.” She turned to the small side table and filled two more glasses with champagne while Sofia hugged me. I almost asked her how things were going with her wedding planning, but I had a feeling that wasn’t the best topic right now. Things between her and Danilo seemed to be tense for whatever reason.