by M. K. ROZE
anything.”
“Yes, I did. I had my mom order it. That’s why it’s so
late.”
“That’s okay.”
“Come on. We’re going to be late for school.”
“How are we supposed to have enough time to get ready
for your aunt’s wedding tonight?”
“It’s not until 8:00, remember? We’ll have plenty of
time.”
“Sorry. My head is all messed up.”
“Trust me, I get it.”
“Are you wearing those fangs to school?”
“Why not. It is Hal oween.”
“You’ll get in trouble.”
“Not if they don’t see them.” She spun around and
walked out of the room.
I took my phone off the end table. Mom and Dad texted
me, telling me they would meet me out for dinner after
school. I was hoping Constin would have texted me, but he
didn’t.
At school, Liam came up to me singing Happy Birthday.
Everyone stopped and stared at me.
“Stop it.” My face was warm.
“Sorry. Did you find out who told Constin about your
dreams?”
“That happened like three weeks ago. You’re just asking
me about that now?”
“Viata, chill. I’ve been busy.”
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“Clearly.”
Liam sighed. “Did you find out?”
“Yes.”
“Who was it?”
“Maria,” I mumbled.
“Damn. She seems nice.”
“She’s not. She makes my skin crawl.”
“I think she’s hot.”
“You’re such a dick. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Viata!” Liam called out after me, but I kept walking.
After class, I met my parents at the Olive Garden. They
were celebrating my birthday early because they knew I
would be out late with Kaylee. During dinner, Mom passed
me a small purple gift box, in which I found a stainless-steel
Movado watch with a black dial.
I stopped breathing for a few seconds. “Mom, Dad, I
can’t believe you got me this. It’s beautiful. Thank you so
much.” I leaned over the table and kissed their cheeks. “I
love you, guys.”
“We love you too,” Mom said.
“Open the other one.” Dad pushed a small pink box in
front of me.
I slid it back. “You’ve done more than enough.”
“Honey, it’s your birthday.” Mom pushed it back in
front of me.
I took the white ribbon off and lifted the top. “No way.”
I looked at the white gold diamond earrings, with a necklace
that matched. I got up and hugged them both. “I love you
guys so much. Thank you!”
“You’re welcome, honey,” Mom said, with tears in her
eyes.
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Dad kissed my forehead. “You deserve it.”
I couldn’t stop smiling.
“I hope it matches your dress,” Mom said.
“It does.”
“Great. Make sure you have Kaylee take tons of
pictures.”
“Absolutely.”
Dinner came out shortly after. I ate the salad and
chicken parmesan. It was delicious as always. After we shared
a few more laughs, I rushed home and took a shower. Before
I knew it, it was already 5:30.
Kaylee came in from work and hugged me. “How was
dinner?” She walked off to her room to get ready.
“It was great.”
I went into my room and slid into the teal dress I
bought. It fit perfectly, nice and snug, and showed off my
curves. I glanced in the mirror, twirling around, and I noticed
I’d forgotten to put on my new earrings and necklace.
As I was trying to put the necklace on, Kaylee came in.
“Wow! You look gorgeous.”
“Aw, thank you. Can you help me with this? I can’t clasp
it.”
“Wow, this is gorgeous.” She put it on.
“Thanks. Mom and Dad got it for me.” I moved my hair
away from my ear. “I have matching earrings too.”
“Damn, I wish I had parents like yours.”
“You can wear them but just not tonight.”
She turned to me. “I don’t have to. I’m wearing the ones
you bought me for my birthday.”
I smiled. “They look beautiful on you.”
She took the brush off the dresser. “Do you need help
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with your hair and makeup?”
“Nah, not tonight.”
“Remember, I told you your surprise was later?”
“Kaylee, what are you up to?”
“Nothing bad, I promise. Now sit and let me fix you
up.”
“If you’re trying to hook me up, don’t.”
“Chill out. I know you’re in love with Prince Constin,”
she said mockingly.
The doorbell rang.
“You get it this time. I already handed candy out to half
of the town at work.”
“My face isn’t done. I’m not going out there.”
“It’s Halloween.”
“They’ll give up eventually.”
Kaylee laughed and continued putting my makeup on.
I tried to keep a happy face as she fixed me up, but I
was still feeling depressed because I missed Constin. I
genuinely wished I could get out of going to the wedding,
but I promised. I didn’t want to upset her.
“You miss Constin, don’t you?” she asked as she added
the finishing touches.
“Yeah. Why?”
“No reason.”
That’s weird. I thought she didn’t like him.
“All done.” She tapped my nose.
I walked over to the mirror. “Wow! I look sophisticated.
Thank you.” I hugged her, then frowned. “I wish Constin
could see me now.” I opened my dresser and took out the
barrette he gave me. “Can you put this in for me, please?”
Kaylee made a sad face. “Sure, turn around.”
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I thought it was weird because she didn’t argue with me
about it.
“There, all done.”
Kaylee rushed to her room to get ready. Two hours
later, she re-emerged. She looked stunning, wearing a gold
dress and silver heels. Her hair was in a bun too. We ended
up taking both cars in case one of us wanted to leave early.
When I arrived downtown at the venue, I parked on top
of a small hill and sat there waiting for Kaylee. Couples were
kissing and holding one another as they walked inside. My
eyes teared up, wishing that was me and Constin, then Kaylee
knocked on the window. I blinked my tears away and got
out.
We walked down the pathway, and I stopped to take
some photos of the rustic pillars that surrounded the
building. It was gorgeous, with twinkle lights dancing
magically in the trees.
Kaylee took a few pictures of me standing in front of
them. I did the same for her. She took me by the arm, and
we headed inside where she removed her and my name from
the escort table in the hallway. We continued down the short
hall and entered a large room. At least two hundred people
; were sitting in chairs facing an arch decorated in roses. It was
pretty.
After the short ceremony, Kaylee and I walked over to
congratulate her aunt and new husband, then continued to
the room next door. There were tons of round banquet
tables with silver rosette tablecloths that touched the ground.
As we continued, I glanced up at the uplighting with white
draping. It was breathtaking. It made a more magnificent
spectacle of the ceiling and its diamond chandeliers.
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People I didn’t know approached Kaylee, hugging her.
She introduced me each time, but I still felt out of place.
When we sat at the table, I could smell the fresh roses
and baby’s breath that lingered from the tall centerpiece in
front of us. Ms. Ashfield and five other people I never met
joined us, but I didn’t mind. They were all talkative and very
polite.
After we ate dinner, the DJ played pop music. We got
up. Kaylee grabbed some flutes of champagne off a table and
walked onto the dance floor.
“We’re not allowed to drink.”
“It’s okay. No one is looking.” Kaylee handed the glass
to me. “Swirl it around before you drink it.”
I giggled. “You do that with wine, not champagne. It
will make it flat.”
She ignored me and swirled her drink, spilling some on
the floor. “Whatever. Just drink it.”
I took a few sips, gagged, and kept the glass to my side,
hoping I wouldn’t get caught with it. A half-hour later, a man
approached Kaylee and began dancing behind her. She
couldn’t stop smiling.
“Hey,” I yelled out over the music. “I’m going to go sit
for a while. My feet are killing me!”
“Alright.” She looked toward the exit.
I sat back in my seat and discreetly downed the rest of
the champagne. I stared around the room, watching
everyone have a blast. Kaylee was dancing up a storm. The
alcohol was kicking in, causing me to feel more depressed. I
wasn’t supposed to drink while taking the pills, but I did
anyway.
A slow song came on that reminded me of Constin.
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Watching the bride and groom dance with each other in such
a fairytale setting hit a soft spot. I couldn’t help but think of
Constin, wishing he was there.
Everyone in the room seemed to have a date but me.
That made it even worse, and I missed his touch. I lowered
my head and glanced at the time on my phone. It was twelve
minutes until midnight. I was thinking about leaving, but the
room was still fuzzy.
My high heels were causing me pain, so I leaned over to
fiddle with them. A pair of black dress shoes appeared in
front of me. I slowly raised my head, and my heart skipped a
beat.
“Constin!” I screeched.
He stood there grinning at me. His black tux with a red
tie made him look so unbelievably handsome.
He reached for my hand.
In a daze, I took his hand and got up slowly. “How did
you know I was here?”
He didn’t utter a word and walked me onto the dance
floor. He twirled me around toward him. I looked over at
Kaylee. When she winked at me and didn’t approach us, I
was sure she had something to do with him being there.
“How long have you been here?”
“Long enough.” Constin stared into my eyes with a look
he’d never given me before. He slowly came in and kissed
me on my lips.
“Happy Birthday, Viata,” he said softly.
Butterflies danced in my stomach. I wanted more of his
soft, warm lips against mine. His eyes opened wide as if he
knew what I was thinking. The song that was playing came
to a stop, and the room filled with silence.
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Constin held my waist and placed his face against mine.
“This next song is for you,” he whispered close to my ear,
giving me chills.
The song Perfect, by Ed Sheeran , started playing.
“How did you know that this is my favorite song?”
“I didn’t.” He pulled me back in and buried his face in
my neck, kissing it slowly. I could smell his sweet scent, and
it was as if I was floating in his arms.
He raised my chin slowly, and his eyes filled up with
tears as he met my gaze. I couldn’t help but tear up as well,
almost as if I could feel his pain. He embraced me tightly,
placing his face against mine. His tears fell onto my chest.
I grabbed his smooth face. “Are you okay? What’s
wrong?”
Constin turned away briefly. His eyes met mine again,
and he kissed me passionately for what seemed to be an
eternity. When the song ended, we walked off the dance
floor hand in hand.
“Would you like to leave and go somewhere quiet to
talk?”
“Yes.”
I waved goodbye to Kaylee. I was sure she’d understand
that I wanted to be alone with him. We walked out and stood
near my car. I wrapped my arms around him and rested my
head on his chest.
“Are you okay now, compared to last time?”
I could hear him swallow hard. “Yes, for now.”
I sensed he didn’t want to talk about it. “Do you want
to go back to my place?”
“How about we go to my father’s cabin tonight?”
My heart sped up. “You told me not to trust you.”
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“I know. I was messing with you, just like when I
brought you into the psychic. I’m sorry. If I could take it
back, I would.”
“I did a lot of stupid stuff too, so I’ll forgive you. Just
don’t treat me like that ever again.”
He kissed my forehead. “I won’t. Would you like to
come over to my house? I’d feel much better if you stay close
to me.”
I blushed. “Okay, I’ll come.”
“Perfect. My car is over here,” he said.
“What about mine? They’ll tow it.”
“Follow me.”
“What car do you have?”
“You’ll see when I pull up.”
“Show off.” I watched him walk away.
I got into the car and waited until he pulled up. I was
happy to see him, but I still wanted to know why he treated
me like crap. He pulled up in the Aston Martin, smirked at
me, and gunned it out of the parking lot.
I shook my head and followed him, trying to keep up.
We drove to the outskirts of St. Augustine, where we drove
off the main road and onto a dirt one. Tall oak trees
surrounded me on each side.
We arrived at his cabin, which sat alone on a small hill,
surrounded by acres of land. As I got out, the scent of fresh
pine lingered all around me. Constin came up to me and
reached for my hand like he always did. We walked toward
the beautiful cedar front door.
“Is your father here?”
“Yes, he is. Would you like to meet him?”
“Sure, I’d love to.�
�
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As we continued up the front steps, Mozart was playing
from somewhere in the cabin.
When Constin opened the door, I stepped inside, and
my mouth fell open as I admired the spiraled wooden
staircase and a loft upstairs. We continued through the living
room where a white leather couch sat in the center with glass
tables on each side.
“This is beautiful,” I said as I observed the cedar wood
cabinets and chrome appliances.
“Thank you.” Constin led me to the next room, which
was where the music was coming from.
As we entered, a man sat at a white piano with his back
turned toward us. His long black curly hair ran down to the
middle of his back and looked like silk.
“Viata, this is my father, Sorin.”
Sorin turned to us.
“Good evening, Mr. Silivassi. I mean, good morning,” I
said, a little discombobulated time-wise. “I saw you with
Constin at the restaurant a while back.”
“I thought you looked familiar.”
“I never heard your name before. I like it.”
“Thank you. You can call me Sorin.” He took a glass of
wine off the piano.
I glanced at Constin and smiled.
Sorin stood and handed me the wine. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you.”
I thought it was weird that Sorin allowed me to drink,
but I didn’t want to question him. I took a few sips, and I
puckered from its taste. I covered my mouth, trying not to
gag.
Constin took my hand and walked me over to the red
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leather couch that was next to the stone fireplace. We sat
next to each other while Sorin walked away.
I forced down the rest of the wine. The room became
quiet, which was awkward and painful to bear.
“I went to Romania with my parents on vacation,” I
blurted.
Constin chuckled.
Sorin’s brown eyes widened. “Yes, I remember.” He
sipped his wine. “I remember my son telling me this.”
Constin cleared his throat.
I looked over at him and back at Sorin. “Have you been
there before?”
Sorin adjusted his shirt. “No, why do you ask?”
“You said remember with a Romanian accent.”
“Did I?”
I nodded.
Sorin smirked. “Perhaps it’s the wine playing tricks on