It took me a moment to realize that she was talking to me. “Oh, I’m not—”
Cindy came in and told her where to place everything and I faced Blake who watched me carefully.
His smile had turned into a frown. “I’m sorry about that,” he said.
“It’s no big deal,” I lied.
Molly came running, saving the day once again.
Cindy came after her. “Blake, would you mind getting Molly down for her nap? I need Arianna’s help for a while.”
“Come on,” said Blake and he picked up Molly, tickling her, and that made me smile… a feeling that was starting to feel odd.
“Come with me, sweetheart,” said Cindy as she led me to her room.
In her room, she handed me a box.
“What is it?” I asked.
“A dress for tonight. I hope you don’t mind that I got it for you—and I hope you like it.”
“Thank you,” I said as I opened the box.
I got the dress out of the box. It was a strapless dress, with a blue top and the skirt was made of a silky material, blue and purple, and it sat as if it was a princess’ dress.”
“It’s beautiful!” I said. “Thank you!”
“You are welcome, sweetheart.”
When I looked up at her, there was sadness in her eyes.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
She sighed. “I can see that my son cares a lot about you. You do know that, right?”
I shrugged. I knew that he did, but what was the point in admitting it?
She avoided my gaze.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but if there’s any way that you feel for my son the way I believe he feels about you, and trust me, I can see all over his face that he cares about you… please don’t let him get married.”
Her request shocked me.
“But—even if that is true, he has so many other things… people… who he needs to think about.”
“That’s what he told you, isn’t it?”
I nodded.
She tapped her hand on the bed for me to sit next to her.
“Blake doesn’t know any other way. He was raised to do things a certain way and I was too weak to stand up to his father. I can see the way you look at each other. If there is any chance that you can make my son happy, please don’t let him get married. He won’t stop this on his own, but you can help him.”
“But—he wouldn’t be able to see you again—”
“Sweetheart, he’s my son and I’ll find a way.”
“What about his father?” I asked.
“I honestly don’t know, Arianna. But I’d risk finding out if that keeps me from seeing my son as unhappy as he’s been with Brooke, especially since you came around.”
“Oh,” I looked away.
“I’m not saying it’s your fault. Please, never think about it that way. I’ve prayed that someone like you would get into his life, because it’ll take a fairy tale to get him to choose his own destiny.”
I smiled at the words ‘fairy tale.’
“What is it?” she asked.
“It’s just something that Blake said about him being the farthest thing away from a fairy tale as I could possibly find.”
Cindy smiled. “I have a hunch that you know that’s not true. Fairy tale is all about hopes and dreams and even if he doesn’t recognize that yet, I can clearly see that you can give him that.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“I know things won’t happen overnight, especially with Blake, and I know that tonight might be difficult for you. Please don’t feel like you have to stay at the party. At any point you want to leave, just let me know and I’ll take Molly.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“I feel like we need something fun to make up for this talk.” She laughed. “If you want to get ready now, I can help you with your hair and make-up.”
I smiled at her and I couldn’t say no. I never had this in my life. I never had a mother figure.
She left the room to get more things ready while I got dressed. I stared at myself in the mirror. The dress was perfect. Soon after, she knocked on the door and I told her to come in.
“You look beautiful!” she said.
“Thank you.”
“Come, sit here,” she motioned for me to sit in front of the dresser.
She left my hair down, letting the curls loose and brushing against my bare shoulders. She put on some blush and lip-gloss.
“You are all ready!” she said smiling at me.
I stared at myself in the mirror and all I could think about was what Blake would think once he saw me. That is until I reminded myself about what the occasion was.
Cindy’s expression changed to sadness as well. “I’m sure he’ll love your dress.”
“I should go,” I told her. “Do you need my help with anything?” I asked.
She shook her head and sighed. “I should probably get ready, too.”
When I stepped out into the living room, I froze. Brooke was there, standing next to Blake and he had his arm around her waist. They were talking to who I believed to be her parents. He looked at me for a split second… they all did. His eyes widened as he REALLY looked at me, then Brooke put her arms around him and he looked back at her parents.
It was probably rude of me, but I wanted out of there as soon as possible, so I turned back around and went to see if Molly was awake.
Chapter Sixteen
Molly was still sleeping. I sat at the end of her bed and just shook my head. This was bound to be a bad night.
I took a few deep breaths and wondered whether I should wake up Molly and get her ready. Her dress was already hanging in front of her closet door, ready for her.
I was just about to wake her up when I heard the voices coming from outside. I got closer to window, which was slightly opened.
“What’s she doing here?” asked Brooke.
“She lives here,” said Blake in a cold tone.
“Yes, but this is my party and I don’t want her here.”
“You’ll have to take that up with my mom. Arianna was asked to watch Molly during the party.”
“Well, I don’t understand why the kid has to be here in the first place! This is not exactly an event for kids!”
“Brooke, this is a family event, and Molly is family. I don’t care how old she is.”
Next thing I heard was someone slamming the door.
I peeked outside of the window through the blinds and I could see Blake pacing around. He looked as if he felt trapped… devastated.
“WOW. You look like a princess!” I turned around to see Molly sitting up staring at me.
Only that could make me smile.
“Thank you,” I said, “but you know who will be an even prettier princess at this party?” I asked.
“Who?” She said as she smiled.
“Well, you!” I grabbed her dress. “This is the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen!”
She laughed and rushed out of bed asking for her mom who had promised to do her hair.
I left Cindy and Molly alone and went to my room. I closed the door behind me and almost let out a scream when I turned around to find Blake standing there.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be here. I was just—I just needed some time away from everyone.”
“And you had to come here?” I asked. “If Brooke finds you here—”
He cut me off. “She’s getting ready and Owen is taking her family around the island.”
He started to walk toward my dresser as if something had caught his attention. I watched him attentively as he grabbed the necklace he had left for me and walked in my direction.
I wanted to move away, but I couldn’t move. It was as if something stronger than me was making me stay where I was. I wanted him to get closer to me… to touch me.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
He walked to where he stood behind me. His fingers brushed against my back as he moved my hair to the side. He placed the necklace on me, and the fact that he was having trouble with the clasp on the necklace, meant his fingers were brushing against my skin, and driving me insane. I closed my eyes and bit my bottom lip, wanting so much more even though I knew it was wrong in every way. He took me by surprise when he kissed the back of my neck, before moving my hair back.
He then walked to the door and locked it.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He walked back toward me with doubt in his eyes. I didn’t move.
“You can tell me to go away if you want. I’ll understand if you do, but I can’t stop thinking about you. I want you… all of you.”
“Bu—But you are getting engaged,” I said.
“I’ll find a way to end this, Arianna. If you’ll have me… If you want this as much as I do, I’ll find a way. It might not be today, but I will. I promise.”
I nodded.
He walked behind me again, brushing his fingers against my neckline, down toward the top of the zipper on my dress. He started to unzip it as he kissed my neckline.
“Blake?” I said, knowing that Brooke wasn’t going to take all day to get dressed. Knowing that we should wait until he fulfilled his promise.
“Yes?” he whispered in my ear.
I turned around slowly to face him. I had every intention of telling him that we should wait, but when I met his eyes, for the first time, I saw hope and I didn’t want to remind him of what awaited for him outside of this room. I kissed him, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him closer to me. He toyed with the zipper on my dress some more, but decided to leave it alone.
We stopped kissing and he pulled away just enough to where he could look in my eyes. “Will you meet me outside later tonight? I’ll wait for you by the end of the trail.”
I nodded and he kissed me again. Before he left the room, he said, “I like the necklace on you.” I gave him a puzzled look while I touched the necklace.
“Even if they are fictional, I always thought that mermaids were beautiful creatures. Of course, they don’t compare to you, but still…” he grinned.
What he said about mermaids made me feel strange, in a good way.
He slowly opened the door and winked at me before he sneaked out of my room.
Shortly after, the door swung open and Owen walked in.
“What do you want?” I asked.
He grinned. “You look hot,” he said.
I looked away.
“Come on. No need to be shy.” He paused. “I assume things are going well.”
I didn’t even answer him.
“Brooke wasn’t too happy just a few minutes ago. She was looking for him everywhere and I think she’d have taken this door down if it wasn’t for me.”
“Are you expecting me to thank you?” I asked.
He laughed.
“Well, the reason why I came here is to tell you that it would probably be a good idea to act like we are together for tonight, that is… if anyone asks.”
I gave him a look that was a mixture of confusion and anger.
“Relax!” He rolled his eyes. “I’m saying this with my brother’s best interest in mind. I told Brooke we were together to get her off Blake’s back.”
“Why would you do that?” I asked, knowing that he didn’t do this out of the goodness of his heart.
He shrugged. “I have my reasons. This is not good timing for her to be suspicious. Also, you should probably know that my father will be here soon and he cannot in any way shape or form, be suspicious that something is off. Do you understand?”
His tone had changed to something that made my skin feel cold. I nodded and he said all guests were already there so we both left my room…together.
As we walked past the hallway and into the living room, I caught Brooke whispering into Blake’s ear, and his eyes went wide with fury as he looked from me to Owen.
Owen leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Relax. I’ll make sure he knows that there’s nothing happening here.” I took a deep breath, but I couldn’t relax, because I didn’t trust Owen at all.
With Blake still watching me, I left Owen talking to himself as I walked away from him and went to look for Molly.
The party was a joke. People talked and drank, and Brooke went around showing off her ring and talking about the wedding. Surprisingly, Blake was the only one not drinking tonight, well, besides me. There were several moments that night when I felt his gaze on me, and I did my best to not look in his direction, but it was tough.
I was glad when Molly’s bedtime finally came around. She said goodnight to her mom, and then I followed her as she went to say goodnight to Owen and Blake. She hugged them both, and Blake looked up at me as he hugged her back. Brooke seemed to be a little more pleasant this time so I figured that maybe Owen’s plan wasn’t that bad after all.
I turned around and took Molly to her room. She fell asleep in no time, and I stood by the window, watching the stars and just wondering how things were with my father, Bram, and everyone else who I had hurt.
When I heard the soft knock on the door, my heart skipped a beat, thinking that maybe it was Blake.
“Come in,” I said in a low tone, trying not to wake up Molly.
A man who Owen had earlier pointed out to be his father, walked in. He was tall, elegant, and very intimidating.
“Hi. Mr. Crawford.”
He nodded. “I just wanted to say goodnight to Molly, but I see I’m a little too late.”
I stood there silently.
“You’re Arianna, correct?”
I nodded.
“Well, Cindy is happy to have someone here to watch the house and help with Molly.”
“It’s my pleasure,” I said.
He nodded. His eyes and his words were so cold. He turned around and walked away. Cindy came in shortly after to check in on Molly. She seemed surprised that I was still there with Molly, but I guess she understood why I didn’t want to be at the party instead.
When the house was quiet and I knew Molly wouldn’t be woken up, I walked out to the back porch and headed toward the end of the trail hoping that I would still find him there.
It was getting cold outside and the fact that everything was so quiet was making me nervous. I started to doubt my decision to walk around alone at night, but I still kept going.
Everything was pitch black, so I didn’t see him until I was at the end of the trail. He looked up at me with a smile on his face. “I thought you weren’t coming,” he said. “Especially after the rumors I heard about you and Owen.”
“Did you believe them?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No. And Owen said he did it to get Brooke to back off.” He paused. “When Brooke first told me,” he shook his head, “It wasn’t easy.”
“It’s not easy seeing you with her,” I said, holding back the tears.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said as he approached me. He then wrapped his arms around me and I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I started to cry.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I can leave you alone if you want. Just say the word.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” I cried against his chest. “I deserve the pain. I’ve hurt too many people. My father… Bram…”
He gave me a puzzled look. “Bram?”
“My hus—the one my father chose for me.”
I could feel his body tense right before he took a deep breath. “Arianna, your father forced you ‘marry’ him. You can’t blame yourself for leaving.”
“That’s still a commitment I should honor. Besides, Bram does love me and he’s a good person.”
He got more and more tense. “It’s not even a real marriage!” he said.
I stood there, quietly.
“Please promise me you’re not going back to him. I just need some time to figure things out. I’ll make this right. I promise.”
> I nodded and he kissed me, moving his hands up from the small of my back. Then he leaned me back as he slowly kissed from my neck down to the top of my dress, every kiss, leaving me wanting more.
“I want to show you something,” he said, when he stopped.
He used a light from his phone to help him find his way as he held my hand and we walked into the woods. When we stopped walking, he pointed his phone up, where there was a tree house.
“After you,” he said.
I pulled my dress slightly up with one hand so I didn’t trip as I climbed up the stairs leading to the tree house. Once there, I saw there was a blanket on the floor and rose petals around it. I looked at him and smiled. I sat down on the blanket and he sat next to me.
“This is my getaway place. Ever since I was about 11 or so, I would run away just about every chance I got and come here.”
I looked around, remembering how many times I watched him run away.
“Did you build it?” I asked.
“I helped. This was mine and my grandfather’s last project before he got sick.” He paused and quickly changed subject. I could see how much talking about his grandfather hurt him. “I’m really sorry that things are this difficult. Honestly, I never thought I would ever meet anyone who makes me feel the way I do about you.”
I smiled. “So you now believe in fairy tales?” I teased him, trying to lighten the mood.
But his eyes were still sad. He shook his head. “I’m still the farthest thing from a fairy tale, Arianna. You have no idea how damaged I am and honestly, I don’t even understand why you are still here. All I know is that I can’t let you go. I just—I can’t stay away. I need you to tell me that you can’t do this, because if it’s up to me, I have no restraints when it comes to you.”
“I’d be lying if I told you that.”
I could see uncertainty in his eyes. He turned to face me, “Arianna, I have to marry Brooke. There were things I didn’t know before about my dad’s company. It’s not just my future that it’s at risk anymore. I don’t see a way around it, and I can’t turn into my father. What I promised you before, I meant every word, but I can’t do anything about it right now.”
“I don’t understand what you want from me then. It doesn’t seem like there is a solution and I feel like you’re trying to put this on me because you can’t decide for yourself.”
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