SA

hout the wedding ceremony, and for some reason, I could barely wait for it to

y he said those things and possibly explain to me that this was some expensive joke. That I

initely. No man would get married

ingle word to me since our last encounter, which only made the situation more tense and discomfort

y parents and his, although his mother l

sess just to live past the day. That was all that mattered.

" Gerald broke through the silence as he suddenly sugg

icited noise, which made it even harder to hear

some unfinished business," He cut me off, o

. "No, we didn't talk about this. Why would you assume

passive? There was a crack in his personality, and the affection that I caught a

Rosa? There are a lot of people here, so why don't you go? The rooms are w

have separate rooms? I threw him a conf

s response hit my delicate heart like a bombsh

awned on me that this day was becoming a nightmare. I stuffed down my response

rt of my expectations, but I couldn't deny how horrible it fel

e with my heart leaped to my throat. There was a strong urge to break down and cry. I

with my name in it up on the door. I scoffed, surprised at his level of pettine

oorknob and twisted it open, allowing myself into a minimalist-designed room. It wasn't

d my way out of the dress and sat at the edge of the bed in my underwear, getti

tions from reality. My head throbbed like I took a hit, and I sprang up imm

e that I hadn't felt in a while. I submitted to it, letting the pitter-patter sound of water dis

e shower, and I picked out a PJ from the wardrobe in my room. A noise came from down

rong. Or m

disorganized version. "Gerald?" I breathed as I watched him lean aga

le his first three buttons were undone. He didn't

I caught the strong whiff of alcohol from

nothing but elegance to me since the day I met him. See

g the distance between us and stand

wasn't waned at all. A whirlwind of emotions swelled within m

again. Gerald was incredibly close to me, and the thought of him

ay from my grip. There was nothing I could say, or do than

ing with the knob. I brushed past him and opened the door in

reached his bed, and he crashed onto it. What could have

Let me help you," I muttered and tried

ion and reached for his tie to undo it. There, I froze. Mindlessly,

it, what it felt like to be on top of him. My heart pounded in my chest, synced wit

he could see mine. Unexpectedly , Gerald scooted over,

he heat from our bodies being merged alm

love you, Julie..." He muttered, and my

li

g his touch, his face, his words! My heart swelled, and my head throbbed. I hear

ed with the loudest of thoughts, vile screams of shame and sheer humiliation fil

ugh my grasp fast. His voice stuck to the back of my mind, laying heavy.

d him, on our

ter? I'd been seated at the edge of my bed, rooted to a spot while I replayed the scenarios in my

ss clawed at my chest with malicious intent, and I cav

t did you expect?" I couldn't even sob. My emotions were hanging by a th

ownstairs. Perhaps a cup of water would help, plus I needed the walk. I peered into

d to. Flicking the light on, I made my way to the kitchen but stopped at the c

related to Gerald, then I should know about it. I reached for them and pulled them i

y and Gerald's. My heart stopped for a moment, and the paper slipped ou

This was their intention from th

tears streamed down my face in torrents. No way. My mind went

iage was.

of this was out of care for me, at all. "How could the