How Not to Keep a Secret

Chapter 1

"Rox! I need you, quick!" Ariel called, beckoning me into her dressing quarters. 

"What is it? The ceremony is about to start." She closed the door after I had entered. Ariel began to pace, her pearl-colored dress swishing with each movement. Her eyes were trained on the floor. Did she just space out? "Ariel?" I called. She seemed to snap out of her daze, and back into her panic. 

"He's here." She said, her hands fidgeting with the little stones on her dress. 

"Who?" 

"Marcus." Oh, now I could see what she was worried about. Ariel had been with Marcus over the summer while James was away on business. She didn't tell anyone anything until he'd showed up at the rehearsal dinner a few days ago. I could still remember the confused look on James' face when I tried to explain he was just a drunk passerby. 

"He's here? At the church?" I opened the door and poked my head out. Sure enough, there he stood, all five-foot-nine-inches of him. 

"Yes! You need to get rid of him! Quick!"Ariel panicked. Sheesh!  I had already dealt with him once this week, I wasn't so sure I could do it again.

"Ari, please.  You didn't see his face last time I kicked him out!"  I begged.  The guy was a wreck. 

"Roxanne, he could ruin everything!"  Well maybe you should have thought of that before you fooled around on James..."All because of a stupid mistake." 

"Ariel, he really loves you."  Her mood instantly soured.  Ariel looked at me as though I'd betrayed her.

"He means nothing to me." She hissed.  "He was nothing but a trashy summer fling."  I love Ariel, really, I do.  But sometimes she could be really be cold.  I know it's her wedding day, and she has every right to be a bridezilla, but could she really not care for him at all? "If James finds out, he'll call off the wedding for sure this time.  You won't be able to get him back for me.  Please."

Then again, she did say he was a fling.  I nodded and made my way over to him.  He stood tall at about 5'11.  His eyes were searching the room, no doubt for Ari.  He was so distracted that he didn't even see me coming.  Normally, I was 5'4, but these heels made me tall enough so that I didn't have to stand on my tip toes to tap his shoulder.  He turned confused, and rolled his eyes when he saw me.

"Really?  Again?"  Marcus asked, as if he thought he'd never see me again.

"Surprised?"  I asked, in my most polite voice.  I decided that I wasn't going to be the bitch I was last time, but that didn't mean I tried very hard to keep the smirk off my face.

"Not really.  After our last encounter, I half expected you to be waiting at the door with a revolver." I laughed at that and smiled.  Marcus gave me this lazy smirk.  He actually was attractive.  He was wearing a suit to blend in with everyone, but in reality he stood out like a sore thumb.  He looked like a rock-star.  His dark hair was standing up on his head, and his green eyes bore into mine.  The air around us changed.  "I need to see her." 

"You know I can't let you do that."  I said, biting my lip.  He was really pulling on my heart strings right now.  His eyes were pleading with me, and I almost gave in.  "She's the one who sent me out here."

"I just want to see her.  Please."  I sighed.  What was I supposed to do?  Throw him out?  Of course, but I knew what it was like to be in his shoes, wanting something that you could never have. 

 "Look, I understand, where you're coming from, but she doesn't want you here.  I'm supposed to be throwing you out."

"Please, just two minutes."  Marcus looked more vulnerable than anyone I had ever seen.  I fingered the ugly green dress I had on.