Eternally Ours

26- I Like This One

The engagement party is tonight and guess who has nothing to wear. Freddie offered to help me shop for one but I stupidly turned the offer down. I thought that I could just wear one of the dresses I already own, but then I Googled the restaurant and none of them are fancy enough. I mean really fancy, even more so than the one he took us too last time. It's fine Emily just think, what can you wear? No need to panic it's not like you only have fifteen minuets to choose, on the bright side, my hair's done, make up's done, all I have left to do if pick a dress. I manage to hide the fading bruise around my eye, it took a lot of concealer and hell of a lot of powder but I manage to mask it.

I take a step back from the wardrobe, I don't know why it's not like it's going to make the perfect dress suddenly appear in there. I can't even moan to my Mum or Freddie because they both had to work, I even called Sam and she had no clue either, all she had to say was that I wore heels.

That's it.

Why didn't I think of that before?

My Great-Grandmothers dress.

I quickly run down the corridor into my Mum's room, I just pray that it fits- I mean it looks like it does but if it doesn't then I am well and truly screwed. When I place it down onto the bed the inside of the top of the dress lies exposed, I notice two tiny silver hooks, so tiny you can barely see them, that hold the halter straps onto the dress. I unhook it careful to insure that I don't break them, they look so delicate I don't want them to snap off in my hand.

I feel as though all my Christmas' have come at once, it fit's. I run my hands down the skirt of the red dress, turning around to try and get a glance at the back. The zip was a pain in the arse to get up- the other annoying thing about neither my mum or Freddie being here, I had to awkwardly bend my arms behind my back to get it to go up.

My mum always used to say there was just something about a man in a suit, I never really understood why she thought that, I mean surely a good looking man looks good whether he is wearing a suit or not. But after taking one look at Jack in his full navy tailored suit I can fully see where she is coming from. I keep sneaking glances at him, while he sits anxiously in the drivers seat next to me, I know why, but there is nothing I can do to calm him- the only thing will be when we are walking out of the party and back into the car.

The navy waistcoat over his white shirt helping to keep the tattoos underneath hidden, I know his Mum made him wear that, there is no way Jack would have chosen to wear all of that of his own free will. Especially not the smart brown shoes, they are not Jack at all. I look up at him and he has is eyebrows scrunched slightly together, he always does it, whether he's angry, anxious, confused, frustrated. He doesn't look down at me though, his eyes fixated on the road- Not that he has said a word to me the whole time we have been in the car. He complimented me and then that was it. Radio silence. I wouldn't usually mind but the silence is allowing my mind to dig deeper and deeper in the hole of worry, I mean I didn't exactly give a stellar example of myself the last time I saw them. I just hope for my sake that Jack's Dad won't remember, I know he will, but if he is as arrogant as Jack said he was I might be in luck that he just doesn't care.

I sneak another look at Jack, his grip has tightened so much on the gear stick that all his knuckles have turned white. I instinctually reach my hand out, gently placing it on top of his, his surprised eyes shoot to look at mine, I feel his grip relax. My action finally registers in my head and I jerk my hand away, placing it back into my own lap. The look in Jack's eyes makes me feel like that was the wrong move. Why did I do that? Because I'm fucking stupid, that's why. Jack was already feeling like shit and I could have just made that worse.

I feel Jack's large hand covers mine, he interlaces our fingers, never taking his eye's off the road. The sense of relief overcomes all the worries I had about Jack, all the anxiety I feel about tonight all erased by one simple touch, no words just a simple touch. I know I have become to reliant on Jack, he is always there to protect me, make me feel like I have nothing in the world to fear, but one day I'm not going to have that and I need to make sure I'm ready.