Needing Grace

9.

I sneaked a peek under my lashes at Roman before turning back to Dean. I was sitting at Dean's table as I whined to him about my life.

"Don't be so down. You've got financial security now." He doesn't know, I told myself.

I shot him a look. "I didn't want to get married, Dee." I whispered very lowly at him.

"Did you choose the date and time?"

"Yes."

"The decorations?"

"Yes."

Dean glared at me. "Your dress?"

"Uh, yes."

"Then stop complaining." Dean snapped quietly at me as he took a sip of his beer.

I placed my chin on my hand and looked around at my guests and sighed. "Don't be too sad, Gee," Dean wrapped an arm around me. "It's your wedding day."

I gave him a small smile.

"Come on. Where's that sparkle in those pretty brown eyes."

I turned back to him. "They are not brown. They are hazel." I told him.

Dean grinned. "Are you emotional?"

I couldn't do this play thing he wanted to do. "Of course I am."

"Well I can always tell by your eyes."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Dean laughed at me. "Hasn't anyone told you that hazel eyes change colour?"

I shook my head.

"Your eyes are more green right now."

Fascinating. My eyes change colour when I'm emotional?

I felt my hand being pulled and I snapped my head to my brother in law.

Will dragged me on the dance floor. I smiled at him as I accepted. "Why so sad, Gracie?" Will asked as he twirled me.

I don't know if he knows. I wanted to tell him, but not here. Some one might overhear the whole financial problem daddy has put himself in.

"Nothing." I lied as I faked a smile. Will pulled me in to him and I hugged him. He may be Hope's husband, but he is more of a brother to me than an in law.

"The last time we danced, it was my wedding." Will laughed at me as he spun me out, my dress swaying with the movement.

"That feels so long ago." I laughed as we continued to dance. The fairy lights twinkled in the background as it surrounded the set up.

"Only three years ago." Will smiled at me. "You would have been, what? Fifteen turning sixteen."

I gasped. "I was already sixteen."

"But I've known you for so much longer." Will wagged his eyebrows at me and I laughed.

"You're such a dag." I laughed at him.

Will and Hope are high school sweet hearts. They've been together since they were sixteen, when I was eleven.

"If I remember correctly, you told your sister she was an idiot for getting married young. You did it a year younger."

I smiled sadly at him and shrugged my shoulders. "I guess times change, the mind matures." I lied to him again. I hate doing that.

We finished dancing and I wanted to go back to Dean, but he was with Sofie. I turned to find Hope and she was with my parents.

I picked up a handful of my dress and stepped over to my family.

"Look at you!" Hope smiled and hugged me. "Very chic."

I frowned. "It's bohemian." I grumbled.

Hope took my arm and we took a walk away from the reception. Once we were far enough, away from everyone, we stopped and she turned to me.

Hope held me at arms length and smiled at me before wrapping me in a hug. I felt everything lift off me. My worries and burdens.

"Thank you." Hope whispered to me as she held me tighter.

I didn't need to ask why she said it. She knew. It was there and then, I broke and sobbed on my sisters shoulder.

We stayed like that for several minutes till I had stopped crying. We both did this whenever the other was upset. We would hug and cry until the crying stopped.

I stepped away from Hope and wiped my cheeks. I took a deep breath and sighed it out.

"All good now?" Hope asked me. I nodded and smiled, placing my arm through hers.

Hope and I were chalk and cheese. I was fair and light honey blonde with hazel eyes. Hope was olive skin like mum, with dark expresso coloured hair. Her eyes were a dark brown.

We didn't talk on the way back to the large gazebo. We didn't need to. Hope did her comforting, I had my cry.

She cuddled me again once in the gazebo, but a light one, knowing I will bawl again if she held on for too long.

I spent the night talking to family and friends, completely forgetting that I was now a wife. It made me feel so much easier.

But as the night drew on and I had no choice but to sit next to Roman when we ate, I couldn't help but think, why did he marry me?

Was it because there was a part in the business deal I didn't know about? Was it because any extra money I earned went back to him? Or was it because he just wanted to use me and humiliate me? Surely it couldn't have been because he wanted to?

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➡️Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry!

I thought I published this chapter already!

I remember going through it and editing and I must not have it Publish 😕

But here it is.

xx