Chase Me

8.

"Yeah, right," I muttered, my gaze fixated on the view outside the window. If only I had stayed home that night of homecoming, Zane and I would still be the best of friends.

As much as I hated to admit it, a part of me still missed him. He was like a missing piece of myself.

New York served as a constant reminder of him, bringing back memories, fights, and, of course, our separation.

The city was too painful for me, which was why I didn't want to stay here for long.

A soft knock on the door interrupted our conversation, causing both Angelica and me to startle. Before I could respond, the door swung open, and Yasmin peeked her head inside. "Hey, girls. I was wondering if you'd like to come to my bachelorette party this weekend," she asked cheerfully. Yasmin was such a sweetheart. I wondered how my brother got so lucky.

"That sounds like a ton of fun, Yas. Count me in!" Angelica exclaimed, her smile widening.

"Count me in too. Where are we going?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow at Yasmin.

Instead of answering, she gave me a mysterious smile. "It's a surprise. By the way, Amari, could you come with me for a moment? It's about your dress for the wedding."

I nodded and glanced at Angelica, gesturing towards the breakfast tray on the table. "Could you take that back to the kitchen, please? I don't want ants in my room."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," Angelica assured me, picking up the tray and making her way to the kitchen.

I followed Yasmin into Milan's old bedroom. It was the room Yasmin and Milan used whenever they visited the States. Milan's bedroom was vastly different from mine. Stepping into it felt like entering a whole other world.

A grand chandelier hung above his bed, and the plush silver-gray carpet felt heavenly underfoot. Milan's room had been kept simple, with minimal furniture since he used to play soccer in his room when he was younger.

"Yasmin, is there any chance I could change partners?" I asked as she closed the door behind us. I still held a glimmer of hope about swapping partners. "I'm really sorry, Amari, but I can't change it now. I've already ordered your dress and Zane's. Since you two will be making the grand entrance, your attire is a bit different from the others," Yasmin explained with a sympathetic smile. "If I had known you weren't on good terms, I would have paired you differently."

"No worries, Yas," I reassured her as I took a seat at the end of the bed. I decided to stop pestering her about changing partners. I didn't want to disrupt the arrangements she must have made months in advance, and most importantly, I didn't want to upset her or make her second-guess her decisions. "It won't be that bad. At least, I hope so."

Yasmin chuckled and opened the walk-in closet. Milan's closet was smaller than mine, but it still had enough space for all his shoes and clothes. I glanced around the room and noticed not much had changed, except for the curtains. The previous blue curtains had been replaced with a beautiful shade of gold, fitting the room perfectly.

A few moments later, Yasmin emerged with a large red box in her hands. "Your dress is in here. I want you to try it on so I can see if any alterations are needed."

She opened the box, and my eyes widened at the sight of the stunning gown inside. "It's absolutely beautiful," I gasped, gently running my fingers over the incredibly soft fabric. "If this is the bridesmaid's dress, I can't even imagine what your wedding dress will look like."