SEVENTEEN, duncan shepherd

ONE

Picking up her iPhone X off the bedside table, the female pressed shuffle on her music and began to get ready for the long day she would have ahead of her. Her mother had hired professionals to come and do her daughters' hair and make up as the wedding would be featured all over D.C. so everyone involved in the event needed to look perfect.

•••

It was officially ten o'clock and the two sisters were ready to head to the wedding venue. Melanie hadn't said a word to Cindy in the two hours they had been in the same room as one another — not that it wasn't something she wasn't used to.

When Melanie's hair was done being curled, she left the room without saying anything and a few minutes later, Cindy heard the revving of a car engine. Rolling her eyes, she continued to scroll through Instagram and liked a few of her friends photos. Her mother had ordered a limo for the two girls to take to the hotel where the wedding was being held but of course Melanie went off and did her own thing.

Twenty minutes later, Cindy sat in the back of the limo, silence enveloping her as she was alone. She didn't connect her phone to the AUX cord - that had several adapters on it for newer phones - like any normal teenager would have. Instead, she enjoyed the silence and pondered over what her life would be like after she became Cindy Shepherd. Well, she didn't have to become Cindy Shepherd but it had a nice ring to it and the power that came with it wouldn't hurt.

•••

The place where the grand event was taking place happened to be one of the most upscale hotels in D.C. The location of the wedding venue itself was a series of buildings on the other side of the property.

Cindy's heels clicked against the marble floor as she strode down the hallway on a mission. Her mother had called and asked for Cindy to bring her a soda as her blood sugar was getting low. With a soda in hand, Cindy's dainty hand grasped the golden door knob, twisted, and pushed open the door. "Mom, I have your drink!" She called before fully entering the room. However, when she had the door closed behind her, she quickly realized that she wasn't in her mothers' room. Instead, she had someone managed to stumble into the one and only Duncan Shepherd's room.

Her pale blue irises met the gaze of Duncan's own cold blue eyes. He sat on the leather couch that was on one side of the room, phone held next to his ear, apparently on the phone with someone. He wore a black and white tuxedo, as is standard for a groom getting married. His face that was normally shown to have some stubble on it was clean shaven and his hair was nearly styled. Saying goodbye to whomever he was on the phone with, he ended the call, and put his phone on the glass table that was in front of the couch.

"I am so sorry!" Cindy started, her mind racing at a thousand words a second. This was her first time actually meeting her soon to be step father as her mother had never introduced her kids to him. "I was looking for my mom, your bride, and I thought this was her room." Cindy explained, beginning to back towards the door. She felt as if she was intruding and she didn't want to be a bother.

Duncan stood up gracefully before opening his mouth, "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. It's quite easy to get lost in this place." He reassured her, a charming smile spreading across his lips. Had her back not been against the wooden door by now, Cindy probably would have gone weak to her knees. Duncan Shepherd's voice sounded like silk hitting rocks. It was smooth but had just enough gravel to it.

Cindy returned the smile, hers less confident than his however. She was in no way used to these situations. Usually when it came to meeting new people, she was outgoing and confident. However, there was something surreal about seeing her teenage crush in front of her for the first time and knowing that he was to become her stepfather in a matter of hours.