Arlo

11.

"Alita, honey, you've gotta let go of this jealousy. It's irrational." Adonis is telling me, words soothing and warm, while I stare at myself in the body-length mirror. I turn to face him, exasperated at the fifth failure of a dress. "You hate it." Adonis observes, smirk in place. "She hates it." Amy agrees, chuckling. "I do. I hate it." I sigh, making my way back behind the curtain of the dressing room. "And I can't help it; you guys should've seen her, both times. She's stunning." I huff as I change back into my street clothes. "Okay, but he's marrying you, you idiot. What are you jealous for?" Amy ponders. I pull the curtain back, narrowing my eyes at her. "Because she's all tall, long legs and super model-y, while I'm short and bulky." I huff, arms flailing and collapsing to my sides. Adonis shakes his head, looking me up and down as he does. "Honey, you know where I stand on the way you look, so I won't say anything further than you sound dumb." Amy cackles, both of them standing to walk with me out of the bridal shop. "Oh, yeah, you've seen each other naked, right? Adonis, does she have any weird birth marks?" I shove her shoulder, glaring at Adonis as he answers. "No weird birth marks, but she does have a hidden tattoo. A lot of scars, too." "Ooh, hidden tattoo?" "If you say anything, I'll rip your ear off. It's hidden for a reason." I threaten, taking a deep breath before walking into another bridal store. "It's an 'A', on the side of her left breast." He whispers. I turn to him and tug on his left ear, satisfied when I hear his yelp. "Anyways, I need to see a picture of this chick; the way you're talking about her makes me think that she's some sort of goddess." Amy states, sitting on the beige stool. I pull out my phone and click on my conversation with Matty, rolling my eyes at all the messages. "Here." I hand them my phone, feeling another eye-roll tickle my eyeballs. "I prefer you." Adonis states, shrugging his shoulders as he makes a face of indifference. "She's okay, but I like what you've got much better. More to grab onto." He makes a crude gesture that has me snorting my laughter and punching his shoulder. "Thanks, but every one of his exes had looked similar and that makes me nervous." "Because you look nothing like that and you're worried that he'll want to go back to the tall and skinny?" Amy inquires. I nod my head as I smile at the woman who is putting dress after dress into my changing room. "Speak of the Devil—Alita's phone." Adonis answers, smirking at me as I glare. "She is currently unavailable; might I take a message?" he teases. "No need to be rude, sir. She really is unavailable, trying on wedding dresses and such." He winks over at me, gesturing for me to close the curtain. "She hasn't found the one, yet. She's getting a bit impatient." He says. I try on a dress that is heavy on the lace and with such a deep neck-line that I would be better off walking down the aisle in the nude; I try on a lovely ballgown that is truly beautiful but too heavy for my taste; I try satin dresses and silk dresses before stumbling on one that feels like the perfect balance. I peel the curtain back, a smile on my face at the look on Adonis's face. "Wow." He breathes, nearly dropping my phone as he turns to look at me. "That's the idea. I think this one is it." I sigh, hands running down the silk of the bodice before reaching the tulle that flares around my hips. "Definitely that one." Adonis breathes, hand to his heart. I look over at Amy, who is fanning her face to keep her tears from falling. "What he said." "We've got a dress." Adonis breathes into the receiver. "She looks breathtaking; you'll cry." His eyes haven't left me since I pulled the curtain back and a feeling of guilt washes through me at the longing written across his handsome features.

After the purchase, we make our way to a bistro to have lunch, the topic coming back around to my jealousy. "Babe, I really don't think you have anything to be jealous of. We've all seen the way that he looks at you." Amy states before she takes a sip of her iced water. "I agree. He looks at you like you're the only one in the room." Adonis agrees. "And he should know because he looks at you the same way." Amy jibes, winking at Adonis for good measure. She chuckles at the blush that is staining his cheeks. "Listen, honey, this is only my opinion, but I think that he was with those women because they were nothing like you. He was trying to get over you, because like you, he thought he didn't have a chance in hell. He was trying to fill the void—that only you could fill—with other women that just never could compare." He takes a sip of his own water after that, giving me a few seconds to ruminate over his words. "Are you doing that?" Amy asks, eyeing him. He shrugs, "maybe." He offers me a sad smile that I wish I could wipe off, but I know I can't. "I'm sorry." I say, which earns me his warm hand resting over mine. "Don't be."