CHAPTER 13
Two days before the wedding.
Anxiety consumed me all day and night. I didn't even sleep well the night before.I'd allowed Rhys to finally sleep in his own room, the tension between us finally dissolving. He spent the entire night worrying about me, wondering why I couldn't sleep. It was nice of him, unexpected almost but I figured he was trying to make up for the Keira fiasco. I couldn't bare to tell him that it was because I wasn't going to get married to him. I had told him it was pre wedding jitters.
After thinking about it all night I finally had it all planned out. The day of the wedding wouldn't be the day of my wedding, if you know what I mean. I couldn't let anyone know I was going to do something rash so it was up to me to play the part and so that was my current situation.
"You sure you don't want anything?" Rhys asked from beside me. My eyes trailed down to his bare chest, stopping right at where the sheet covered his lower part.
"No I'm fine." I said distractedly, "Exactly why do you have to sleep shirtless next to me?"
He smirked, leaning back on the pillow with both of his arms crossed beneath, 'I sleep like this every night so I advise you to get accustomed to it."
I rolled my eyes and pulled the sheet off of me. Standing up, I made my way to the bathroom and washed my face.
"So what you have planned for today?" I heard him ask, still on the bed.
"Don't you have school?" I asked, knowing that I should have been going. When I said I wasn't ever going again I meant it.
"Don't you?" He countered, crossing his arms, a smirk plastered on his face.
"Touche," I said defeated and then went to answer his original question, "um, not sure. Nothing this morning but remember we have the dinner with both our families tonight," I reminded him, as I patted dry my chin.
"Right," he continued with a pause longer than necessary, "well I wanted to know if you'd want to go somewhere with me?"
"Where exactly?" I pressed, entering the room once again. It obviously wasn't the response he had expected and he gazed at me with a thoughtful expression.
"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise," he stated exasperatedly, "if you don't mind can we keep it like that? Just know you need to get ready now."
I frowned not wanting to go on a goose chase with Rhys, taking in our past few experiences together into consideration. But as I thought about it he smiled at me, a dimple forming on his left cheek. I sighed feeling bad that I was about to reject him when he was trying to move forward.
"Fine," I said grudgingly, heading back into the bathroom to get ready.
I hoped it was worth it.
WE HEADED OUT an exact hour later. The air was cool but not cold enough that it was unbearable. He had brought me to the pier. The sun was finally starting to show and I realised we were going to spend the day here. The ferris wheel was in full swing, its compartments finally filling up with people.
"You brought me to an amusement park?" I asked in disbelief wondering how he'd think two days before we were getting married that this was the right idea.
"I recall you use to love the one on Eagle Boulevard in Florida when were were younger," he defended, offering me a cheesy smile. We reached the admission stand as Rhys paid the attendant, enabling us our entrance.
"Yeah but that was when we were ten Rhys, I feel like I've grown up. I can't say the same about you though," I jokingly said to him.
"Hey," he mocked hurt, shoving me on the shoulder, "it doesn't hurt to have fun Kace. Live a little."
Rhys pulled my hand, guiding me through the gate. The amusement park was bigger than the one we use to go as kids. It had barely anyone there, most of the kids being in school since it was Thursday. The rides however were still in full motion and my excitement rose as if I was a child again.
"Okay, I wouldn't lie I'm excited to be here," I admitted to him, smelling the saltiness of the seair. That made him smile.
We decided to get one of those buckets of cookies because why not and sat down on a picnic table before we went to do the attractions.
"Mmm," I moaned, taking a bite of a chocolate chip one. The stickiness of it melting in my mouth, "these are so good."
"Yeah they never disappoint," he agreed.
"Wait, you've come here before?" I asked, not trying to hide the surprise in my voice.
He looked away before he answered, "yeah I came here a lot my first year in Boston, for some reason it reminded me of Florida and everything I had to leave behind."
I gulped as he stared at me, his intent burning a deep hole inside of me. I was the one to look away that time, not able to take the truth behind his words. He kept on surprising me every moment we kept on having with each other. And every passing moment made me think it might not be as easy to execute my ditch-my-wedding rendezvous.
"So," I quickly changed the subject, "Can we go on the bumper cars first?"
He motioned at me as if to say what's keeping me waiting and I hopped up, electrified as I reminisced as a youth. The day went on like that. Consisting of me pulling Rhys all over the park and him not protesting once. The sun was beginning to set and I realised the time flew by. The park was probably closing soon.
"One last ride?" He asked, pointing his head at the Ferris wheel. I nodded once and we both made our way towards it.
"Okay lovebirds, you to be safe now," the attendant said as he pulled the bar down over our legs. The ride started up and soon we were rising up and up, further into the sky.
"It's such a pretty view," I marveled as I looked to where the city was.
"Not as pretty as the view I have right now," he whispered to me and it took me a dumb moment to realise he was talking about me. I had to remind myself this was the Rhys I knew before he moved to Boston. The Rhys who took me to any place I needed at the moment, the one who would stay with me when I was heartbroken even though there was a party going on that night and the one who I could always count on. But the only different was we were older and for some reason it felt like there was something else going on between us.
"Stop it," I brushed him off, knowing he was trying to sweet talk me.
"I really mean it through Kace," he turned directly to face me that his whole body was angled my way, "you're so beautiful and I've been a jerk. I just want you to know you deserve the world."
We reached the top and the wheel paused for a moment, allowing us to look at the breathtaking view. I remotely felt Rhys slide his hand onto my lap, searching for my own hand and then taking it in his. I didn't pull away, as much as I wanted to but right then I savoured the moment. Enjoying my best friend's company even though that same best friend was, I believed to be, flirting with me.
My chin was pulled lightly to face his face. He watched me yearningly as he tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my neck. I gulped, knowing what was about to happen. My heart began racing as he inched to me his hand now resting on the nape of my neck. I closed my eyes, anticipating the touch of his lips on mine. He was gentle and kind, unlike the kiss in the gym the other day. No, this kiss spoke of unspoken promises, promises I wasn't't sure I wanted. His tongue asked for entrance in my mouth and I allowed it, tasting the chocolate remnant on his breath. It was sweet and I found myself wanting more of it. The kiss deepened, and I was having a hard time not becoming too aroused. Eventually I pulled away.
"Listen Rhys," I exhaled, trying to formulate the right words, knowing that I had to in order to not take on my developing feelings for Rhys. I was not going to let my parents win, "if you're trying to do all this because we're gonna be husband and wife in a few days you can stop. There's no need to try and work this out. You were my best friend and always will be. We don't have to do this whole wedding thing because of our parents. There's no reason that they have to own our lives.."
He considered my words, creases forming between his eyebrows. It pained me to say them but I knew it was for the best. I wasn't going to let him feel like he had to make it work. I wanted him to find his own happiness just like I wanted mine.
I guess you're right," he said reluctantly, his gaze drifting to somewhere on the outskirts as we descended down the wheel, "what do you propose we do?"
I knew what I was doing was the right thing to do.
So why did I feel like I was breaking my own heart?