*This is all happening whilst Tyler is at the hospital*
Twenty minutes before the wedding
Arabella's POV
"Hey, darling." She mumbled, her lips pulled into a tight smile as she appeared behind me through the reflection in the mirror. I glared at her and ran my hands down my dress, smoothing out the creases even though I really could care less about them.
"What do you want?" I clipped as I stumbled away from the mirror. I was tempted to rip this dress off of me but I didn't have the guts too. If I did what would this mean? There are about fifty people outside waiting to see this ridiculous wedding happen.
"I came to see if you were ready."
"I told you I'm not going out there until my friends are all here and they're not."
"Sweetie your friends might take over thirty minutes to come, you never know. We can't wait for them forever." Not that I'm complaining or anything, they can take as long as they want to come, they'll just be doing me a favour and not a disservice.
"I don't care."
"Fine! Is your father still walking you down the aisle?" She asked, her hands fiddling with the bouquet of flowers in her hands nervously. Was she actually serious right now? She thinks I'll give my father the liberty to walk me down the aisle and marry me off?!
At this point I don't need his permission to marry anyone so why give him that satisfaction? When the love of my life broke up with me last night and now I have to marry someone else. I'm not going to make my father smile today no matter how sick he is. "Hell no!"
"Arabella he's sick!"
"I said no! He's not dying and he's not too sick to continue throwing this wedding right!? He's my dad, of course, I'll be devastated if he were actually dying but he's not, the poison didn't reach his system far enough to do any damage so I think we're good for the next twenty years or so. Maybe then he'll see me marry someone I actually love!"
I stormed away from her and found myself flopping down onto the couch as I retrieved my phone to check the time. "Arabella, he's your father and despite his mistakes, he should walk you down the aisle."
"What did you just say? No, no he shouldn't because he's not marrying me off with dignity, he's marrying me off with shame, to his freaking company! You know at least I'm getting something out of this wedding, 25% shares from the company I'm marrying? That's a lot of money, I know you got what you wanted haven't you?"
"Bella!" She exclaimed in astonishment at the words that sprung out of my mouth. But she knew it was true, she's always been for herself and herself only, what's new? "Get out, mom. I can't look at you right now."
"Hey, is everything okay in here?" Erika's voice suddenly reached my ears and I sprung up from the couch and eagerly made my way towards her. She enveloped me in a hug and I could literally feel her glaring at my mother across the room.
"I'll leave you two to it." She mumbled before leaving. I pulled away from the hug and shook my head softly as tears suddenly pricked at my eyes. "Don't cry, you'll ruin your makeup!" But she was too late because I could already feel the tears trickling down my cheeks.
"Don't touch it! Dammit, go into the bathroom I'm behind you." She exclaimed and I nodded my head numbly before making my way into the washroom. As I stood before the mirror assessing myself I still couldn't believe that I was actually standing here right now, clad in a silk white wedding dress, my face beat with makeup and my hair updo in the most beautiful style.
But for all the wrong reasons.
I'm not supposed to be marrying Ryan.
I'm supposed to be marrying Tyler.
Tyler. . .
I miss Tyler.
Suddenly something deep in my stomach began to churn and I found myself draping my hand over it, a bile suddenly rose to my throat and I was now crouched down onto the floor, fumbling with the lid of the toilet as vomit suddenly gushed out of my mouth.
God that was disgusting.
"Oh my god are you throwing up?!" Erika squealed as she came barreling into the washroom.
"Oh no Erika I just LOVE THE SMELL OF TOILETS!" I bellowed out in frustration as I slumped down beside it. "Oh babe, maybe you're sick. I mean you came into the dorm drenched in rain and you cried all night. You aren't well." She exclaimed as she helped me drag myself off the floor.
"I don't know." I cried out as I fumbled with the faucet. "Oh no, Hunny don't wash your mouth!"
"WHAT!? Why?"
"To kiss Ryan with vomit breath of course!" I rolled my eyes and rinsed out my mouth before retrieving a bottle of Listerine and rinsing my mouth with it as well.
"Listen, Ryan is a good guy okay? He's as stuck in this as I am. If he backs down his father gets sued and vice versa." I exclaimed as I popped a mint into my mouth because even though the puke was gone somehow I could just still sense it.
"Yeah, but he has feelings for you. And his enthusiasm shouldn't be this high for someone who is being forced to marry another person."
"Like you said, Erika. He has feelings for me, why would he be mad? If I were given the choice to either back down out of a wedding with someone I actually have feelings for or watch my parent's empire crumble I'd pick the wedding."
"Are you seriously standing up for him right now!?" Erika squealed and I rolled my eyes, shaking my head in disbelief. "You're hopeless, Erika."
Soon after Erika touched upon my makeup after I So mercilessly drenched it in tears and she ushered me back into the room.
I stopped dead in my tracks at the three suited men sitting down on the bed and a squeal of relief escaped my lips as I rushed towards them. "Oh god, you guys came." I gave Ace and Max a hug but hesitated to approach Aaron who had a permanent scowl on his face.
At the sight of me, his lips curved into a small smile and he approached me slowly, his hands tucked into his pocket. "I don't know if to tell you that you look beautiful or awful because I don't know which one you'd appreciate most." He exclaimed and a dry chuckle escaped my lips as I crashed into him.
He pulled me in for a hug and suddenly another set of tears brimmed at my eyes. I could see Erika sitting across the room, her eyes wide as she shook her head as if knowing I was on the verge of tears.
I sucked it up and pulled away. "Are you ready for this, sweet cheeks?" Max mumbled as he intertwined his hands with mine and gave it a soft squeeze. No, no I'm not. "Yeah, let's get it over with. I was only waiting for you guys to get here to go out there because I doubt I would have been able to go through with this without you all."
"We were never gonna leave you in a time like this Arabella. Hey if you want maybe we can take Ryan down to the bar for a post-bachelor party and get him beat up!" Ace exclaimed and I burst into a fit of laughter, chuckling deeply as Erika nodded her head frantically.
"I agree." She mumbled.
"I second that," Max exclaimed.
"What about you Aaron?" I peered up at him and he smiled sadly, his eyes flickering across my face for a second before he sighed. "I agree with whatever you want," He said. I knew it was too far fetched, a sophisticated guy like Ryan would never step foot in that filthy bar, he seems like the type to cower away in disgust at the sight of blood.
"Whatever. Thanks, Ace that was really sweet of you." I deadpanned and he winked before saluting.
Before anyone could speak the door suddenly flung open and I snapped my head towards it. My heart was palpitating in my chest at a speed I've never endured before and it's as if I were expecting Tyler to appear before me.
Maybe I do want him to come.
To run down the aisle and scream I object.
But that only happens in movies. And plus he's probably halfway across the sea. "Arabella sweetie, the ceremony is about to begin." The wedding coordinator exclaimed before she shut the door behind her.
I'm really doing this.
I'm really marrying Ryan.
"Guys." My lips suddenly began to quiver and I held onto Aaron's shoulder for support as I sucked in a harsh breath to will the tears away. "He's not coming is he?" A humourless chuckle escaped my lips as I shook my head in disbelief.
"Come here," Aaron mumbled as he pulled me in for a hug, another pair of arms wrapped around me, then another and another and soon we were all bear hugging which at this moment didn't help the tears threatening to spill from my eyes.
"Everything will be okay because after today you still have your life ahead of you, Bella. You may be married to that asshole outside but we know that one day you'll get out of it and you'll be happy. Just be patient and never let the darkness consume you." Erika exclaimed as we pulled away from the hug.
I smiled softly and swiped my finger under my eyelid as another tear trickled down. "I know."
"Okay, let's go." We all trekked out of the room and hesitantly made our way towards the backyard where the ceremony was about to begin. Ace and Max made their way down the stairs and towards their seats and I held back Erika and Aaron before we had to go.
At the end of the aisle stood Ryan clad in a black tux, his hands clasped over one another and a freakishly wide smile etched on his face. I was going to marry this stranger. . . this man that I barely know and for what?
All for a company.
But I can't turn back now.
I guess I'm really doing this.
It's now or never.
One more chap left people! Get ready to be mind blown. Okay well not really but you get it 😭