Love Aint Always Pretty novel Chapter 77

Unprepared

- not properly ready mentally or physically for some experience or action

77

I glanced at dad, "We still haven't talked about it." I said coldly.

"Well, the sooner the better." Dad says.

I take a long sip from my drink and just thought about Nick. Everyone talked about the wedding and I was just sitting on my chair. I smiled whenever they would ask me something and I would talk when Damon would say me something to me. It's as if I was a robot and all of them are controlling me.

When dinner was over, Ingrid decided to sleep at my apartment together with Cameron while my parents were at their hotel room. As I fix my pjs and entered the room, I found Cameron fixing the bedsheets with Ingrid. She jumps on my bed and Cameron whines about not getting it done yet. I walked to the bed and joined them.

"Are you okay?" Cameron asked me.

I moved my head to him, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh come on Annie. We know you still love Nick." Ingrid says.

I smiled ruefully. "Ingrid you talk too much. Why don't you go to sleep? Mom and dad are going to pick you up early tomorrow."

Ingrid pouts and Cameron sets her to bed as he fix her blanket. "Go to sleep Ingrid." Cameron says.

He stands. "Savannah, can I talk to you?"

I nod.

Both of us headed out of the room quietly, leaving Ingrid on top of the bed. Cameron stands before me and looks at me in the eye. He didn't say anything yet and just looked at me. I cross my arms against my breast.

"Why are you looking at me like that Ron?" I asked him.

"Are you sure you're really marrying Damon?" He asked me back.

I stared at the floor while my tears were already gathering in my eyes. I take a deep breath in and tried to hide my tears by bending my head down.

"Of course." I say.

"Do you love him?"

I took a deep breath in and exhaled heavily through my mouth. I stare at Cameron who was examining my face. I looked away as I feel my tears about to fall down. I'm too emotional right now and there's a big part of me that's hurt because of my decision on marrying Damon. When I think about how soon my dad wants it to happen, I feel even sadder. I know I don't have any choice but to marry Damon.

"Come here." He says.

I pull my head up to him.

"Come here Savannah." He tells me.

I walk closer to him as he opens his arms wide and hugged me close. I cried on his shoulder and he rubs my back.

"Ron..." I cried.

"I know how you feel. If I only knew what dad did. I should've stopped him. I'm sorry sis." He holds me close.

I shake my head.

"I didn't know. I'm so sorry." He says.

"Why are you sorry for?" I asked.

"Cos I know how much you love Nick and I know you don't want to get married to Damon yet."

Cameron pushes my hair off my face and wipes the tears that were on my cheeks. "If you don't want to get married to Damon, then don't."

"Ron, he's such a nice man and I couldn't afford to break his heart. I can't say no. I was planning to break up with him when we were in Bahamas but suddenly he proposed to me." I say.

He sighs.

"Are you really sure you're marrying him? Marriage is something serious to handle with, Savannah. You'll be spending your life with Damon." He tells me.

"I know what I'm doing Ron and I really appreciate this thing that you're doing right now."

He smiles ruefully. "I know I hate Nick so much but I also know how much he loves you. Dad intervening between the two of you was way overboard."

Cameron kissed my forehead briefly. "Just know that no matter what decisions you make, I always have your back little sis."

I smiled and hugged him tight. "Thank you so much Ron."

"Does Nick know you're getting married?" Cameron pulls himself away.

I shake my head in response.

"I think he doesn't need to know about it." I say weakly.

Cameron sighs as he reaches for my hand. "Why don't we go to sleep now?"

I nod.

The following morning, I arrived at work wearing my wedding ring. Of course I should wear it, Im an engaged woman and I'm not wearing it to show off to Nick that I'm married cos I'm sure as hell that he's not here. I heard his wife is back so I have to try my hardest not to think that I fucked her husband for one night.

I marched my way to my own office and started doing the things that I've left on my desk but even though I try to get myself busy, I can't find words to put into my writing because I'm still bothered about reality and what I chose in life for my future. My future with Damon. I'd be having kids with him and I'd be living at one house with him, I have to force myself that I love him so much and that I'm happy about my marriage with him but for how long can I take to fake it?

I sigh heavily as I push my chair far from my desk. I massaged my temples when suddenly my door opened. I quickly got myself together and sat straight. I see Dakota standing right in front of my doorway. She walks in without saying anything and closed the door gently. I stood on my feet and pulled down my blazer.

"Good morning Mrs. Wilde." I say, damn that was awkward.

She half smiles. "Hello. I haven't met you personally that's why I came here myself." She examines my office.

"You didn't really have to come here Mrs. Wilde." I tell her.

She arched an eyebrow. "I see you took a leave in a short notice, Miss Canterbury."

I bent my head down slightly. "Yes. Im terribly sorry about that. I was having some issues at home. Sorry for the short notice."

"It's okay. My husband took care of it for you." She says so sternly.

I gulped.

"Which is why that reminds me of." She snaps. "My husband seems to be very protective of you."

"Of me?" I repeated.

"Yes. Mrs. Hall told me that Nick talked to her personally about your leave. My husband doesn't really do that." She sits down on the chair right in front of my desk as she crosses her leg over the other.

"Well... I guess I'm very thankful for Mr. Wilde about it then." I lied.

She grins. "Well Nick has never done the thing he did for you. Which is why I'm wondering what is or was your relation to him."

I took a deep breath in. "We were colleagues. We went to the same university together, Mrs. Wilde."

Her brows shoot up. "Oh. Is that so? How lovely." She stands.

She obviously faked a smile at me.

"Well to remind you, you're not on the same level anymore and this isn't a university. This is work. Nick Wilde is your boss and he pays you. I hope you put that in mind, Savannah." She says.

I nod.

"I don't like you asking favors from my husband." She continues.

"Mrs. Wilde I didn't--"

"Stay away from my husband." She cuts me off, emphasizing on the word my. Yeah yeah he's yours on paper.

She looks at me eagerly as if I did something wrong. I inhaled heavily and breathe our as I get to calm myself down. This woman is irritating the fuck out of me. I smiled at her.

"Mrs. Wilde if you're worried about something between me and your husband, you got it all wrong." I pulled my hand and showed her my ring.

"I'm engaged." I added.

Her face shows embarrassment after what she did. She smiles to recover.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure that some women stays away from my man. You know what they say when your husband is rich and very good looking, a lot of women would chase." She adds. "Even some engaged women still flirts to other taken men."

I exhaled heavily as curl my fist into a ball behind my back. "Well, I love my fiancé Mrs. Wilde. I would even love to invite you and your husband to my wedding soon."

She smiles. "That would be very nice of you. Now get to work."

She walks to the door and left my office. I quickly crumpled the piece of paper that was on top of my desk. I sat back down on my chair and tried to calm down. I don't know what she knows about me and Nick but it was obvious enough that she wants me to stay away from her husband. I wonder if she's going to tell Nick about me getting married soon. Well at least they'll know I'm engaged.

I ignored everything she said to me and what we talked about because it will only add more complications to my thoughts. I continued working anyways to get my mind off what she said. Damn I'm mad at that woman. If she isn't my boss, I would've pulled her hair with my bare hands in this office.

After eight hours of work, I was finally done and I could finally leave. I've finished everything I had to finish before I leave and I was proud of myself that I finished it in time. I grabbed my bag and fixed the things on my desk before I went out of the room. I didn't really talked to a lot of people in the office today cos they were all curious about how Nick didn't go mad about my short notice for my leave.

I climbed inside the elevator all by myself that was filled with the other employees. I stood on the farthest portion of the elevator behind everyone that were inside. I stare at my feet and I felt everyone coming out of the elevator as it dings on open. I pulled my head up and found myself on the lobby. I walked out and received a text message from Damon. He's here to pick me up.

I headed out of the large front doors, and found two cars parked right outside. Damon steps out of his car and waves at me, at the same time that Nick steps out of his white Maybach. Damon's car was behind Nick's and as I look at them, I know I wanted to step inside Nick's car. I started walking down the staircase, coming near Damon's ride. Nick stares at me eagerly but I try so hard not to look at him. I move closer to Damon as he opens his arms for me. He holds me close and I hug him back. Damon kissed my cheek briefly and I smile at him.

"Hello to you, soon to be Mrs. Patricks." Damon says to me.

I sigh inwardly.

"Hi handsome." I tell him.

"Let's go?" Damon opens the passenger door for me but before I take a step inside his car, I gaze at Nick.

He was already hugging Dakota around his arms. She kissed his cheek briefly and fixed his collar for him as she p vividly complimented Nick. Honestly I don't know why they still need to fake it in front of everyone when they're just married in papers. Even though I know it's a contract marriage, I will can't help not to feel jealous about it.

Damon climbs inside the car and speeds away. I didn't dare to look back at them because I didn't want to. I held my hands tight on top of my lap and drove us to the nearest restaurant. The dinner went well as always and nothing important to talk about it. It was just something we always do after every work and it gets pretty boring at times.

"You're quiet." He grips my shoulder as we walk to his car.

I smiled ruefully. "Nothing. Im just really tired at work today."

He kissed my temple. "Oh baby don't stress yourself too much."

Baby. Nick only calls me that.

He opens the passenger door for me and drove me to my apartment. When we got to my place, we lounge on the couch and just watched some movies on tv. I was wearing my loose white baggy shirt over my underwear and I didn't really had to care about what I looked like in front of Damon because he never really cares about it anyways.

"Have you talked to some designers that I phoned you?" He asked.

Shit, I literally forgot.

"Well no. I was.... really busy. I'm sorry. Maybe tomorrow." I say.

He kisses my shoulder. "It's okay hon. We always have time. When do you wanna have the wedding? My mom was thinking about two months from now?"

I jumped away from him and he looks at me in shock. "Two months? Isn't that.... Isn't that too fast?"

"Well... don't you wanna get married right away?"

I bite my lower lip. "It's not that I don't want to. But what about the preparations? Would that consume in just two months time?"

He smiles. "Hon, we can always pay in full payment and they will prioritize our wedding for sure."

Our wedding just breaks my heart.

I smile.

"I really wanna start a family with you. Your dad is right, the sooner the better. I wanna buy you a house for us and our kids. I wanna make lots of babies with you and watch them grow." He states.

I nod. "Me too."

"Two months?" He looks at me eagerly.

I sigh inwardly at the thought of it. No matter how much I try to move the date for our wedding, I will still be married to Damon no matter what.

"Yes." I faked a smile.

About four weeks passed by and I was crazily busy preparing for my big day alongside my soon to be husband. I talked to some wedding designers for my wedding gown, some designers for the wedding invitation card, we tasted possible wedding cake flavors, we went hotel hunting for the wedding reception, had the marvelous wedding planners, choir and orchestra since Damon's mom wants a choir and an orchestra to play and a lot of other people to talk to about it which exhausts me.

We invited a lot of other guests too and the wedding invitations just arrived yesterday. It was what Damon wanted. He chose the color and the design. All I did for the card was nothing. It was all his idea for it. See who's much more excited to be married?

Some were sent to Damon's side of the family and their other guests while a few were sent to our side of the family and friends as well. I grabbed one in my hand and held tight on it as I walk inside the lobby of my workplace.

One month to go before my wedding. The thought about it just agonizes me so much as it grows closer.

I stood right in front of Mrs. Wilde's office. I take a deep breath in before knocking and when I finally did, I grabbed the knob and entered. I froze from opening the door when I saw Nick instead of Dakota. I wanted to close the door back right away after seeing him. I slightly hid the invitation card behind my back but he looks at me in the eyes.

God, I didn't expect him to be here. Why now? Why at this time?

"Come in." He says.

I walked in slowly and closed the door behind me. I moved closer to his desk but not too close to him.

"Where's Mrs. Wilde, Mr. President?" I asked.

"It's her day to visit her OB today."

I nod. It hurts me hearing that coming from him even though it's not his kid.

"Savannah we don't really have to be formal here. It's just us around." He tells me.

I cleared my throat. "We're at the office sir. I wouldn't want the other employees to think that I'm having special treatment from you. You're my boss. I work for you."

"Savannah--"

"Well, I came here for one thing." I cut him off.

He arched an eyebrow as he pulls himself up from his chair. "And you came here for?"

I walked closer to his desk and placed the invitation card on top. He stares at it silently and I was just quiet too.

"I'm personally inviting you." I say with all the strength I have in me.

He pulled his head up and looks at me for a while without a word said from his lips.

"You're getting married?" He asked.

__________

SFTC:

Words of Mine - Cary Brothers