5. Ava where are you?

Madeline

Ava hadn't returned.

Not when Dominic and I had been taking our wedding vows, and not now, when the guests were clearing. I swallowed, my heart crashing against my rib cage as the last of the guests filed out of the hall.

Ava's parents had gone out do their mind with worry when I'd informed them of Ava's disappearance. I'd felt the first flicker of guilt as I'd watched her mother try to salvage the situation, silently wishing I'd done a better job at convincing her to stay back.

I paced around the room, dialing her number once more and listening to her voicemail.

"Shit," I cursed beneath my breath. That was exactly what I was in. A deep shit. What was I supposed to do now? Dominic thought I was his rightful wife; I'd realized he hadn't even seen a picture of Ava when he'd failed to crash out after catching me without the veil. Which was completely strange. Who didn't at least know what their intended–

My thoughts were cut of when someone barged into my hotel room. I looked up to find Clarissa, Ava's mom, closely followed by her father, James. Clarissa's sharp eyes connected with mine the second she stepped in. "No word from her?" She asked a little worriedly.

I shook my head no. I'd only told them Ava had disappeared to attend to something. Something I'd claimed to have no knowledge of. I wasn't going to add her disloyalty to Dominic to the pile of things I was already dealing with.

Clarissa and James shared a look that made my heart sink. Whatever it was they were going to say next, I already knew I wouldn't like it. Clarissa took a step forward. "Ava said you were going to get divorced?" She asked, watching me closely.

I pressed my lips together and gave her a single nod. I'd known it was only a matter of time before everyone knew my marriage to Christopher had ended. "I signed the papers and handed it to him this morning." I muttered, feeling a familiar blunt pain stir up in my chest.

James dig his hands into his pockets.

He'd been standing almost as still as statue since he walked in, so I knew he was about to say something. "I'm sure we could get our lawyer to sort out the technicalities of your divorce," He said a little cautiously. Another shared look with his wife. "But right now, we're going to need you to go on the honeymoon trip with Dominic."

It took a second for his words to register.

When they did, panic threatened to overtake me. I was already shaking my head before he could continue. "I can't do that, that's not fair to–"

"Actually, you can," Clarissa cut in matter-of -factly. There was a sudden edge to her voice that hadn't been there before. The kind that said she wasn't about to let the situation blow up in her face. "You are in fact, legally married to Dominic now. It is your signature on the marriage certificate, my dear."

I raised my hand pleadingly. This couldn't be happening. "Clarissa, James, I was only supposed to stand in for a while–"

"And that's exactly what we're pleading," She interrupted. Her face softened when she heard how sharp her tone was. "You're divorced, so it's not like you have a marriage to get back to." Ouch.

"We're simply saying; carry on with your marriage to Dominic until we can get a hold of Ava and resolve the situation. Which I'm sure would be soon enough."

I turned to James, realizing Clarissa was far gone in her plan already. Before I could get a word out of my mouth, a knock sounded on the door. "Come in," It was James who responded. There was a small creak as the door opened, and then Dominic was standing in the room. He'd changed out of his wedding suit.

He slowly drifted his gaze from one person to the other before finally settling them on me. I watched confusion filter into his eyes as he most certainly wondered why I was still in my wedding gown. "We have to get going now or we're going to miss our flight," He said calmly.

Flight?

His words almost drove me into a state of panic, and he immediately noticed. "Ava?" He called out with concern.

"She's back?" Clarissa instinctively asked, turning around and causing Dominic's confusion to heighten. She quickly tried to cover her slip up when she realized he'd only been trying to gain my attention. Her awkward laughter echoed in the silence of the room. "For a second I thought you were referring to Madelyn's friend and namesake, Ava."

I met James's to eyes, unsure where Clarissa was going with this.

"Ava," She said, gesturing to me, "usually goes by Madelyn to avoid any mix-ups." Another awkward laugh. "You know, since her best friend is Ava too." No laugh this time, only a smile that was way too wide for the situation. "Too bad the said best friend couldn't be in attendance."

I could tell Dominic was still as confused as ever, but he seemed to let it slide. His eyes found mine. "Can I talk to you for a second?" He asked softly, looking at Ava's parents with a silent request for them to excuse us. Their gazes met mine, and in them I saw the silent reminder for me to stick to the plan. I watched their back until the door closed behind them.

Dominic's exhale filled the room.

He tucked his right hand into his pocket and took a step forward, going quiet for a few minutes. I waited for him to break the silence, trying not to falter under his gaze. Finally, he swayed on his feet. "The honeymoon is actually just my parents' gift to us." He explained. "We don't have to go if you don't want us to."

He was giving me an out. One I should be taking. I didn't want to go on a honeymoon with him. I didn't want us to be in close proximity for an extended period. I didn't want to wonder if he expected us to have sex before we got back.

Still, my lips parted and I heard myself say, "No, it's fine. Let's do this.”