Chapter 09: The Secret That Should Have Stayed Hidden.

Cierra's POV

“Are you okay?” George’s voice was soft, calm, almost soothing as we drove.

I forced a small smile and leaned back in my seat. “Uh… yeah. I’m fine. Just tired.”

He glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “You don’t sound fine.”

“I said I’m fine,” I murmured, hoping my voice sounded convincing.

He didn’t press further, which made me grateful. For now, the quiet hum of the engine and the soft early morning light filling the car were enough to keep the tension at bay.

After a few minutes, I finally let the words spill out. “George… about the wedding. Are you really going to… go through with it?”

He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll go… but only if there’s a condition.”

I arched an eyebrow. “A condition?”

“Yeah,” he said, turning slightly toward me, eyes earnest. “If you come with me… just for a little while. If we could take a break from all of this… disappear, just the two of us, then maybe I’ll stay for the rest. Or come back when it’s over.”

My stomach twisted. “Disappear?” I asked quietly.

He smiled faintly, like he had already pictured it. “Yeah. You and me. Somewhere quiet. Just enough to breathe without… all the madness.”

I laughed softly, though it came out strained. “George… this isn’t a movie. We can’t just run away from our parent weddings and… everything.”

He reached out, brushing his fingers over mine. Warmth and a familiar comfort settled into me. “I don’t want to run away from you, Cierra. Just from everything else for a little while.”

I let my fingers linger over his. “You really think that’ll make everything okay?”

He shrugged. “Maybe not. But it might help. Even a little.”

I swallowed hard. “You mean… this morning, we could just… escape?”

He laughed softly. “Escape doesn’t sound right. I mean… be together, uninterrupted. You, me, no expectations.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the thought settle. My chest felt tight, but a small part of me wanted to say yes. “Okay… fine,” I said finally. “But just… somewhere close. I don’t want to risk it all.”

“Anywhere with you is fine,” he said. His smile warmed me, and for a second, the world outside the car didn’t matter.

We lapsed into a comfortable silence, letting the soft music on the radio fill the gaps between words.

Eventually, I dared to speak again. “George… if I go with you, you’ll come back, right? You won’t… disappear for good?”

He reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Cierra… I’m not going anywhere. Not for good. Just… for now, I want to make you happy. That’s all.”

I gave a small nod. “I just… I don’t know what to say sometimes.”

“Say what you feel. Don’t overthink it.”

I laughed quietly. “You make it sound so easy.”

“Maybe because it is… with you,” he said softly.

We continued talking for a long while...about silly things, serious things, memories, inside jokes only we shared.

The city outside blurred into the background. He teased me about my coffee order from yesterday, I laughed at his ridiculous attempts to cook the perfect breakfast once, we discussed the terrible TV shows we loved secretly.

At some point, he reached for my hand again. “You know, I never got to tell you this properly…”

“What?” I asked, pretending not to notice the little spark in his tone.

“I love you,” he said simply. “I know things have been messed up, I’ve been a mess, but I love you, Cierra. I do. Always.”

My heart fluttered. “George…”

He leaned back, his hand over mine, holding it gently. “I just want you to know. You’re the first thing I think of in the morning… and the last at night. And even when we fight or argue or don’t see each other… you’re still the only one I want.”

I couldn’t respond, not because I didn’t want to, but because my chest was tight. I swallowed hard and looked out the window.

“You’re thinking,” he said softly. “Don’t hide it.”

“I’m just… tired, that’s all,” I murmured.

“C’mon, Cierra. Talk to me.”

I let out a shaky breath. “I’m scared, George. About the wedding. About… everything.”

“I know,” he said quietly. “And I don’t want to push. I just want you to know that if you need to step away from our toxic parents wedding… I’m here. Always.”

I squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”

We sat in silence for a while, the kind that was comforting instead of awkward. The car smelled faintly of his cologne, coffee, and the newness of the morning.

Eventually, we reached my building. I lingered in my seat, not wanting to leave the cocoon of calm that we’d created in the car.

“Will you call me later?” he asked, voice soft.

“I will,” I whispered.

***

Once inside, I dialed my mom, my heart pounding.

“Mum,” I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady, “we need to talk about… the wedding. The dress, the ceremony, everything. How am I supposed to… act?”

Her voice was warm but curious. “Cierra… you’re doing all that. Aren’t you? Why the stress?”

“I know, Mum,” I admitted. “But I just… I need to know how to handle it. How do I look, what do I say, what if someone notices something weird…”

She sighed. “Baby, no one will notice. People are too focused on the groom’s side to pay attention to you. Just follow my instructions, and everything will be fine.”

I hesitated, then forced the words out. “Mum… you didn’t say George’s father would be the… groom.”

Her tone stiffened. “How do you know that?”

“I....I saw George… I mean, he told me,” I stammered.

She let out a soft breath. “Ah… okay. Well… if you see him, just remember you’re the bride. Follow what I’ve told you. Keep calm, keep your composure. Nobody needs to know anything else.”

I exhaled shakily. “I just… don’t know how I’ll manage to act normal with everything going on.”

“You’ll be fine,” she said firmly. “Just remember why you’re doing this. And don’t let fear rule you.”

I nodded. “I’ll try. I just… I need to sleep soon. It’s almost six.”

“We’ll talk later, baby. And Cierra… stay focused.”

I hung up, barely settling when my phone rang immediately...George.

I answered, smiling despite myself.

“Hey,” he said warmly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m… yeah. I’m okay,” I said, though my heart was still racing.

We spoke for a long time.

He teased me, we joked about the early morning traffic, about stupid things we’d done in the past. He asked about my favorite songs, and I told him about the new playlist I’d made. He laughed at my comments about the weather and the ridiculous way my cat woke me up when it's dawn.

Then the conversation turned soft. He told me again he loved me, and how much he missed me, how he wanted to make me happy, how he just wanted us to be together no matter what happened later that day.

“I just want to hold you,” he whispered. “Even if it’s for five minutes. Even if it’s in your living room, even if it’s just here, now.”

“I… I wish we could,” I said softly. “But I need… time to think.”

“That’s okay,” he said, calm. “I’ll wait.”

We laughed, teased, whispered secrets to each other, talked about our plans, and shared quiet moments across the line. The calm made my chest ache in a good way, reminding me how normal life could feel, even when chaos waited.

Then… a sudden sound.

Something… inside.

I froze.

“George… hold on,” I whispered.

“Cierra…?”

I ended the call before he could speak, my hands trembling. My heart raced.

Another sound came...closer, deliberate.

My voice shook. “Who’s there? I’m… I’m not joking!”

The silence stretched, broken only by the soft creak of movement.

I took a step forward. “I swear… if this is a joke, I....”

Then a shadow emerged.

I screamed. “Fuck!”

“Gosh… what the fuck!" I hissed. “Don’t do this next time… why are you here?”

The figure stayed silent, calm, unyielding.

“This isn’t the question,” he said slowly.

I froze.

“I heard everything you said with your mother,” he whispered.