Always You

🎶Listen to How Long Will I love you by Ellie Goulding for a better experience.🎶

My heart thumped so fast that it felt like it was going to burst any second. I was walking down the aisle, hand in hand with my father, walking towards my groom. It was a dream come true but unfortunately, that dream wasn't mine. 

The one I love was standing there, waiting for his bride but that bride wasn't me, instead, it was my sister. I wasn't marrying him but his brother and my best friend, Dalton Miller.

To understand how it came to be, let's take a look at my story…

*backstory*

Let's start from the beginning. 

A couple was living in a town that housed only the richest of people called Deadwind. They were Richard Jones and Lisa Jones, my parents. Growing up, my father befriended David Miller, Dalton's father, and my mother was best friends since birth with Brenda, Dalton's mom.

Their journey of unbreakable friendship began when Dalton's Dad met his mom, and through each other, they came to know about their best friends. They fell in love (my mom and dad) and got married.

After my father married my mom, he decided to quit his job as a professor, a profession that his parents used to work in, and join David Miller in his business. From then on, my dad became a business partner with Dalton's dad.

Together, they raised the company to fame, and opened many business branches, not just across the country but overseas too. There were instances when they wanted to leave their town, but because of the memories of old times, they decided to stay. 

Both of them birthed two children each. My parents had me and Amara, my little sister, while David Miller had Dalton and Carl. 

Since childhood, I had shared a special bond with Dalton. It might be because of the way he was always soft toward me and only me. He used to dote on me and spoil me and that was the reason I grew to be dependent on him since I was young. 

My parents, seeing our interactions, used to tease me that at this rate I might end up falling in love with him and marrying him. Those words made me declare that I will marry Dalton when I grow up. That encouraged them to matchmake us until the very end. In their eyes, Alyssa and Dalton were made for each other.

It might have been true but there was one tiny problem. I ended up falling in love with his brother, Carl, though my parents had no idea. They were too busy shipping me and Dalton to notice the loving gaze I used to give Carl.

Back to the topic, I ended up falling in love with Carl, and because I knew my parents wouldn't accept our relationship, I hid it from them and sneaked behind their backs. As to why I never tried to get their approval - it might be because I was the firstborn who grew up with many expectations from my parents. I never wanted to make them disappointed in me.

I used to think that one day, I would naturally gain the courage to reveal everything but the day never came. Instead, my parents decided to marry me to Dalton and Carl will marry Amara. 

It was business related, our marriage. It was to make our partnership into a more intimate relationship and to monopolize more than 67% of shares. Dalton's uncle was after the company and was secretly buying shares of the company and driving the board of directors to appoint him as the new CEO if he gains more shares owned by Millers. If that happens, despite their wishes, their uncle would have taken over the business. Hence, the wedding.

When the wedding was announced, I wanted to expose my relationship with Carl but when I saw the expression on my sister's face, my mouth slammed shut, unable to let out even a squeak of rejection. 

The way her eyes lit up, the way her lips curved in the biggest smile, I knew she was in love with him. It was the same way I used to give at him whenever I was with him. That expression on her face made me back down. After seeing the stars in her eyes, I didn't have the heart to take her hope away, especially when she expressed how happy she was to be marrying someone she had loved for years. 

It was very heart-wrenching for me to decide between my and my sister's happiness. I wasn't selfish enough to shove her happiness aside to get mine and so I decided to bury the love I carry for him. I didn't expose the fact that Carl and I were in a relationship already, and broke up with him the same day. 

The pain on his face breaks my heart to this day every time I remember it. It made me question if it was the right decision to make it then my sister's face would pop inside my head, reminding me it was the decision I made for my sister, not for me. 

I suffered silently watching my dad trying to push Carl and Amara together. His plans were all familiar and it made me realize something. His actions explained the questions I always asked myself. Why was Delton allowed in my room but not Carl? I always doubted if he knew anything about our relationship but everything was clear now. He was hoping for Dalton and me to share feelings for each other. Our fates were decided by them long ago, and to them, it was the best decision they made for their business and their friendship.

*backstory over*

I locked eyes with the love of my life. It saddened me to the core that I wasn't the one marrying him, and that after this day, he will no longer be someone I could have feelings for. 

Tears threatened to fall any second. I was thankful for the veil that hid the tears that threatened to fall. I wonder what he was thinking. Is he just as sad as me? Or does he hate me for breaking his heart?

I was pulled back to reality when my father gave my hands for Dalton to hold. I looked to the right and saw Mr Miller, Dalton's father, doing the same with my sister, Amara. Unable to watch any further, I turned my head to the front. For the rest of the ceremony, I zoned out. My mind was in a haze. I was reminiscing about the time Carl and I spent together, and the memories we created, and each fond memory brought tears to my eyes. I forced the tears down. I don't want to ruin the wedding for my sister. I have to be strong and pull through it.

I was knocked out of my thoughts by Dalton clearing his throat. The priest was looking at me expectantly and I could feel everyone's gaze on my back. 

"Huh?" I asked, confused. 

"Do you take Dalton Miller as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this clay forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?" the priest repeated. 

"I do," I gulped, forcing the ring into Dalton's ring finger. Those two words changed my whole life. How could such a simple sentence hold so much power that it binds two souls together? Such a simple phrase sealed our fates and made me belong to another man, Dalton Miller, my best friend/ husband.

"You may kiss the bride," the priest said after I slipped the ring on his finger. Dalton lifted my veil and placed his hands on my waist before kissing me softly. When we pulled away, I hid my discomfort with a fake smile. 

It felt weird to kiss another man, especially someone with whom I wasn't in love.

Dalton interlocked our hands and we both made our way down the stage and toward the empty seat beside our parents. It was time for my sister to take the vows and for me to go through the most painful period of my life.

"Do you take Amara Jones as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?" the priest asked Carl. Till now, I was denying reality by drowning myself in my thoughts but now it was time for me to face the reality. This time, I couldn't control the tears that forced their way into my eyes.

"I do," he said, and with that one tear escaped. I quickly wiped it, not wanting anyone to doubt anything. I can't fall now. I must watch this game of fate play out until the end. 

"Do you take Carl Miller as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?" the priest asked Amara. 

"I do", she took her vow, her eyes gleaming with joy as she slipped the ring into Carl's finger. 

"You may now kiss the bride," the priest announced. Amars didn't wait for the priest to finish his sentence before she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him firmly. The smile on my sister's face was priceless when she pulled back from the kiss.

That should have been me. I thought. If it wasn't for the wicked game my life played with me, I would have gotten my happy ending. 

~•~