Will You

Charlotte's pov 

“Char, will you marry me?” 

Ten years ago, Jacob Denver, the boy I had pinned over for years, slid a cold ring into my finger and whispered that he would love me till the end of his days.

I smiled from ear to ear, overlooking the name of my sister inscribed in an ancient language Jacob had so casually picked up because he thought the love he already spoke didn't get the point across.

That day I had proudly taken the crown of a placeholder.

But I didn't care.

I had loved Jacob ever since I knew the meaning of the word. 

He was the heir of the Denver family, with a face and body that turned heads and a charismatic smile that lit up every room.

I was just one out of the army of admirers that pinned over him.

The only girl that treated Jacob like he was any other person was my twin sister Cecilia. 

In fact, scratch that she hardly treated him like a person most of the time but rather more like a dog. 

And he was more than happy to be in the dog house.

He pursued her vigorously and there were times when they had looked more or less like a relationship, but today one of Cecilia's friends posted a picture of her surrounded by a serum of guys at the lounge of an exclusive club Jacob broke down in my arms.

“Jacob, is there anything that I can-” 

Then out of the blue he kissed me.

It wasn't a small peck on the cheek.

It wasn't the smooth sweet gentle first kiss I thought I would get from him. 

He seized my lips, holding them as he molded them with his own and then his tongue. I only knew that I was holding my breath when he pulled away and came right back.

I mostly let him lead until he was satisfied. 

When he pulled away I felt this indescribable urge to burst into tears.

“Char, I'm so sorry…I didn't mean …”

But instead I ran.

I didn't know what to make of his kiss.

It almost felt like he was punishing me for my sister's infidelity. 

I wasn't sure if our friendship would survive.

And I was right. 

However it ended differently than I expected. 

Because the next day, the boy I had been helplessly crushing on ever since I was in diapers nailed down in the middle of the school hallway with a bouquet of flowers and recited a poem ending it by asking me to be his girlfriend.

Now really think about it, the signs were as sharp as the red of the roses he handed to me. 

Roses were Cecilia's favorite flower.

Not mine.

But I didn't think much of it because I didn't even have a favorite flower. 

I really wish it stopped there.

But it didn't.

He bought me jewelry, designer clothes, one of a kind bags and every other accessory that would make a woman's heart melt like butter.

That little doubtful voice would whisper in my ear, telling me that he was trying to transform me into a rip-off of my sister.

I denied it.

These were just things a lot of women liked.

And he's spent years buying gifts for Cecilia, that's why they are his go-to. 

Then it got to the wedding ring too. 

Cecilia had the picture of her wedding ring ever since she was little, a princess cut ruby at the center and the design consistently integrating swirls.

And nothing could perfectly describe the ring he gave me more than that.

“T-this is s-so beautiful,” I told him, trying not to cry for a different reason than he was probably thinking. 

He seemed very proud of himself.

“I'm glad you like it, that's two million well spent,” he said casually but any complaints I had about the ring immediately vanished into thin air.

After a lifetime of hand-me-downs from my sister, he was the only one that spoilt me with new things. 

I was grateful but…this was something I would be wearing around my finger, how could I go to sleep at night with something like this? 

“Jacob, this ring is really pretty, but Cecilia has already had this kind of design and her heart has been set on it ever since she was a kid, is there any way that this can be exchanged for another?”

Jacob's gaze that had been warm earlier instantly snapped into a disheartening coldness.

“Why do you always keep bringing up Cecilia? Does she own a pattern on the ruby stone? Is nobody else allowed to have this sort of design just because she liked it?” 

He suddenly grabbed my wrist, holding it up and yanking the ring out so quickly that the friction burned.

“Since this ring is so offensive maybe we should even think this whole marriage,”

Then he threw it across the room, it flew till it hit the wall and bounced back dropping on the marble floor.

That would be one of his many outbursts.

I searched for the ring, bent on the floor looking through furniture and anywhere else it could have been stuck under.

He watched me away every modicom of pride as I searched for it. Finally, when I found it, I brought it to him, sliding it into my finger. 

“I found it, Jacob,” I said, forgetting what I was even upset about earlier and only wanting to apologize to him. “I'm so sorry for being ungrateful…please don't cancel our wedding now,” 

I should know that that was the final nail on the casket of any respect he had for me.

Cecilia was my maid of honor.

When he said the vows, I knew he wasn't looking at me. 

His eyes skimmed over my shoulder to her in her heels behind me.

I had my chance to run but instead I let him kiss me.

I lied to myself that with time those eyes would point that adoration at me.

But I never knew what was waiting for me in the future.