Something I Didn’t Want

Liv

Fuck me!

I would love to live in my dreams and never wake up. But that was not going to be possible in any way. I had the most amazing sex of my life in my dreams. The man did look older, almost a bit familiar, but I could not exactly place where I had met him before.

But I do wish I could find him again.

My thoughts were disturbed by the light that streamed through the curtains, burning through my eyelids and dragging me back to reality. My head pounded like someone had taken a hammer to it. But that did not bother me as much as what I was about to do today.

As I blinked my eyes open, the first thing I noticed was the unfamiliar sheets, the coolness of the fabric beneath my skin. Panic surged through me.

I sat up, my heart racing as memories from last night began to flood my mind. The rooftop. The kiss. Him.

It was not a fucking dream!

“Oh, God...” I muttered, my voice thick with the remnants of sleep and regret. How did I end up here?

I scrambled out of bed, the world spinning slightly as I searched for my clothes. My hands trembled as I slipped into my dress from the night before, ignoring the mess of my hair or the smudged makeup that streaked my cheeks. My phone buzzed somewhere, and I found it on the floor, just next to my shoes.

Seventeen fucking missed calls.

“Sorry baby, I miss you. I'm sorry I had to get back home to get something and ended up sleeping like a baby. I hope you’re not tired or worn out.”Aaron’s message popped up.

A cold wave of nausea rolled over me. My stomach twisted as I stared at the screen, his message glowing up at me like a cruel joke.

I took the phone away from my sight, ignoring the sinking feeling in my chest as I rushed out of the suite. My legs carried me faster than I could think, down the corridor, through the lobby, and into the elevator that took me back to the floor where my own suite was.

I paused on getting to the door as the thoughts of what happened yesterday night came flooding back to mind. The way his lips had felt on mine, the way I had thrown myself into his arms, desperately trying to forget everything.

As the elevator doors slid open,

“Where the hell have you been?” Megan, my maid of honor, shrieked, rushing toward me. “We've been looking for you everywhere! The makeup artist has been waiting for over an hour!”

I looked past her and was greeted by the sight of my bridesmaids standing in the room, waiting for me. Their eyes widened in unison as they took in my appearance.

“I—I'm sorry,” I stammered, feeling the weight of their eyes on me. I could barely string a coherent thought together. My head was spinning, my heart pounding as I tried to act like everything was normal.

Megan gave me a worried look, but the others were already pulling me into the suite, fussing over me like I was a porcelain doll. They sat me down in front of the vanity, the makeup artist immediately getting to work, dusting my skin with powders and brushes.

“I can’t believe it’s finally happening!” one of my bridesmaids cooed, holding up my phone. “Look, Aaron texted you!”

I glanced at the screen as she read his message aloud, her voice dripping with admiration. “Awww, he’s such a cutie!” she said, grinning. “I’m so happy for you! You’re so lucky to have a man like Aaron. I wish I could find someone like him.”

I wanted to scream. Lucky? Lucky to marry a man who had betrayed me? The image of him with my step sister flashed before my eyes, the way they had kissed, the way they had touched each other.

It wasn’t just a fling, was it? No... It looked like something they’d been doing for ages.

My stomach churned as I stared at my reflection in the mirror, watching them doll me up for a cheat. My skin felt tight under the layers of makeup, my heart numb under the weight of the betrayal. How could they all smile and laugh, so blissfully unaware of the truth?

How could I sit here, pretending like nothing had happened, pretending I was excited to marry a man who had broken my trust?

The hours blurred by, and before I knew it, I was standing at the altar, my hand resting in Aaron’s. He looked handsome in his suit, his eyes gleaming with pride and affection as he smiled at me. But all I could see were his lips on my sister’s skin, the way he had held her, touched her. My mind raced with every vile memory, every second of betrayal.

The officiant's voice was a distant echo as he spoke. I barely registered the words, my heart pounding louder with every beat.

“Do you, Liv Bennett, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as you both shall live?”

My mouth felt dry, my palms sweaty as I opened my lips to speak. I could feel every pair of eyes in the room on me, waiting for the expected answer.

I glanced around the hall for a moment and my eyes fell on my best friends, Rose, Lara and Vio. They were all dressed in identical knee-length dresses. They all wore happy smiles, that I bet would turn sour when they hear what Aaron has done.

Good thing they made it in time for the wedding.

I smiled, but it wasn’t joyful. I know they were all waiting for my answer, but the words that came out of my mouth were not the ones they were waiting for.

“No.”

The room fell silent. Dead silent. A gasp rippled through the crowd as everyone’s heads whipped around to stare at me, their faces a mix of shock and confusion. Aaron’s hand tightened around mine, his face paling as he turned to look at me, disbelief etched into every line of his features.

“What... what did you say?” he stammered, his voice thick with confusion.

I pulled my hand from his, my voice steady now, as if every ounce of emotion I had been holding in finally spilled out. “I said no, Aaron. I can't marry you.”

Aaron’s face fell, his eyes wide with panic as he stepped closer to me. “Liv... What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

I met his gaze, anger bubbling up inside me. “I saw you last night, Aaron. With my step sister. I saw everything.”

The color drained from his face. His lips parted, but no words came out. The room was eerily quiet, every person frozen in place, their eyes bouncing between the two of us like they were watching some sort of twisted drama unfold.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was her you wanted?” I demanded, my voice shaking with fury. “Why did you lead me on all these years, making me believe you loved me, while you were screwing her behind my back?”

Aaron opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came. His eyes flickered with panic, his hand reaching for me, but I stepped back, the disgust and betrayal radiating through me.

“Liv, please, it’s not what you think—”

I cut him off, my heart pounding in my chest. “It’s exactly what I think. I saw you, Aaron. I saw you with her. I can’t marry you. Not after this.”

Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I refused to let him see how much this had broken me. Instead, I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving him standing there, speechless and alone at the altar.

The gasps and murmurs from the crowd grew louder, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t care. All I knew was that I wasn’t going to marry a man who didn’t respect me. A man who had betrayed me in the worst possible way.

Without waiting for any more drama, I turned on my heels and fled.

“Liv! Wait!” I heard Rose shout.

I caught a glimpse of her red hair from my sideview and I knew that if I stopped, the rest of the church could catch up with me.

And that was something I didn’t want.