Dress Fitting part 1

The wedding was in two days, and I still hadn’t received any feedback from Elysian Gowns. No messages, no missed calls, no updates. Silence. I couldn’t afford to wait anymore.

Without a word, I grabbed my purse and walked outside the mansion. The late morning air greeted me. I stood still, letting the breeze comb through my hair, taking in a deep breath.

Behind me, Miriam hovered at a distance, watching and waiting for my next move.

I was about to walk towards one of the cars when I heard the slow, measured sound of footsteps approaching. Heavy. Familiar. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. His scent was familiar. Cohen.

I froze for a second, my back instinctively straightening. I turned slightly, my eyes flicking in his direction just to confirm. It was him—he was walking toward me, his hands tucked into the pockets of his slacks, that unbothered expression resting on his face.

I turned away quickly before our eyes could meet, ttrying to calm myself. I stared ahead, trying to stop myself from looking back at him. I wanted to avoid him but I don’t know how long I would be able to keep that up. After all, I was going to marry him and we would be sharing a room.

We hadn’t spoken since the argument yesterday. Since he decided to act like an ass. Like I had enjoyed being dragged into this engagement, into a life that’s not mine just to have a place to stay and keep my life. I sometimes wonder what was his reason for going along with my plan in the first place. He could have easily sent me away despite my plea but he didn’t.

He stopped beside me, his arm just brushing mine—close enough to feel the heat of him, but still not touching. I let the silence settle between us.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, his voice low, casual, but with that underlying sharpness that never quite left his tone when he spoke to me.

I nodded without looking at him.

There was a pause. I could feel his eyes on me, studying me.

“Need a ride?”

I hesitated, and that caught me off guard. My eyes finally met his.

He was watching me, his expression unreadable.

I held his gaze, refusing. to be the first to look away. Let him sit in the awkwardness. That’s what he gets for being such an ass yesterday—acting like I was the problem when he hasn’t exactly made things easy either.

Eventually, I looked away.

Maybe he’s hurting—I get that but he doesn’t know what it feels like to be stuck in the middle of a situation you can’t control. He doesn’t know how it feels to be someone else or be in my situations.

If he truly wanted me stop bothering him. If he truly wanted peace, then he needed to meet me halfway. then maybe he should try cooperating instead of throwing cold silence and half-measured anger at me. Communication—that’s the basic thing he refuses to offer. That’s all I was asking for. Not his affection. Not his approval. Just honesty.

He wanted to be honest with him but he couldn’t do the same.

“Need a ride?” he asked again.

I let out a breath. “Why not?”

I forced a smile.

I forced a smile.

We walked to his car without saying another word, the silence stretching between us. When we got in, I stared straight ahead, my hands clasped together in my lap. We got in the back seat while Steven and Miriam sat at the driver and passenger’s seat.

“So,” he said after a few moments, “where are we going?”

“Elysian Gowns,” I replied, trying not to let the tension slip into my voice. “They haven’t responded to my calls. I need to sort out the dress before everything explodes two days from now.”

He nodded, focusing on the road. “Getting ready for the wedding, I see.”

I don’t know if that was meant to be a joke or a tease.

“Maybe,” I said, crossing my arms.

He didn’t reply. Instead, he just nodded.

Another stretch of silence.

No words were said, till we arrived at Elysian Gowns.He got down, holding the door of the car. I got out, creating enough distance between him before bidding him goodbye. “Thanks for the ride”

I turned, not waiting for a reply and walked into the store. No one stopped me this time. Probably because of Cohen.

Miriam and I walked down the hall. As we approached the waiting room, everyone’s eyes turned the moment we entered. Multiple ladies huddled together whispered, some spoke loudly, purposely let me hear their words, a few who were going through a few dresses stopped and the rest who sat lifted their heads, giving me a onceover.

I didn’t recognize anyone but they seemed to know me. They seemed to know Giulia and they had a lot to say.

I spotted the woman who I met the last time I visited the store—Amelia. She stood beside a woman who held a book filled with dresses design. I simply stood and stared at her. She straightened her stiff posture as though bracing herself. After a few seconds of being surrounded by whispers and gazes, she walked towards me, her lips spreading into a smile. Her smile felt rehearsed, as if she’d practiced it several times in front of a mirror.

“Good afternoon,” she said, stepping forward and extending a hand. “Miss, it’s an honor to deliver this personally. The gown—”

I didn’t take her hand. I looked at it, then back at her, tilting my head slightly.

“You’re late,” I said flatly.

Her smile faltered, confusion weaved into her expression. She blinked. “I… I beg your pardon?”

“The dress,” I clarified. “It was supposed to arrive hours ago. I placed the order well in advance. And now you show up this morning like everything is fine?”

She swallowed hard and retracted her hand, rubbing it nervously on the side of her trousers. “Ah… there were a few complications with the final fittings. Small issues, minor delays—nothing unusual, I assure you.”

“I wasn’t asking for excuses,” I replied. “I’m asking why it took so long. What exactly caused the delay?”