4 Chapter 3

"Girl wake up"

Why do people find the need to pester another person's sleep when you have never found it necessary to do so to them. I was in my peaceful deep sleep when all I heard was Talia's exasperating voice and Mikes irritating laughter. I didn't want to come out of bed as I had nowhere to be at the moment, my brother never informed me of any important meeting at the company so I no prior engagement other than my beautiful sleep. Snuffles was and still is the fluffiest dog whose warmth and cuddles were enough for me to never want out of this bouncy and comfort of my bed so nothing could get me out of this bed and I repeat NOTHING. At least that is what I thought.

I heard the sound of retreating footsteps and I was elated that I was able to win this battle over my best friends, nothing would get me out of this bed. I was throwing a celebratory party in my head for my victory over the evil forces that were morphed in the shape of my friends but my colorful party was cut short with my loud shriek. Why was I screaming like a lunatic and my friends and siblings watching my dismay with laughter you ask? That was because Talia thought it was best to go get ice cubes from the freezer and I was too busy celebrating to see the action unfolding before me. She took the cubes and slid them inside the back of my shirt and it's was very cold.

"Tal, why in the world would you do that,"

"I need you out of that bet so I did what I had to do," she said shrugging like she did not just do something bad.

"First why do you need me out of bed this early and second why are they here?" I asked gesturing towards the rest of the unwanted members in my room.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate them but at the moment I do because they are still holding in their laughter, amused at my misery.

"Well tomorrow is your engagement party and we need to get you a dress, glammed up, and prepared for the day, they came after me to watch your reaction after I woke you up and I can see it was worth it. Let's not waste more time and please go and get ready, we will be leaving in thirty minutes"

She was already pulling me out of bed and straight to the bathroom all this while she spoke, was this punishment for being an obedient child? Friends, who find entertainment in my pain? I sighed immediately I got in my bathroom, I took my clothes off and took comfort in the warm water. I didn't stay too long before I got out and dressed in my much comfortable clothes because knowing Talia, this wasn't going took be shopping for an outfit but a whole wardrobe. Throwing on my crop top, sweatpants, zip-up hoodie, and a pair of sneakers I was satisfied with the way I looked. I packed all my necessities in my backpack from my credit card to my car keys before looking at myself in the mirror. I had my hair in a messy ponytail, I didn't want all the stubborn hair flying on my face.

"We can go now, I am ready"

Before leaving we said goodbye to everyone we left behind and walked towards my car. I don't know much about cars but I always made sure whatever I choose I was comfortable with it, there was no need to splurge a lot of money on a car that at the end of the day you only have it parked in the garage like some prized trophy. We arrived at the mall and thankful it was easy to find myself a parking spot as it was usually a crowded place but today luck was on my side, maybe the gods had mercy on me after they saw how I was rudely awakened earlier and decided it would be best to save me.

The first stop was the dress section as I needed a 'jaw-dropping gown' Talia's exact word since my mother-in-law was kind enough to ask me what theme I wanted to settle with for the engagement, I was happy enough I was able to do something other than wait. Talia and I settled for wine red and everybody was okay with the choice. I would search for a gown with that color and my husband-to-be would wear a tie that matched my dress. After thirty minutes of almost giving up and walking to another shop in search of the perfect gown, Mike who had disappeared ten minutes ago, where to still a mystery walked towards us with a dress in his hands.

"Ladies, we may be in luck," he said pushing the dress in my hands.

"So you disappeared on your own to look for the dress?" Talia asked him and he just nodded while he gently pushed me into one of the empty stalls that I could change into the dress.

The moment the dress was on my body I gasped at the person in the mirror, this was not me, the dress Mike picked was so stunning. It was a wine red velvet open back slit plunging dress, I walked out so I could get my best friend's reaction. The look on their faces told me they were okay and satisfied with the choice.

"Damn M, you make want to go back to being straight again" I chuckled at Mikes response

"Wow Mike, you are a miracle, wherever you found that dress I want to know"

After the satisfying comments of my friends, we walked out right after paying, next stop was the shoe section which wasn't that hard to settle for a pair, unlike the dress. We later walked into a jewelry store where we settled on a diamond choker and a pair of tiny diamond earrings but my friends were not yet done, they wanted me to get back the white highlights on my hair before we were done. The first time I decided to do something different on my hair and I tried the white highlight, I fell in love with it, and ever since it became my signature hair look so my friends thought it was best for me to renew the look for the engagement.

Here we were at Johnny's salon having fun while we all get our hair done, Johnny was our favorite person and go to when we needed our hair styled, he was close to us more like our older brother and we loved him. Our parents know who he is that even Mike's and Talia's mother get their hair done by him, with him we always had fun from singing to dancing at his shop he was the best person.

We were done with the hair appointment and since we were hungry we decided to go to the food court at the mall to eat, my car was still at the mall's parking lot since Johnny's salon wasn't far from it as it was a ten-minute walk. While at the food court I felt a certain pair of eyes staring back at me, it creeped me out but it wasn't the feeling of being scared rather than just being watched. I turned around scanning the whole court but I found no one who seemed out of place but I could still feel the persons stare at my back, I shrugged it off and continued eating.

Meanwhile across the room sat Xavier, he was surprised to see his 'wife' here not that he even planned to be in this place I the beginning, he was here because of his younger sister who wanted him to accompany her to the mall that he had to drag his best friends with him. He had rather pressing matters in the office but he was terrified of his mother because if she knew he denied any of his little sister's requests then he is a dead man walking. Something was intriguing about her he could not deny it, being the man he is, Xavier kept on looking at the girl in the shadows.

"Hey man what's up you look lost"

"Let him be Leo, he is probably stressed about tomorrow's engagement"

"Oh yeah, that's tomorrow. I forgot"

He sat there listening to the twins go back and forth about the engagement but he was not interested because all his attention was to the woman sitting across from them. Her beauty and uniqueness were something that had him amazed at her simplicity. Why was she unique? Well for start she would rock her silver-white hair highlight with pride and her green eyes was something else and her voice, man you would think you are in heaven and my opinion, the angels had nothing on her the moment he saw her and heard her voice at the café, he was captivated and angry. He had all types of emotions coursing through his veins.

You like her.

No I. DO. NOT.

He screamed at his subconscious who had now awakened and mocked him.

Listen I hate her, she ruined my life. I don't want her as my life, I don't even know anything about all this.

You fucking liar, you have known about the engagement for the past three years. Why are you pretending?

I didn't know my parents were serious about it though.

Yes, Xavier had long known about the engagement, for him, he always thought it was some kind of joke his parents came up with so he'd stop sleeping around, he shrugged it off like it was nothing but the jumbled pieces fixed the puzzle when a week ago his parents informed him of the engagement and dinner with his in-laws which he did everything he could to avoid it. Even after showing and reminding his parents that he was now a changed man and dating someone they never listened to him. Yeah, he has been dating for the past year though it was an on and off relationship.

Bianca was a famous model for the brand we all knew the Victoria Secret, she had the body a man would want to see every day on his bed, a height he thought was fixed on any girl and her actions in bed was like she was trained in all the ways of satisfying a man and he loved her. Really, do you? His family didn't like her but tolerated her, especially his little sister she wouldn't stay in the same room with her for more than five minutes. His best friends hands down loathed her, reasons are still unknown to him, they have tried all in their power to tell him to back off but he ignored them, he 'loved' Bianca and that's something he knew in his 'heart'.

"Dude where did you go"

"We have been calling you for so long. Your sister texted she's at the parking lot waiting for us"

That's when he noticed the silver-haired girl had left, he hated her so much, because he wouldn't be with Bianca for the rest of his life as they had always thought. He sighed and walked to his car where he saw his sister Grace patiently waiting for them, at least he felt relaxed after seeing the smile on her face and how happy she was, that was what he needed right now as tomorrow is another day.