Hearts We Mend To Break (Book I)

.24.

💫GISELLE💫

"And where have you been all day, young lady?" Max greeted me, lost deep inside her closet.

"I was out with Angel." I damn near whispered my confession, as if I was hiding from the words myself. Max peeped out of the closet so fast, I laughed the moment I saw her expression. "Relax, Max." I laughed.

Then my phone rang again. I put my finger up, knowing she wanted details, but in no position to provide them. Aaron was calling for the fourth time. I took a deep breath, checking myself out in the mirror next to my bed, then flopped down and tapped the green button.

"Hey Star!" He smiled from ear to ear the moment he was able to see my face.

"Hey." I sighed.

"How was your day? You look like you've been out. Cute fit."

I laughed and frowned all at once. "Thank you. I was out with friends." I lied.

"Aahh!! The crew?"

"Something like that. What have you been up to?"

"Aahh...little bit of this...little bit of that. You know. I just left your parent's place, actually."

"Really? Why?"

"Just, um...helping out."

"With what?"

"Hey. I heard your dad wasn't able to make it. How are you holding up?"

Noticing the evasion, I brushed it off. "I'm fine."

"You sure? Because I know how much it meant to you to have him come down."

"Yep. All good."

"We've talked about the lies, Giselle. You don't have to do that with me, you know."

"Aaron, what do you want me to say?" I yelled.

"Tell the truth. If you're hurt, just say it. I hate when you bottle up your feelings to spare everybody else and then you end up hurting all by yourself. I hate that."

He was right. I always brushed off my own feelings to spare everyone else's. I never stood up for myself or spoke my peace. All I did was smile and nod, my entire life, fake ass showman effort to appear "okay".

Senior year, the night of my prom. I was dressed in the best of the best. From my halter, all white, dress with diamonds starting at the see-through material on my waist and falling downward right below my hips. To the long, exaggerated train ruffled and feathered by the Gods themselves. My diamond bracelet, and earrings from Tiffany's added an even more exaggeration to this top tier look. Aaron matched me from the white of his tuxedo to the diamond on his cufflinks, in his ear, and on his watch. We looked like we were headed down the aisle, spending all of our savings on the wedding of a lifetime. Meanwhile, we were only going to prom.

"You look amazing, Star." He whispered from behind me as we admired each other's reflection in my full-length mirror.

"Only as good as you."

"You'd look just as perfect without me."

"Good thing we never have to imagine that." I countered.