Seconds in Time

Page 8

My mother tried to smile, but it wavered and a tear slid down her cheek. I frowned and hugged her.

"I'm not leaving forever. I'll see you in two weeks or maybe before, and I'm just up the road." I assured her calmly. She sniffed and I pulled back as her grip on me loosened. "I'll be fine." I told her and then got out of bed. I heard feet running up the stairs and I stared at the open door until my aunt Kelly and older cousin Molly ran into the room.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you're getting married!" My aunt gushed as she hugged the air out of me.

"Yeah, it's really not that great." I managed to choke out.

"What do you mean it's not that great?" She exclaimed and let me go. "You're marrying a prince!" If only it were that simple.

"Aunt Kelly, I don't know him. I've seen him like twice in my lifetime and that was at a distance. He didn't even give me the ring. They sent rude and loud servants to do it." I explained with a look of disgust.

"Where's the ring?" Molly asked excitedly. I sighed heavily and pulled open the drawer. I took out the ring and held it out to them. I tuned them out while they gushed over its beauty. Sure, it was beautiful, but it stared at me intimidating and that made it easy for me to hate it.

"Stop fawning. I need to take a shower and no one is to touch this ring." I told them firmly and put it back where I had gotten it from. I took a quick shower, dried my hair, put on makeup, and changed into a pair of jeans and a white button up shirt with quarter length sleeves. I grabbed a muffin from the kitchen before walking back into my room to find my mother, Crystal, Juliet, Aunt Kelly, and Molly packing my stuff. My father was standing in the corner of the room talking to one of his friends.

"White heels?" I questioned and looked around the mess on my floor.

"These?" Molly asked and held up my shoes. I took them and slipped them on and put my ring on. I put my hands on my hips and looked around the room that would no longer be mine.

"How are you holding up?" Leo asked as he walked into the room. I simply shrugged and kept staring. "You're wearing makeup so I assume you don't think you'll cry." He pointed out as the two of us leaned against the wall.

"I'm not going to let myself, and I'm going to be in the presence of royalty so it's isn't like I'm not going to wear makeup." I told him.

"Lilly, you are royalty. Or...you will be in two weeks, but you might as well be." He reminded me in the quirky way he does things.

"Hoorah." I said sarcastically and stared bitterly out the window.