Unseen Scars

Chapter One

Katherine watched as her mother and fiance discussed plans for their wedding, a wedding she never wanted in the first place. She always pictured herself happy when it came to planning her wedding but she was no where near happy. She loved Daniel, he was the only man who didn't want her for her family's money but she was not in love with him. When they kissed, there's no spark, no nothing just...him. She wanted a love that would last a century, an eternity, something she was not going to have with Daniel.

"Katherine, sweetie, why don't you join us? We are discussing your wedding." Her mother, Katie, stated with a smile as she gazed over at her beautiful daughter.

Katherine shook her head, "Looks like you have a hand on things, mother. Plus, your opinion will be better than mine for you've planned all three of your weddings and they were beautiful." She stated with a fake smile that seemed to reach her eyes.

Katie smiled, "Your right, sweetie, thank you."

George, Katie's third husband and Katherine's step father, gazed over at the beautiful Katherine. He could see how truly unhappy, about this wedding, she was. He could see the sadness, the desire to just break away and out from beneath her parents thumb. Katherine may not be his daughter biologically but he loved her like she was his very own child and he hated to see her so unhappy, "Katherine, sweetie, why don't we go for a drive? I know all this talk about wedding stuff must be clouding your head." He states as he moves towards her.

Katherine smiles at him before taking his offered hand and allowing him to pull her towards the door, "We'll be back before you know it." He called out over his shoulder to his wife and Daniel.

Getting into the car and starting it, Daniel pulled out of the garage and took off down the street. They sat in silence for maybe ten minutes before he decided to speak, "Baby girl, cancel the wedding." He states sternly.

Katherine's head shoots over in his direction, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief, "What?" She gasped.

George sighed, "I know I'm not your fathe - "

"You will ALWAYS be my father, George, never forget or doubt that." She states sternly.

Smiling, George took her hand in his and kissed the back of it, "Thank you, sweetie, that means a lot to me." He says before meeting her gaze again as they came to a red light.

"Sweetie, I can tell that you're unhappy about this wedding, about Daniel, your mother, your father, honey call off this wedding." He states.

Katherine shook her head, "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I lo - "

"You do not love that man, Katherine." He scolds.

"I do love him." She defends.

"Maybe you do, but are you in love with him? Do you see yourself happy with him in five years? Do you even see yourself WITH him in five years?" He questioned as he pulls into the parking lot of Jasam's Dinner.

Katherine glanced down at her fingers, "I don't know, dad. I don't know what I see." She said as they stepped out of the car and made their way inside the beautiful dinner.

"Yes you do, sweetie. Tell me what you want. Not what Daniel wants, not what your mother or father wants, not what your friends want, not what I want, but what you, Katherine Bennett, wants." He asks as they take a seat at a table booth in the back.

Katherine glances up and meets the man she's called her father for the last seven years gaze, "Freedom." She confesses, "I want the freedom to date, to love and marry the man I love. I want the freedom to make my own decisions and mistakes, the freedom to do as I please with MY life. I don't want to live my life for my family and friends or marry who they think is best for me. Dad, I want the freedom to have a life of my own." She finishes, forcing back any tears that threatened to fall.

George sighed as he gazed at his baby girl. She had to be the strongest person he knew and he was honored to call her his daughter. He's been in her life for seven years now and in seven years he has yet to see her shed a single tear and that worried him, "Sweetie, it's okay to cry." He says as he reached over and took her hand.

She shook her head, "Crying shows weakness and we Bennett's are not weak." She states.

"Who told you that?" George scolds unhappily.

"My parents. Growing up, mother and father always said only the weak cry. And if a Bennett does cry, it should be in the privacy of their own home and witnessed to no one." She says.

George groaned, "That was very dumb of them to say." He spat, his ears, nose and face turning red.

Katherine found herself smiling as she watched her dad turn as red as a candy apple, "Dad, you're starting to look like a Candied Apple." She laughed softly.

George smiled at the fact that he, unintentionally, was able to make her laugh and smile, "I've missed that." He states.

"Missed what?" She questioned as she picked up the menu.

"That smile of yours, " He gazed into her eyes as she looked up from the menu, "It's been a long time since I've seen it." He says.

"Dad, I've smi - "

"A REAL smile, Katherine. Not the smile you give to make everyone else happy but the one that shows that YOU'RE happy." He said.

She smiled, "Thank you, daddy." She said.

"What for?" He questioned.

"Understanding and seeing me. For always being the one to see how I truly feel and for always asking me what it is that I want." She said.

Leaning over the table, he placed a kiss to her forehead, "I love you, baby girl. I'll do any thing to make you happy." He said.

"I love you, too, dad." She stated.

George smiled, "Now, lets order something to eat because you know your mother won't be cooking dinner tonight and I'll starve." He chuckled.

Katherine smiled, "Sure, dad, whatever you say." She said before glancing at the menu once again.