Marriage with 'The Beast'

Chapter 38 ~ I missed you.

It's August 8th, and I've started to live my life in a regular routine. 

I go to the gym, take a shower, get dressed, have a smoothie, go to work, go back to the gym, then go home, have a salad with chicken or salmon, then attempt to communicate with my family, and then do paperwork, then sleep. 

It's been working for the past week, and I'm pretty happy with it. Before, I felt like a turtle with a hard shell that I would just hide in day and night. But ever since I've started to exercise all of my stresses out, and have started to laugh with my family, I've started to feel more lightweight. 

I know that Vanessa wants to talk to me. She's about to get married to her dream guy. I can feel her itching to blurt out stories about her love life, but she's keeping them locked away. She's afraid of hurting me. And I don't want her to have to live like that. So I'm taking baby steps to feeling more open, so I can give her my attention and advice. 

Today was a good day. I designed an entire dress line, and it was approved! Yes, all my co-workers were staring at me, but that's not because of my past, it was because of my great ideas! I felt genuinely happy. I haven't felt like this for a long, long time. 

I picked up a large order of Chinese food after leaving work an hour earlier than usual. I basically skipped to the front door. When I opened the door, I saw my sister surrounded by a large array of colourful bouquets and flower arrangements.

Vanessa turned to stare at me in shock like a ghost had just walked in. 

Sure no one was expecting me, but I did still live here. It wasn't that surprising. 

"What are you doing here?" Vanessa whispered sharply, before maneuvering through the maze of flowers towards me. 

"Um, I live here and my meeting went great! So I bought Chinese for us. I thought I deserved one cheat day..." I pouted.
"What's going on here?" I asked changing the subject. 

"I-Uh-We are picking the flower arrangements for the wedding and the reception."She answered hesitantly. 

"Well, why didn't you wait for me. It'll take me ten seconds flat." I scoffed, already examining the flowers and looking for the perfect ones for her. 

"Yeah, but..." 

That's when I realized, and sighed, "I know I haven't been... myself lately. But I'm trying! Really! My sister's only going to get married once! I'm not going to miss out on all these things! There are less than two weeks already, you've got a lot to catch me up on." I tried to convince her, putting a smile on my face to assure her that I really wanted to be apart of her wedding and that includes the planning portion. 

She smiled slightly, "that's great and it means a lot but-" 

"Ah, Sarah, you're home. I haven't seen you for awhile. I hope you aren't avoiding me." A chill went down my spine as I distinctly remembered that smooth voice behind me. I closed my eyes. I knew I should've gone for a workout before coming. 

I smiled the fakest but nicest smile I could muster, "Mrs. Wilson! Well isn't it nice to see you! It has been a while! Ugh, I've just been so incredibly busy these days. I quickly finished my bachelor, then got right into the work field." I shrugged, embodying my inner peppy, try-hard cheerleader. "I like to keep busy and make my parents proud." I tried not to look too cocky, but it was hard not to. She was the woman who made me quit school and told me not to work. Well, guess what woman, I did exactly that!

"Well... everyone desires different things in life, I suppose." She waved the topic away quickly. "Now, if you don't mind we were trying to finalize flower arrangements." She looped her arm through Vanessa's and tugged her into another direction.