Secrets & Lies {On Hold}

~*Twenty One*~

"I'm getting married." Courtney says glumly as she enters into Scarlet's bedroom.

Scarlet who is sitting on her bed next her her brother Enrique, the both of them eating popcorn and watching a telenovela looks over.

"Los dejaré solos." Enrique tells Scarlet, his brown hair moving with him as he taps on her arm, saying 'I'll leave you alone'.

"Si, gracias." Scarlet answers, saying 'Yes, thank you' in a melancholic way as she turns her face towards an upset looking Courtney.

Enrique gets off the bed and grabs the popcorn bowl before Scarlet can protest. He takes quick steps towards the door and offers Courtney a small smile as he walks past her.

Once he's gone, Courtney closes the door quickly and rushes over to Scarlet's bed, sitting down on the edge while Scarlet switches her television off.

"What did you say when you arrived here?" Scarlet asks, her face contorting as she folds her legs into herself and sits up straight.

"I'm getting married." Courtney repeats, gulping with dread at her very own words.

"Justin proposed?" Scarlet asks, holding Courtney still with her hands as she forces her grey eyes to search for answers within Courtney's unsettled blues.

"No."

"Then?"

"I'm getting married.." Courtney breathes in, eyes shutting for a bit while she braces herself for the words she is about to utter "to Lucas Bradley."

Scarlet's entire body tenses up quickly and she doesn't even realize herself as she squeezes her sharp nails into Courtney's arms hard. Lucky for Courtney, the jacket she wears shields her from the pain but she yelps nonetheless.

"Are. You. Insane?" Scarlet asks, each of her words coming out with authority as she shakes Courtney almost hysterically.

The tension in her grey eyes seep into Courtney and for once, Courtney feels scared of Scarlet.

Scarlet let's go.

"I knew you wouldn't take it well." Courtney fumbles, the words she speak coming out almost disjointed as she stands up "But the decision has been made."

Scarlet scoffs. The breath that pushes itself out of her throat simply unnerving and then she takes the small red pillow cushion on her left into her hands and in a huff of anger, she tosses it with all her might to the opposite wall.

"You know what that boy did to me!" Scarlet screams out, hot and angry tears trickling down her cheeks.

Courtney looks over to Scarlet, her chest tightening as she stares at the tears quickly cascading down Scarlet's cheek.

"In his defense, you did it to yourself to begin with." Courtney says, sympathy lacking in her words and Scarlet quickly wipes the tears away from her eyes.

"How did this happen?" Scarlet asks, her hands fisting her bedsheets as she looks up to Courtney, the anger in her eyes burning within the rims of her irises.

"Lucas got a letter from one of the best law firms here in the States, offering him a job the minute he graduates from Law school." Courtney begins to explain "He brought this letter to my father along with a marriage proposal for me and my father obliged."

"Like Rodney?" Scarlet questions, remembering Courtney's elder brother and the dilemma of his arranged marriage three years ago.

Courtney nods.

"And you said yes?" Scarlet puffs out, each syllable mixing with her voice in heavy disbelief.

"What my father wants, my father get." Courtney answers with a solemn nod, unable to hold the unrelenting and taunting look in Scarlet's fierce grey eyes.