My Neighbor is Bad News

13: Wedding Bells

"You look so beautiful sweetheart." Esmeralda had told her daughter as a tear gathered in the corner of her eye but she batted it away with her impressive lashes. The make up artist was putting on the final touches to her creation and Jenna's eyes felt heavy from the doubled falsies that she was wearing. Her mother looked beautiful as well and so did Melissa.

Her grandmother was sitting in a chair and she said something in Italian that she didn't understand only for her mom to reply back. "Nonna says you look like a doll." She translated and Jenna smiled at her knowing that her smile may not have gone to her eyes.

She turned to look at herself in the mirror and her breath caught. Even though she was heavily wearing makeup she truly looked like a younger version of her mother and whatever the artist did made her brown eyes pop as if they were a lighter brown. Her cheekbones were accentuated with some highlighter and she felt pretty.

She was glad that she told the artist to go for here but still natural. Her hair was in a curled, braided bun at the side of her head and there were flowers adorned in the intricate yet messy updo.

Jenna moved so that everyone could help her put her dress on and she had to readjust her boob just to make it go in the right spot. After sucking in and not breathing, her mother zipped up the dress and she presented herself to everyone in the room. "Oh bambina mia..." her mother said as her voice trailed up and tears welled up once more.

She turned to look at herself in the mirror and her breath caught. Oh she felt like Venus, hell maybe even Aphrodite and she would have said it aloud just to piss her family off but she couldn't believe that at twenty two, she was getting married.

***

Jenna was sitting over the toilet in the restroom dry heaving as she had a panic attack. There was frantic knocking on the door and her mother was calling her name. She couldn't go out like this, she was not getting married. She wanted a life.

More knocks. She was almost ready to cry and she stared at the window. She could maybe fit if she squeezed through and didn't mind possibly ruining her dress. She opened the window and breathed in air as she looked to see how high it possibly was and it was fairly steep. Knocking on the door continued and she stared at it. She couldn't do it. Maybe, maybe she could go out the balcony, this was her parent's room and they probably didn't have it as well contained as hers was.

Opening the door, she watched all eyes on her and her sister was on the phone. There was relief on all their faces and she took a deep breath. "I forgot something in my room." She told them and her mom looked to Melissa. "No, it's slightly personal, kind of embarrassing really." She said as she made her way towards her room. "I will be down, let me grab it. It should take a little bit." She said as entered her room and her sister had an eyebrow raised.

Before anyone could say anything, she closed the door on their faces and heard her mother curse. "Relax mama, she probably went to put on crotch-less panties or something for her husband-to-be. If I was engaged to that walking god, I wouldn't be wearing-" Her sister's voice stopped as she was sure her mother was chiding her. Melissa laughed and it helped because her mother's non stop knocking stopped.

Jenna had about four minutes to do what she was going to do before she lost her moment to do something. She went for the overnight bag that she had packed when she was tempted to run weeks before and she knew that she couldn't go through with it. She needed to leave now.

She opened her balcony door, tying the end to a sheet she took from her mattress. She tied the other end to the railing and hoped it was as sturdy as she hoped it was then slowly lowered the bag over before throwing a leg over the railing.

The sheet was not long enough to take her safely to the ground but it was closer and a lot better than jumping and breaking her ankle. Luckily, her room was on the other side of the mansion which meant that it was away from the ceremony and reception grounds. She slid herself down the fabric and hit the ground with an "umpf" before straightening herself and getting the overnight bag.

She had stolen one of the spare keys to her father's car and stuck it in the bag as well and so far no one had noticed. She put the strap over her shoulder before taking off at a run, discarding her heels behind and said screw it. She was breaking out of this joint. She had less than two minutes before they realized she was gone and had about a few minutes head start.

Jenna could barely breathe when she made it to the garage and tried to find the black Audi and found it. No one was around as she unlocked the vehicle and climbed inside, throwing the pack onto the passenger side. She started the car, it didn't turn on. "What?" She tried again and nothing. She was starting to panic and she was sure that they knew she was gone.

"Are you looking for this?" A voice said to her side and she froze. To her left, Cade was standing with his left hand holding something up that she couldn't make out. She didn't move her hands from the steering wheel as she stared at him. They stared at each other and there was a smirk on his face. He was in his tuxedo, looking as dashing as ever and the smug look on his face made her want to cry and scream from frustration.

"If it'll make the car start then yes. What are the chances you'll hand it over?" She asked him.

He opened the door and handed the thing to her and she gladly took it. Except she stared at it in wonder and didn't know what the hell it was. "It's a spark plug sweetheart. Do you even know where it goes?" He asked with an amused look.

She wanted to chuck the plug at him. Breathing heavily, she took a step out of the vehicle and stood next to him. "I should stab you with this, just take me to my demise please." She said as she abandoned all hope of her getting free inside of the Audi.

He laughed as he looked at her and grabbed her hand and led her to where they were supposed to be married. "You look beautiful by the way." He whispered and she wondered if she looked as miserable as she felt. They even stopped by to grab her heels that were laying uselessly on the ground and by the look on her mother's face from the door of the mansion that would lead to the aisle, she was sure her hair and makeup was a mess.

Her mother called for the artist to fix her up as Cade took his leave and a pat from her father as they waited for the Groom and best man to make it up to the front of the aisle, up to the altar.  Her artist did quick work along with readjusting her veil as her mother left to sit down and so did Melissa.

"I'm proud of you." her father whispered as they stood side by side and she was holding a bouquet that was mysteriously shoved into her hands. She glanced at him but he was not looking at her. "One day, you will understand why I did what I did." He said again and Jenna wanted to cry and whine. He quickly looked over to her and she was amazed at the way his one good eye and glazed over eye looked so meticulous yet comforting.

Jenna took a deep breath as the music started and she slipped her arm into her father's as they made it out the door and all eyes were on her. Everyone had stood up as she entered.

Instead, Jenna decided to focus her attention on Cade as he watched her and his hair was slicked with pomade as he wore a comb over, his face shaven. He was a truly good looking guy as his hair was almost two tones, the fade darker in color and his longer hair was almost a gray brown. She knew it was the color when people made mixed babies. There was something in his eyes as he watched them walk towards at him. She almost wished he was wearing his glasses so that there was some form of imperfection to him but she knew it made him look even more attractive.

When they made their way to the altar, Jenna went into Cade's hands as he held them in front of the priest. She knew from there on, that she would be a different woman and no longer the free woman that she once craved to be, but a pawn to her father's industry.