Wilting Roses (Formerly known as Arranged)

Fin

~Chapter Forty~

The room filled with giggling and muttering as Scarlett's siblings assembled all around her. She stood above them on a velvet cushion bunk watching as her mother adjusted the hem of her dress. Huge knots gathered at the pit of her stomach as she realized that in a few moments she would once again be Lady Heart. A smile crept up to her lips as her cheeks blush.

A month had drifted away before Dathan and she had finally set a date. The family was thrilled to know that they had finally reconciled to the point of being engaged and soon married. She could not be more happy to be marrying the man of her dreams. Granted that Dathan had not been that man a year ago, he had managed to change for the best.

"Come down, I think the dress is ready." Her mother said. She descended carefully and took a seat before the large mirror.

She sat silently looking at her reflection in the oval mirror, today was her wedding, and even though she sat there in silence, she was overjoyed. Her three sisters including Sonia, Hanna, and Bridget went about gushing over just how beautiful she looked.

"You look absolutely ravishing dear sister," Larisa complimented. She gave a squeeze on the shoulder and smiled brightly at her.

"Just imagine the look on Dathan's face when he sees you at the altar," Mia said, her cheeks bright and rosy pink. Scarlett could see the joy in her eyes. Her wedding was approaching soon and no doubt about it she was anxious to be married.

Nicole sat silently on the bed looking down to her hands; she was the only one of the bunch that was saddened on this very happy day. Scarlett watched her from the reflection of the mirror and felt pained to see her dear sister still in agony over Drake's death. Taking a deep breath Scarlett kindly asked to have a moment with Nicole.

She approached her quietly and took a seat beside her. Taking her hands, Scarlett tried to draw Nicole's attention towards her.

"Nicole is everything alright?" Scarlett asked.

Nicole wiped from her eyes the painful tears Scarlett had watched her shed over the past several months. She had spent long a lonely days in her room. Her mother had done all she could but Nicole refused to cheer up.

"I...just need some air," Nicole muttered rising from the bed towards the door.

"Nicole please, talk to me," Scarlett pleaded, reaching out for her.

"I can't." She choked out.

"I can't bear to see you like this, there must be something I can do to provide you some comfort," she pleaded.

"I'm so confused." Nicole sighed.

"You have to be strong." Scarlett encouraged her.

"But it's so hard knowing it's all my fault why he's dead," she sobbed.

"Nicole it is not your fault why Drake is dead," Scarlett stated, pulling away from her.

"Yes it is...will you hate me if I tell you?" she questioned.

"No, I'm here for you always remember that," she reassured.

"Drake...confessed to me that...," she walked away and took a deep breath letting it out unevenly. "He was in love with you, it didn't break my heart to hear it, and I knew the attraction he had taken towards you the first time you two met. The entire six months that you were living with us, I watched you cry and watched how difficult it was for you to control your emotions when Dathan was brought up. So I let it be, I didn't fight Drake, he wanted to confess to you how he felt and so I asked mother to go for a long stroll after he told us the truth on that fortunate day. I knew father would be away and so I told Drake to see you, it felt like the perfect timing for him to tell you how he felt."