Rewind

Graham as I make my way next to Adrien on the couch.
“Alone?” His green eyes flicker to the rest of the room, so I look around to see Lexi’s parents eyeing us closely from their spots and instantly get the message.
“Leonardo, come. Let’s give these two lovebirds some space.” Mrs. Martha gestures to Mr. Graham just before I got the chance to tell Adrien that we’ll head out so that we can talk privately.
“No, it’s okay Mrs. Martha! You guys can stay here; we’ll lea—”
“Honey.” She interrupts me and turns back to look at me with a genuinely soft expression, which I’ve never seen her eye me with, before as she states, “This is your home too.”
   I try my best to show her the gratitude and love on my face because I really am grateful. Mrs. Martha always have and always will play a lot of roles in my life: a mother, a friend, an advisor and even an older sister. You can always count on her to save the day. After telling me that she’ll make me some hot chocolate, Mr. Graham and her start heading to the kitchen, leaving Adrien and I all alone.
“So, what is it?” I cross my arms over my chest and patiently wait for him to answer.
“Why didn’t you answer any of my calls? It’s been four days, and I called you like fifty times, and you didn’t pick up once. I’ve been worried sick!” His obvious distraught caused nothing but make me feel extremely guilty but then I remember that it’s been four days and my guilt immediately vanishes.
 
If it has been four days, why didn’t you stop by earlier?
“I’m sorry; I was just so mad at you because you left me stranded somewhere I’m totally not familiar with even though you very well knew that you were my only ride home. Not to mention that I’m confused as hell, so I really hope you have a damn good explanation for your sudden outburst at the restaurant.” I start rambling that I forget to breathe.
“Look, I didn’t know what to do when you brought Evelyn up, okay? Your parents made it clear that it’s a topic we all should avoid for like forever. All we thought it’s going to do for you is just mess up your life, so we thought it’s better to leave you in the dark about the fact that there is some stranger out there who looks like you since we all knew it would do nothing but consume your thoughts.” He runs a hand through his blond locks as he slowly explains.
He didn’t say was; he said is.
Does that mean he knows she’s alive too?
“But she’s dead isn’t she?” I test him.
“Y-yeah, she passed away a few years ago.”
“But how do you know about this?” I ask confused.
“Your parents told me a while ago.” He averts his gaze away from me, and I feel his sudden will to avoid this conversation.
He looks disturbed by my questions- almost uncomfortable, but I continue anyways.
“Yeah, but why would they tell you in the first place if she is already dead? Are you sure that she died?” I press further more trying to pry for answers as the need to know the truth started to feel like a heavy burden in my chest.
Why would my parents tell Adrien something that wouldn’t even matter? That’s supposedly no longer a problem, since they claimed that she ‘died’, so we’d never meet. What drove them to tell him?
He gritted his teeth, “Yes, she did. I don’t know why your parents told me, and I honestly don’t care. Would you stop with the sudden questions; it feels like I’m in an interrogation room with a detective for God’s sake!”
     There it is: he lied to me. Other than the fact that Adrien is a terrible liar and that I’m very well capable of reading him like an open book, I feel like if my parents really told him like he claims they did, they wouldn’t have lied to him about her death like they did to me, but what I don’t understand- the missing piece of the puzzle- is ‘what good will claiming her dead do?’
More importantly: what’s wrong with her being alive?
“You know what?” He inhales slowly. “I’m sorry I left you in our date like that. I hate when we fight since we almost never do, and I’m sorry I messed things up in the worst time, but we both need to go get ready, so why don’t I drop you off at your house? Come on, let’s go.” He puts on his perfect little smile which I know is a hundred percent fake one and offers me his hand.
My heart squeezes tightly in pain at the act he’s pulling in front of me, but I place my hand in his and force a smile on my face as well.
There are many things I don’t really know, but two things I now know for sure is that if there’s one thing I hate, it’s lying, and I’m no longer positive I want this wedding to happen today- at least not when we’re not on our best terms.
      Apparently, a wedding wouldn’t be a wedding without gushing. Other than the gushing I received from my mom, my cousins and aunts, the minute Lexi stepped foot into the bride’s room, my ears were pierced. She kept on gushing on how beautiful I look with my blond hair tucked in a neat bun, my makeup being applied in a way that makes me look pretty- not too little so that I don’t look like my natural self, and not too much so that my face doesn’t look like a plastic Barbie doll- and my wedding gown.
The most beautiful dress a woman will wear in her life.