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It’s beautiful. And if the last two years had never happened I would choose this dress in a heartbeat. It shouldn’t hurt as much as it does, but I can’t bring myself to leave the changing room and show the others,orto take it off.
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.
Everyone knows. I have no idea how they all found out, but they have. The whole school is talking about how Ms Smith has been suspended, my parents have been called in.
I can’t look the guys and Odi in the eye.
My father is pleased. Ecstatic in fact. She’s pregnant and this is – apparently – exactly what he wanted, but I don’t understand why.
I told him I’m too young to be a dad, and he called me a fucking idiot.
What the hell is going on?
My heart races as I follow Odi back out of the main shop area and sneak into the bridal changing room. The soft scent of flowers and anticipation hangs in the air like a delicate veil.
I’m acutely aware of the gravity of the situation. This is it – seeing her in that black dress has just confirmed it – it’s the moment when everything changes. I need to speak to Odi beforeit’s too late, before she walks down the aisle towards a future that doesn’t include me.
The changing room is a spacious sanctuary of white, adorned with mirrors that reflect the myriad of emotions etched across my face. I find myself standing there, a silent observer to the most crucial event of my life. Odi, the woman I’ve loved for what feels like an eternity, is within arm’s reach, yet seemingly worlds away.
She stands before the mirror, a vision of radiance in the gown that I chose. It seems to capture the essence of her ethereal beauty. My breath catches in my throat as I watch her twirl, the fabric dancing around her like a cascade of dreams. Each dress she’s tried on has been a brushstroke in the masterpiece of a day that’s supposed to be perfect – but the perfection feels like a façade, a beautifully constructed illusion that threatens to shatter at any moment.
I’ve been lurking in the shadows of today, my heart in turmoil with every delicate step she takes towards that inevitable march down the aisle. Before now, the end of the games seemed like such an abstract idea, but watching Axel wrench that ring onto her finger yesterday killed something within me.
Or maybe it ignited something.
The weight of the situation bears down on me, a relentless pressure that builds with each passing moment.How did we end up here, on the precipice of a life-altering decision that threatens to rip us apart?
Odi glances at herself in the mirror, her eyes reflecting a mixture of uncertainty and nerves. And sadness. It’s painful to witness, knowing that behind those eyes lies a future that might not include me – or at least, not in any capacity which I had always hoped to be a part of her life. I can’t bear the thought of her saying vows to someone else, of her promising a lifetime to anyone but me.
Time is slipping through my fingers like grains of sand, and the realisation that I might lose her forever tightens its grip on my soul. I can’t remain a silent spectator any longer. I need to speak to her, to lay bare my heart and beg her to run away with me.
Unable to endure the agony of watching her try on one more dress, I decide to reveal myself. I step out from the shadows, my voice shaky as I call her name.
“Odi,” I say, and she turns, surprise and confusion etched on her face. The changing room falls silent as our eyes lock, questions forming in her gaze. I take a step closer, the air thick with unspoken words. This is my moment, my last chance to convince her that we’re meant to be together.
“Zie?” she breathes, the name a delicate melody on her lips. I reach out, my hand trembling as it brushes against hers.
“Odi, you can’t go through with this. This isn’t right. We were always meant to be together, don’t you see?” The words spill out, a torrent of emotions that I’ve kept bottled up for too long. She looks torn, the weight of the impending decision evident in her eyes.
“Zie, it’s complicated. You know that.”
“Odi, it’s our lives at stake. I love you, and I can’t stand by and watch you marry him. We can find a way, start fresh, build a life together. Please, just think about it,” I implore, my voice pleading. I don’t really know what I’m saying, what I’m proposing, but I’m desperate.
She looks down, her fingers nervously twisting the fabric of the wedding gown. The seconds stretch into an agonising silence, and I fear the worst. But then, she meets my gaze again, determination flickering in her eyes. “Zie?—”
I don’t let her get any further, closing the distance between us in a few determined strides and pulling her into my arms. My lips crash onto hers, desperate and hungry. It’s a kiss filled withthe weight of unspoken words, a silent plea for her to feel the depth of my love. I can taste the uncertainty on her lips, but I press on, unwilling to let this moment slip away.
For a heartbeat, she resists, her body tense in my embrace. But then, as if surrendering to the storm of emotions, she melts into the kiss. The world outside the changing room disappears, and all that remains is the warmth of our entangled bodies.
The taste of her is intoxicating, a bittersweet symphony of love and heartache. In this stolen moment, I forget about the others waiting outside, about Axel and the impending wedding vows, about the consequences. All that matters is the connection between us, a lifeline that seems fragile yet unbreakable.
As we break the kiss, our breaths mingle in the small space, and I search her eyes for a sign, any indication of what comes next. The room is charged with a tension that hangs between us, a delicate thread ready to snap or pull us closer together.
“Zie, we can’t,” she whispers, her voice strained with a mixture of desire and guilt. “This changes nothing.”
But her eyes betray her words. There’s a spark, a flicker of longing that mirrors my own. I’m torn between the triumph of having kissed her and the weight of the reality that still looms over us.
“It changes everything, Odi,” I reply, my voice low and intense. “You feel it too. We can’t ignore this.”
