The-Wrong-Bride-Ares--Raven’s-story-(Maura,-Catharina)_bibis

I knew I couldn’t run forever.
I’m surprised to find Ares sitting on his bed when I walk out of the dressing room, a towel
pressed to his wet hair. I thought he’d have gone to speak to Hannah in private, yet here he is, waiting
for me.
His eyes roam over the dress I’m wearing, and then he looks away. “Ready?” he asks as he stands
up.
I shake my head. “No,” I admit. I know what my sister is like. She’s always been a talented
actress, and not even I can withstand her skills. I’m scared that my resolve will crumble once I come
eye to eye with her.
Ares smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “It’ll be okay. Let’s go.”
I nod and follow him into the living room, where Hannah is waiting. She jumps up from her seat
and rushes up to Ares, throwing herself into his arms. He hugs her tightly, his eyes falling closed as
pure torment takes over his expression. It’s obvious how much he’s missed her, and I’ve never felt
more like an intruder than I do at this moment.
“Tell me it isn’t true,” she begs, her voice shaking.
“I’m sorry, Hannah.” He sounds as hurt as she does, and it kills me to know I’m all that’s standing
between them now.
She pushes away from him as a tear drops down her cheek and glances at me. “Raven, this is
some kind of sick joke, right? Please tell me it is.” She laughs humorlessly, the sound carrying a hint
of desperation.
I shake my head, remorse washing over me. She loves him. Hannah might be selfish, but her love
for Ares has always been one of the most beautiful things about her.
“How could you marry my fiancé?” she asks in disbelief. “How could you possibly agree to
marry someone who will never love you? Why would you do this to me, Raven? If you’d just walked
away, they’d have postponed the wedding and they wouldn’t have been able to blame Ares for it.”
“Hannah,” I say, my tone defensive. “I called you over a hundred times. I sent you text messages,
left you voice notes, and I even emailed you. I tried to contact you in every single way I could think
of, but you chose to ignore me. I told you that Dad threatened to pull all funding for my company if I
didn’t walk down that aisle, and you still didn’t show up. You were willing to risk your future, but
that doesn’t mean I was willing to risk mine.”
She looks between us, her eyes filled with tears. “Ares,” she says, her voice shaky. “How could
you? She’s my sister, for God’s sake. This…” She looks between us, insecurity flashing through her
eyes. “You two… are you…”
“No,” Ares says instantly. “Never. I’ve never loved anyone but you, Hannah. I never will. How
could I possibly want someone other than you?”
My heart twists painfully, but I force myself to keep my expression blank. Part of me is terrified
that it’s true, and no matter what I do, he’ll never love me. A larger part of me knows that I’ll always
regret it if I don’t try.
“Where does this leave us, Ares? What about us?”
Ares looks at me, but I’m not sure how to answer her question, either. If anything, I’m waiting for
his answer as much as she is.
“You know how I feel about marriage, Hannah. You chose to walk away from this, from us.”
She looks at him in disbelief. “You only have to remain married for three years, right?”
He hesitates for a moment, but then he nods.
“I’ll wait. I’ll wait for you, Ares.”