I glared at her as she smiled, putting the tweezers down and admiring her handy work. "Good, now I'll come and get you when we are ready."
I watched her leave and Rose walked in. She had been waiting outside, saying she refused to wait in the room with my mother in it. I would, too.
"What the hell did you do to your face?"
"Her make-up skills," I said as I tried sitting down on the stool. Oh god, the dress was going to pop. I leaned forward, holding the table for support as I lowered myself down. Ah, that felt the same.
Even sitting down, the dress just seemed tighter. But my legs hurt in the pathetic painful heels she made me wear.
"Alright," said Rose, coming at me with her makeup kit and a baby wipe, trying to get as much make up as possible off my face. "There is a car at the side of the church. Just tell me when and I'll get you out of here."
I smiled, shaking my head. "I can't," I whispered and closed my eyes as she did whatever she was doing.
"Ivory, you can. You can leave this terrible place and never come back. We can go to another country if you want. We can go to Alaska and stay with –"
"Rose, no."
She huffed but said nothing more.
I couldn't leave. I knew what that would do to my dad. He had a weak heart, if anything extremely upset him, he might have a heart attack and I would be the murderer. And if me running away wouldn’t set that off, the loss of his company would.
He had put everything into that company: money, time, tears, love and having the one thing that made him happy. I couldn't take that away from him.
"Is this to get back at James? I know he said you won't find a better man than him and if you're trying to - "
"Rose, I don't even read his texts," I said, swatting her hand away as she tried putting lipstick on my lips. I looked at my reflection. Well, it was better than the hot pink eye shadow mother put on me. Rose had done a natural look.
"Well, I did. "
I rolled my eyes. "Help me up. I can't breathe and now I need to pee."
I ignored her smile as she lifted me up.
"Are you going to be able to pee in that dress?"
"No, I can hold it in," I said, pulling the veil over my face. "How do I look?"
"Great, if I can see you."
I smiled, shaking my head at her. "Okay, let's do it."
"But your mothers not here y-"
"No, let's do it."
"Oh," she said, grabbing a note from her purse and slamming it on the dresser. It was something we always did, place bets.
"I bet he is so old he needs to use a wheelchair, is crippled and drools when he talks."
I shuddered in disgust. "That's very comforting."
I opened the drawer, taking out a fifty and placing it on hers. "I think he's old, has a pot belly, grey hair everywhere and well, that's all I have."
She laughed, grabbing my arm and throwing her arms around me. "It's okay. Just make yourself so undesirable that he divorces you. I mean, it's not your fault if he divorces you, right?"
I scoffed. "It's always my fault. Have you met my mother?"
Before she could reply, the door opened and the devil herself walked in, fixing her hair in her tight pink dress. God, she looked terrible.
"Let's go, girls. Rose, step away from her please. I don't want you touching her and leaving marks on the dress. Veil on, Ivory. We don't have all day. He needs to catch a flight."
I rolled my eyes as I lifted my hands as high as I could and pulled the veil back on.
Time to get this over with.
The ceremony was hardly a ceremony. There were my parents, Rose, what looked to be his parents, two other parents from his side, and then the priest.
I took deep breaths as I stood at the makeshift altar, which was more of a desk with papers on it and the priest standing beside it. I bet he has never had a wedding like this before.
Breathe, Ivory. You have to sign it before you faint. I was close to losing all feeling down my bottom half. This dress was too tight. Oxygen. I needed oxygen.
The priest began. "We have gathered here to –"
"Father, just go to the ‘I do’. My son has a plane to catch."
I winced at the high-pitched voice. Alright, so I guess my mother-in-law was no different than my own mother. Great, luck was really on my side.
I watched the father as he looked back and forth before his assistant whispered something to him.
"Of course," he said, clearing his throat and flipping to the back of his book.
"Do you, Darius Quartz, take Ivor -"
"He does."
Was that my mother?
"Mrs. Hiddleberg, he must say it."
I bit my lip, stopping the laugh that came out. Impatient mother, why don't you marry him?
At least I knew I had won the bet. He was standing next to me, not in a wheelchair, and that was all my veil permitted to see. I looked at the door to the side. I could still leave. Rose still had the car outside.
"I do," I heard a deep voice mutter and my heart thudded. I could still go. Do, it Ivory. Who cares what happened to your father?
Just go, he will understand.