Chapter 1
Carla stood beside the bride and watched with her teary gaze as a bright smile stretched on her fathers lips, eveyone in the hall seemed more than delighted to be here, everyone loved her fathers new bride, she's beautiful, smart, fun. And if carla bothered to push the idea of throwing her off a cliff to the back of her mind, she might actually like her.
But all carla could think about was how mum felt right now, she knew she was watching over them, but she couldn't tell if she was happy that her father had moved on, or crying that he forgot about her.
Her father glanced behind his new bride and smiled at her, carla placed on a smile similar to his, in the eyes of everyone sitting here, she looked like the proud daughter and step daughter to the couple, but in reality, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in her room and cry to her mums spirit, begging her that she tried to hold on, she tried to make her father hold on, but at the end of the day, she failed, and now her place in dads life would be occupied, but carla knew it never would in hers.
"You may kiss the bride" Carla clapped along with the crowd as her father and Joan gave the crowd a heartfelt sickening kiss, one that looked like it was drawn right out of a romance novel.
"Thank you so much for doing this" carla didnt even realize joan was in front of her till she blinked her tears away, joan stood infront of her, dark skinned covered in the most beautiful wedding dress carla had ever seen, of course it cost a fortune, "cause we only want the best for my wife" carla could hear her fathers same exact words echoing in her head
"Yeah, it's fine" carla gave her a smile to match her's, she wasnt doing this for her, she could still replay the conversation her father brought to her door step the night before, she remembered his clapsing her tiny hands In his, his voice and eyes pleading with her, promising to get her everything money could buy, carla refused till she couldnt refuse anymore, and exactly fourteen hours later she found herself standing right here
Joan placed her hands around her cheeks cupping it gently before walking away, joining her new husband in greeting the guest, while carla strolled lightly behind them, trying to ignore the grimace each guest gave when they saw her, they knew the condition of the family, knew how her mother died, knew how the years went by with her father knee deep in depression, they knew of the drugs, the alcohol, how his company nearly crumbled to the ground, all before he met joan.
Joan was like a ray of sunshine in her father's life, her beautiful dark skin, brown eyes and dazzling smile, and it didnt help thst she was once a model too, but her beauty wasnt the only thing unique about her, her presence was, and the second her father set his eyes on her, everything went right, as much as Carla hated it, joan needed to be in their lives.
Ed Sheeran's perfect was being performed by the love band at the far front of the tent, while in the centre, the newly weds slowly danced to the rhythm, carla stayed seated away from sight, further to the back of the tenth, and closer to the cool breeze the ocean brought, she stared at it, her eyes occasionally glancing to the full moon above them, she tried to tune the music out and pay more attention to the sound of the waves crashing.
This was her escape, even back in their Mansion she made sure her father give her the room overlooking the sea, she didnt know which one she loved more, the wind it carries or the soft music it plays, but just like her mother she worshiped it.
"I knew i'd find you somewhere wallowing alone" she knew that voice and God she hated that voice, she refused to take her eyes off the peaceful and pleasant view, she wanted this engraved in her memory and she feared looking at him would mess up the entire picture painted in her mind "carly" she hated that name, he knew she hated it but for the two weeks they've seen eachother he was keen on that being her nickname
Maybe if she ignored him long enough he would disappear, but that plan went out the window the minute he stepped out of the tent and stood in front of her, blocking her view
She shut her eyes tightly, a low growl left her throat before she glanced up to him.
Holland Hailey, or as of now holland west
Holland was the carbon copy of his mother, dark skin, buzz cut, and bright boyish dimpled smile, of course he had to be gorgeous, how do you hate someone so beautiful?
Carla stood up from the once secluded chair and glared at him, she had her feets tucked in heels, but even then, Holland still towered over her like he was the one in heels, his perfect body clad with a beautiful blue suit, he was gorgeous, how do you hate someone so perfect?
"If i wanted to mingle, i would sit with the rest of the crowd" carla said glancing to the dance floor where the two couples were now replaced with over a dozen more people, the music no longer the slow music
"Always being alone causes depression" he said, his voice sends a rumble to her stomach
"And being a nuisance gets you killed" she shot back at him, her arms now folded across her chest, she hated the way the moon made him look so fucking angelic, God he's her step brother, why couldn't she get someone ugly and well, he's already accurately annoying
"I love the dress" he comments his eyes glazing down her body
"I hate your face" lies, she loved his everything, and almost like he could see through her lies, his lips pulled up into a boyish grin. "Why are you here, i just want to be alone"
Holland knew exactly how carla felt about the relationship between her father and his mother, and while he was more than happy with the reunion, carla wished for once he would disappear, and for a minute he looked like he was about to honor her wishes
"I want us to dance" he wasn't asking, he was commanding and all carla could think was 'the audacity on this boy"
And just when she was about to tell him to shove his dance up his ass he grabbed her pulling her towards the dance floor.
