Page 98 of Retribution

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We’ve been inside for a few minutes and Willow asks a member of staff if there’s any toilets on the second level that we could use. I look down at her confused by her question, considering we’re on the ground floor, the lady directs us, and Willow runs off with me chasing after her in an attempt not to lose her.

She races up the huge staircase and I call after her, her sudden outburst making my head spin. I climb the staircase as she passes down a hallway and disappearing through a doorway. I push open the toilet entrance and she stands in the center of the room, holding two zip up dust bags.

What the–?

“I got you a gift.” She smiles, offering one of the bags to me.

I hesitantly take it, totally baffled at where she got them from.

She begins to unzip her own and a lilac frilly dress spills out, the upper part of it encrusted with pearls and butterflies. It is an absolutely stunning dress but, where the hell did she get it from?

“It’s perfect!” she cheers, beginning to remove her shorts and t-shirt. I turn away to offer her some privacy as my mind races with the irrationality of the situation.

“Zip me up.” She demands, and I turn around, taken aback by the quality of the dress.

“You look beautiful, honey.” I smile and zip the dress up at the back.

She prances around in front of the mirror and turns back towards me.

“Come on, put yours on.” She ushers.

I unfold the bag and hang it on the toilet stall door, slowly unzipping it.

A breath-taking off the shoulder dress reveals itself to me, the crimson color deep and seductive. The length of it falls to the floor, the material is a rich silk with a slit up the right thigh, it’s only then I realize what’s going on.

“Oh, Willow,” I gasp, my eyes welling.

I’m here to get married. The silk of the material was the dead giveaway.

My memory floods with the conversation Reed had, insisting I was to wear silk to our wedding. The vivid color of the dress has taken me by surprise, it’s a far stretch from the traditional white, but I suppose that is to represent innocence and we both know that I’m far from that.

“Do you like it?” she asks politely, trying to figure out my thoughts.

I nod vigorously and drop down onto my knees, so I am eye level with her.

“Willow, are you completely sure about this? As much as I want to be in your life, I want you to want me there. Your daddy would do anything for you, even if that meant not getting married to me.” I hold her hands and squeeze them slightly, encouraging her to be honest.

She takes one hand away from mine and reaches up to my fishtail braid, stroking it slightly and then proceeding to do the same to her own.

She gently smiles, “I’ve never been surer of anything.”

I squeeze her into a tight hug, careful not to disturb her hair as well as my own.

“Well, let’s do this then!” I cheer, the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

I remove my plain, boring clothes and slip into the dress. I bend down slightly to allow Willow to zip up the rest of the side that I can’t manage alone.

“So, everything today was part of your master plan, I’m assuming,” I say, gesturing to the pampered features of us both.

She looks around, pretending to be completely casual. She is the sneakiest but sweetest child ever; I can’t believe I didn’t assume anything was out of the ordinary.

I slide on the black strappy heels and readjust my diamond ring, making sure it is perfectly central and upright. I take one last look in the mirror at myself and admire the way the dress hugs into my curves perfectly, like it was crafted to mold to my body.

My heart thumps with the rush of getting married spontaneously, but also with the rising anxiety. This is not a small step in life, despite this being somewhat fake, the marriage is legally real. I visualize Reed standing at the end of the aisle, his usual endearing presence watching me from afar, my cheeks faltering at the perfect sight of him in his suit. I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat from the anticipation and let out a shaky breath.

“You look beautiful Indie,” Lo praises, standing beside me in the mirror.

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