𝕄𝕪 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖, 𝕄𝕪 𝕃𝕚𝕗𝕖 - Theodore Laurence ✅

4

On the day the ball arrived, Catherine watches her sister at the gorgeous ball, as she is lively and everyone's favorite at the party. She dances with Fred Vaughn most often, gossips with his sister and her friends, and is charming to everyone. She had failed to see how she too, is the center of everyone's attention, with her beauty and poise, it's almost impossible for anyone not to fall for Catherine March.

Catherine walks so softly and benevolently around the ball with champagne in hand, with her attractiveness almost like a crime to watch, men and women seem to put a distance from her. She does not flirt with any of the men, and there are none so bold as to ask her for a dance.

Decided for some cold air as she shuns the obvious flirting her fiancé is begetting with another woman, Catherine walks her way to the nearest balcony, monitoring as the stargazing of the sky is displayed above her.

Amy isn't dumb to this, her glare harshens Wayne, and her companion Fred seems to notice and with his best attempt to smoothen down her irritation. Although he doesn't manage, he gives up on the subject, especially when Amy sees something that makes her look sour, and he follows her gaze to see Laurie entering.

He is loud, drunk, and has two girls with him. They all fall onto a sofa, laughing and clangorous. Amy frowns and approaches, she stands before him, annoyed: "Laurie," Laurie wasn't thinking straight, he barely could respond to the girl. "I invited you here, not for you to play around,"

Laurie glanced at Amy's angry eyes, "I feel caught, " His response seem to increase her emotion with the lack of sense in the male. Laurie clumsily makes a space for her while the other ladies depart.

Amy refuses the sit which resulted in a heavy sigh coming out from Laurie, "Fine, what is it, the reasoning for my invitation to this party?" Amy decided to fuel down her emotions and respond rationally like an adult, "My invitation to you is as for a friend, and I expect you to come in a decent and respectful manner, not like this," she gestures to the sofa. "I also hope that you and... Cathy might make amends..."

Laurie seem to freeze hearing Catherine's name being called before him, it was like a trance, just by that name, all those cherished memories came back like a curse. His lips open in a bitter smile, but is only a moment before he turns his stare to Amy, "Don't tell me you want me to serenade her with congratulations for her engagement with that..."

Amy sighed, shaking her head which and Laurie won't lie, drew his attention. "Then?" He questioned. Amy pointed far off the ballroom, in the corner where you can witness Wayne unmistakably sucking the face of another woman who most definitely wasn't his fiancé.

As Laurie's eyes follow Amy's direction, a cold chill ran down his spine, he couldn't believe what he was seeing, his anger bursting through his fingertips. How could anyone do such to Catherine, the sweetest and most amazing woman he has ever met?

He wanted to go to her immediately and make sure she is safe and alright.

A surge of blood was running through his veins, his throat was burning and he didn't like his vision of seeing Wayne sucking the lips of another woman. He turned around to Amy, "I'll go check on Catherine," he said as he walked away, he didn't bother to wait for Amy's response.

With his eyes, it wasn't hard to find Catherine, with her flowing beige dress and the champagne in her hand, she was the most sought-after woman in the room. He could see her smile after the words of congratulations were spoken before they left her alone in her company. It was like her smile was the sun for the night and those eyes that glistered were the sea.

He couldn't drag his eyes off her, he decided to walk toward her, carefully as he enters the balcony, greeted by the cold wind and dripping by the aftereffect of rain. "Hi," He greeted. She turned and looked at him, her eyes were an empty shell, it didn't seem to hold a once of emotion as if someone had broken her down long ago.

And Laurie knew it was him to blame.

"You're drunk," Catherine spoke straight, being able to sniff the alcohol out from him as he came closer. "I'm fine, I was just... celebrating," he said. Catherine raised her eyes, and it was as if she was staring into the stars. "Congratulations on your engagement,"

"Thank you," she said without emotion. He felt his heart breaking into a thousand pieces, and he couldn't say anything, "What are you doing here?" She asked, "You are the last person I expected would congrats me. I might have hoped you wouldn't," her voice sounded like a broken record which made him feel even more pain inside.

"Why?" Laurie resolved to close himself to her, their shoulder touching, "You don't seem thrilled tonight." Catherine glanced at their touched shoulder but showed no hint of uncomfortableness with it. Allowing out a tender chuckle she responds, "With what he's doing inside, and people still complimenting me. It's practically turning to a pity show towards me."

Laurie glared behind his shoulder, Wayne is still there hooking up a different woman each minute while his fiancé, Catherine is out here, embarrassing herself by accepting everyone's wish for her happy marriage. Laurie doesn't like to admit it but his anger was growing as time passed. His frustration was mounting but he knew he was wrong to show his anger.

He had no right.

There was silence between them, no one spoke, the night was cold and the wind was blowing the rain and they did not want to go inside and find someplace to talk. Laurie didn't want to leave her alone, and Catherine wouldn't say, but she enjoys his company the most.

Catherine let her eyes wander at the scenery before them, her eyes somehow descending on Laurie's hand, her mind anticipating a ring on his pinky finger, which he never takes off. But surprisedly it wasn't there, "You took off the ring?"

Laurie was shocked at the sudden new topic, his finger tracing where the ring should off be. "Yeah... I thought it's time I... move on?" Laurie moved his eyes to hers, forcing her to make eye contact with him. Taking this chance to memorize her feature, Laurie seems to be slipping gradually.

"I'm proud of you, it must have been hard."

"No, the feeling that comes after it was harder."

Catherine frown at her eyebrow, the way Laurie was staring at her, she recognizes so dearly. As it was something, she had always hoped he would look at her when she was young. She was a little worried because of this. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, afraid of the answer that might come out.

Laurie shook his head, seeing Catherine's clear fear of his words, so he changes their topic as he too needed to get his feeling straight. "Why didn't you tell me you're getting married?" Laurie moved his attention to the sky and continued, "I had to find out through Jo, but I was too late."