Only You

Chapter 47

Elora

I'm sulking. I've been sulking for days. Now it has gone far enough for my sister to infiltrate my room to hold an intervention.

"Get out," I groan into the pillow my face is currently buried in. I don't want to see them and I certainly don't want them to see me.

"God, who are you, and what have you done to our sister? Your room is a mess. Your room is never a mess," Rhea says right before I feel her hand on my shoulder. I whine and try to twist away, aware I'm acting like a petulant child but too far gone to care.

Truth is, I haven't had it in me to clean my room since I came back from my last date with Alexey. I haven't had it in me to shower either. Hence, why I'm hiding from my sisters.

"You know, we can't keep covering for you with our parents. Sooner or later, they'll come in here and drag you to a doctor since you've been sick for almost a week now," Iris says, accentuating every word. I groan again. It's a pitiful sound.

"Elora, talk to us. Is this about the person you've been seeing?" Rhea asks softly, still stroking my back. My poor heart twists painfully at the spot-on guess. I guess I'm not as good at hiding things from my family as I used to be.

"You've been seeing someone?" Iris interjects. Oh, I guess I'm not so bad after all. I turn onto my back and look at them, nodding wordlessly. Iris gapes. Rhea doesn't react.

"What happened? Did they screw you over? You know we'll beat their ass, right? I just need a name and an address," Rhea tells me at the same time as Iris remarks, "I didn't even know you dated. You've never been in a relationship before, have you?"

I shake my head. To both.

"You seemed so happy. What happened?" Rhea finally asks after many beats of silence. What happened, isn't that the question.

"It was never going to work," I tell them because it's so much easier than telling them everything. Honestly, I don't think I could handle their judgment over me ordering an escort. Or over falling for said escort like a fucking idiot.

"Why not?" Rhea pushes. I level her with a look.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I'm engaged?" I snap. As soon as the words are out, I bite my tongue and shrink back into my bed. I never lose my cool around my family. I never lose my cool, period. Yet here I am, being rude to the people trying to take care of me.

"Then call the wedding off," my youngest sister insists as if it was that easy. I sigh, too exhausted to explain everything to her. I can't call the wedding off for two solid reasons; one, my parents would be disappointed in me. I've made a commitment and it's too late to go back on my word now. Two, if I wouldn't marry Leander, the burden might fall onto one of my other sisters and I couldn't ask them to take that on.

"I can't do that," I say miserably. Unwelcome tears spring to my eyes at the prospect of what future lies ahead of me. The dutiful wife. Eventually, the stay-at-home mom. It was always going to be me but my heart never got the memo because it still wishes for something else. For a degree and a job and some independence. For a certain man with three little siblings who makes me feel like anything but the timid woman, I'm always expected to be.

"Why," Rhea goes on. She's persistent, I'll hand it to her. Here I am, wishing I was alone and able to cry some more while she has a different agenda.

"Because I made a commitment. Dad needs this connection."

"I'll marry him," Iris chimes in. My head swivels to her and my jaw drops.

"What? No, I'd never ask that of you," I'm quick to insist. The last thing I want is for my little sister to take on that burden because I'm too selfish to go through with it.

My sister rolls her eyes. "Not everything's about you, sis. I like Leander." To my horror, Iris blushes. "I know you find the idea of a traditional marriage repulsive but I can see myself as a stay-at-home wife and mom. And Leander is nice. I think he deserves someone whose heart doesn't belong to another person." Her cheeks are a deep, deep red by the time she's done talking.

I swallow thickly. I've never seen Iris blush before. The idea of one of my sisters being attracted to my fiancé never crossed my mind.

"You'd want to marry him?" I ask, unable to catch up. It feels like my brain is wrapped in Jell-O, unable to absorb any information.

"She shrugs. "If he wouldn't mind," she mumbles. I finally turn to Rhea but again, my youngest sister seems unsurprised.

At my accusing gaze, she raises her hands. "Look, you might've been mentally absent during the last few meetings we've had with your fiancé but I have eyes and Iris didn't exactly hide her longing looks in his direction," she tells me.

I can believe this. Have I really been that blind? I look back at Iris.

"You wouldn't mind?" I ask again.

"No, Elora. I wouldn't mind marrying a nice, attractive gentleman who's well off."

"He's a little more than well off," Rhea mumbles but I don't pay her any mind. My thoughts are reeling. For the first time in months, I feel hopeful that my fate might not be set in stone.

"You are sure? Because if you're not then I don't want to affect your decision. We're talking about a life-long commitment and you're so young," I ramble.

It earns me another eye roll from my sister. "I'm only a year younger than you and, Elora, I know what marriage is. Yes, I am sure, and no, I don't feel pressured by your state of petulant heartsickness."

Rhea snorts into her hand while I can do nothing but gape some more. Finally, I nod. "So, do you want to talk to dad about this?" I ask slowly.

"Sure. After you took a shower," she insists with an emphasis that makes me cringe. I nod and agree to meet her in an hour.

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