Affluent [H.S]

Thirty Five

26 September 2020
Emersyn Styles

I'm getting married tomorrow.

The stress that the upcoming day has been bringing me has finally reached its peak with the finalised date being tomorrow. The weeks leading up have been filled with dread, anxiety creeping in when it turned to days and now it's mere hours away.

My attempts of not thinking about tomorrow have set me up for the massive slap of reality that I'm sure I'll experience in the morning.

Only my marriage won't be legal.

Legally I'll be forever bound to the man who left me almost two months ago with zero way to contact him. Everyone always knew at some point I'd be forced into a loveless marriage with someone my parents decided but I'm extremely grateful that I've managed to find someone I love who understands that this marriage isn't necessarily real.

My parents' two week holiday was the most blissful time of my life, I was relaxed despite everything and managed to find support in the darkness in the people around me. Little nights out for dinner with Niall, Zayn and Zara as they tried to figure out where Harry went, movie nights with Koen while he googled baby names and sharing a bed with someone who isn't my husband.

They wanted him home for my sake, the sake of my mental health that was worsening with every passing day as I watched my bump slowly begin to grow. Even if it's not that noticeable right now it will be in a few weeks, that's the main reason this marriage has to go through.

"What do you think?" Niall spins around in his outfit in the middle of the bedroom, arms out and a massive grin painting his face.

He's more excited about this wedding than me, he planned the whole thing out to be foolproof, no one will figure out tomorrow is all for show.

"You look good." I assure, moving my hand over Buddy's head as he sleeps soundly in my lap. He's grown so much, still a small cat but no longer the bouncy kitten I brought home with me.

We're having a party tonight before the wedding, a costume party just to have some fun before the chaos. Niall and I were going to coordinate in some way but he's decided to be cupid, dressed in a white tank top with some red trousers. His hair is all fluffy, swooped over in an attempt to be styled but it looks good especially with the small red fake flowers littered through it.

He moves forward and half kneels on the end of the mattress opposite me, bringing the bow and arrow that has a red heart on the tip up and drawing it back while it's aimed at me.

"Don't fucking shoot me, Horan." I warn with raised brows, pretending to be his fiance has made me feel like I'm taking care of him. He gets distracted so easily but when he's serious I notice how his demeanour changes so fast.

When I told him that Harry had left he spent that week figuring out what to do, only when he found out I was pregnant did he come up with the plan we're currently executing.