Strings (1 of 2)

Chapter 19 - Her Finger

Thursday comes much too quickly for my liking.

I stare at the ceiling, mindlessly watching the blades of my fan spin above me. I hear a faint knock at my door that I recognize instantly as Anna and turn my head to look at the door as she opens it slowly and takes a step in.

"They are almost here," she says softly and gives me a small knowing smile.

I frown and turn my head back towards the fan for a second before sighing loudly and standing up. Anna quickly walks over and pulls me gently by my arm towards the mirror so I am standing in front of it with her behind me. She fixes the pink bow on the back of my black dress and finger combs the tangles out of my hair that are from laying on my bed.

"Everything will be fine. Don't worry about her," she says quietly in her slightly faded Russian accent as she hooks the necklace behind my neck and adjusts my hair down my back.

"I'm not worried about her," I insist and she smiles, knowing I am lying to myself. I sigh. "I just don't like her." I whisper.

"I don't think Mr. Dean does either," she whispers back and spins me around to look me over. Her smile always comforts me when I need it.

"If Mr. Dean didn't like her, Mr. Dean wouldn't keep her around." I say sarcastically and roll my eyes. Anna frowns and stares at me. She doesn't like when I roll my eyes. I give her a small smile as an apology, which she seems to accept because her face relaxes.

She sighs at me. "Maybe he keeps her to make you jealous?"

I laugh and shake my head. I highly doubt that is true.

"It was a long time ago, Anna... and you aren't supposed to know about that!" I playfully smack at her arm and walk past her to my jewelry box. She winks, smiling.

Anna has always loved "Mr. Dean". She has known him since he was 10 as Matt's friend yet still insists on calling him Mr to be 'polite and respectful' as she would say, despite my constant pleas for her to stop over the years. Dean always tells her to just call him by his name normally, but I know he secretly loves it. It fuels that boy's ego. I gave up trying a years ago and now just tease her about it, but she doesn't seem to care.

Although my oblivious parents had no clue about us, Anna figured it out very quickly. She approved of us together, I could tell. Even though she rarely mentions it aloud, I could see it in her eyes every time she saw us over the eight months we spent together. Near the end, I didn't even try to hide anything from her. She saw me at my most happy with Dean... and my most sad when she helped me decide to end it.

"You will see," I try to explain as I search for the perfect ring. "She is not very nice. I don't get what he sees in her besides being pretty. I think she may be after his money." I raise my eyebrows and look at Anna, who frowns.

"You should not assume that about someone, Emily. You know that."

"Once you meet her, you will understand. I didn't meet her for very long but I know the vibe when I feel it. She isn't with Dean for Dean himself, trust me." I have felt that since I met her. Dean is too good for her. Too wholesome.

Anna frowns, but doesn't chastise me again. "Just be polite and your parents will be happy. The dinner will... how do you say? Fly by?" 

I smile and look up to her, settling on a gold ring in the shape of a crown and slipping it over my middle finger. Dean got me this ring after I saw it and loved it while shopping together for family Christmas gifts. It seems appropriate to wear it tonight.

I sigh and raise my hands in defeat, she always knows how to talk me down from being upset. That's one of the many reasons I love her like a second mother. "I will try... only for you." I wink.

"Good girl." she nods, clearly happy with my effort. "Now let's go downstairs. It is rude to be late when you live here."

I roll my eyes behind her back as we walk out of my room.

"I saw that." she says sternly making me chuckle. I can't get away with anything with her.

We descend down the stairs and I go and wait quietly in the living room on the couch. Anna goes back to prepping for tonight out of sight as she normally does around my parents. We normally do not interact much in front of them, mostly because Anna likes to be working when they are watching. I think part of it is because she doesn't want to rub our close relationship in my mom's face... but she would never say that out loud. 

My father sits across from me on the loveseat couch in grey dress pants and a buttoned up blue shirt that brings out the blue in his eyes. He looks up from his iPad and the skin at the corners of his tired eyes crinkle and he smiles at me.

"Emily." he nods, greeting me. "You look nice."

I smile warmly back at him. "Thanks Dad. You do too."

He turns his attention back to work on the iPad in his lap, squinting his eyes and shaking his head in disapproval as he reads emails. 

"Have you seen the USB that was on my desk in the study?" he asks me without looking up.

I never go in his study so I surely haven't. But it isn't unlike him to misplace things. Or maybe Anna moved it.

"No, I haven't. Sorry." I reply and he hums in response. "You can't find it?"

"I thought I put it there but it isn't there now." He looks back up to me with a puzzled expression.

"Maybe you left it at the office and forgot." I offer, trying to help.

He considers my response and nods. "Maybe."

The doorbell chimes and my mother appears from the kitchen, not seeming to notice my presence. No doubt she was picking out every little flaw to the kitchen staff she hired to cater dinner.

I sigh internally and stand up. My father places his iPad on the coffee table beside him and gets up. 

"Ah! They are here!" he smiles and I can tell he is genuinely looking forward to this dinner.

My parents rush over to the door with big grins on their faces. I know they love seeing Dean to remind them of Matt.

I walk a few steps behind them reluctantly slow.

They pull open the door to reveal Dean in a salmon dress shirt and grey blazer and an annoyingly beautiful Ava in a navy blue skin tight dress.

"Dean!" my father says proudly and shakes Dean's outstretched hand.

"You look beautiful, dear." My mother says to Ava and reaches to hug her. Ava wraps her arms around her back and pulls her in close.

I freeze, halting a few feet away from them, as I stare at her hand and the floor feels like it is giving out beneath me.

A ring.

A diamond ring.

A big fat diamond ring on her fucking finger.

Author's Note:

OHHHH SHITTT!!!

This is going to stir some feelings (and dramaaa) up! Stay tuned for the rest of dinner!

Also, who loves Anna? She is so caring and cute!

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Chapter 20 should be posted in the next few days!

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