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“Well, don’t both of you look absolutely beautiful!” She beams, giving us both a small hug.
“The boys are still greeting guests as they arrive in the ballroom. I’ve just seen your friend as well, I’m sorry I can’t remember her name.”
“Charlie?” Millie Says
“Yes, that’s it, she’s just gone to the bar.”
“Thanks Mary, you look so elegant in that dress.” She rolls her eyes a little
“Elegant is not a word I would ever describe myself as, but thank you Em. Now go and have some fun, you both deserve to let your hair down a little”. She smiles and waves us off.
We catch small glimpses of the boys for the next half an hour, but don’t get a chance to talk to them—everyone wants to talk to the boss. And as Dan is second in command, they love him too! Charlie walks up to us at the bar, wearing a dress that blows your mind. It’s fitted at the top, strapless, then flows down over her hips, where it falls shorter at the front and trails behind her, in a sea of pastel blue and gold. She orders a double gin and tonic and drinks it in one go. We share a look that says,oh shit.
“Something wrong Charlie?” Millie asks
“Nope nothing, just need to renounce men for a while, they are all dickheads,” she replies, then orders another along with a few shots, and drinks them all. Millie looks at me apologetically. So I take the hint and leave them to it.
“I’m off to find Dan, make sure he’s not drinking and all that.” I think Charlie needs her friend right now.
Ten minutes later, I find Dan in the DJ booth, chatting away. When he sees me, his eyes widen, he stops talking and walks towards me, looking me over like he can’t believe what he sees.
“How did I get so lucky to have a beautiful woman like you agree to marry me?”
His arms lace around me, bringing me in for a kiss that sets me on fire within seconds.
“Carry on like that and we won’t make it to the dinner,” I say, while he twirls me around, taking me in.
“You look hot in that tux, I think you need to wear it more often.” He smiles and kisses me again, holding me close.
“I’m sorry but I have to find Jack, I need to get him on stage in ten minutes,” Pulling a sad face, I step to the side, gesturing for him to pass.
“Make sure you find me after the speech, I’ll be the one heckling him in the front row.” He lets out the laugh I love. He intertwines his fingers with mine, bends down and kisses my knuckles, looking up at me.
“Em, I’ll find you.” Those words are full of want, his lips twitch into a sexy smile as he leaves me standing there, I hear him whisper to himself, “Luckiest man alive”, when in reality, I’m the lucky one having him in my life. Then I realise I’m standing by myself in a ballroom full of people. I need to find Millie, get her to come and stand next to me while I heckle Jack during his speech. It’s something I have always done, he can be so serious sometimes, I like to lighten the mood, tease him. A perk of being his sister I suppose, I can get away with it.
The bar is almost empty when I walk in, just a few stragglers waiting to get a drink before heading into the ballroom. I can’t see Millie. I must have missed her. I sigh, it’s no fun being at a ball by yourself, and not drinking. I know when the speeches are done, it will be all of us together, but right now, I want to have some fun. And just like that, it’s like my body says…fun,you do realise you’re pregnant, don’t you?A wave of nausea hits me, worse than I’ve felt before; it’s different from being sick, it’s like you feel it in your stomach, but it stays in your throat. I thoughtit was called “morning” sickness, for goodness sake. Grabbing a glass of water from the bar, I make my way outside, through the double doors, to the patio area. The breeze cools my skin as soon as I step out, soothing me a little. I place my hands on the wall, leaning my head against the cool bricks, taking slow, steady breaths, it won’t last long, a few minutes and it will go hopefully, I don’t want to miss Jack’s speech.
“Hello Emma,” a voice I don’t know says from behind me. No one calls me Emma anymore; it was always something my parents called me when I was in trouble, and that was a lot. Lifting my head up a little, I start to turn around when a hand shoves me against the wall. My head grazes the brick with the force he’s using, my cheeks stinging from pressure.
“What the fuck, what do you think…” My words die out, when I not only see but I feel the cold hard nozzle of a gun pressed to my side. I freeze, I don’t know what to do, my body shivers, but this time it’s not from the cold, it’s from the uncontrollable fear that runs through me.
“You may not know me, but I know all about you and your sweet fucking little family.” He breathes down my neck pressing the gun harder into my side, his words are like ice on my skin, spiteful and venomous.
“Wh…who are you?” That’s all I can manage.
“It’s time for her to pay, and you’re going to get her for me.” He laughs in my ear, but there’s nothing funny about the way he says it.
“Who..?...I don’t know what you want…b…but…”
I stop as his hands clutch the back of my hair, pulling me backwards. It stings as he pulls it harder, reaching around with the gun in his hand and grabs my purse.
“Get your phone out and unlock it,” I reach for my bag, but my hands are shaking badly.
“Hurry up!” he demands, “otherwise it won’t just be her I get rid of tonight.” His words make me rush,who does he mean? What if…no I can’t go there, oh my god, my baby...Dan doesn’t even know.
Tears start to spill over my cheeks as the seriousness of the situation sets in. When I finally find my phone in the bottom of the bag, I unlock it and go to hand it to him. But he presses the gun harder into my side, twisting it a little “No, send a message to Emilie…Tell her I’m here, and that if she loves you and wants to see you’re not hurt, she will trade places.”
“No…” It’s not a protest, it’s disbelief that the man holding a gun to my side is him. Glen.
