Strings of Fate

50- Challenging and comfortable

I glance out the window as we arrive at the compound. It’s very active for this early in the morning. It’s because of the wedding I suppose. It’s taking place in the meeting hall. It wouldn’t have been big enough for the engagement party, there were too many guests. But the wedding itself is limited to just the people closest to Megan which pretty much means the Shifters in the compound and me. Aaron parks the car and opens my door. I take his arm and when we reach the front door I give him a quick hug.

“Thank you Aaron.” I whisper. He nods. I knock on the door and am stunned when Bellamy opens it. We are both frozen. He is staring at me, I’m not sure what he’s seeing but I sort of wish that I had dried my hair before leaving home, or put on a little concealer at least. I’m staring at him too. He looks different. There are dark shadows under his eyes that weren’t there before. He looks so exhausted he must not be sleeping. He’s lost weight, making his cheekbones seem more prominent. His eyes are dull and his hair has grown a little, the fringe falling across his eyes. He’s wearing grey sweatpants and a black t–shirt which it looks like he slept in. Or maybe more like, wore for bed but didn’t actually sleep. The car starting behind me reminds me that I can’t just stand here all day. It doesn’t seem to have the same effect on Bellamy however as he is still staring at me like he’s seeing a ghost or something. I decide I need to do something to break the silence. I blurt out the first thing I think of.

“I’m going to tell Megan today. The truth, all of it. You wanted evidence so she wouldn’t have to choose, but we haven’t found it. So now she’s going to have to choose and I can’t let her do that without all the information.” Bellamy’s expression is sad, but he nods his consent and finally steps aside, allowing me entrance to their home. I head straight upstairs to see Megan. I knock on her bedroom door and she swings it open and practically pounces on me in a hug.

“You’re early!” her tone is surprised, which is probably fair given my hatred of mornings and my recent lack of enthusiasm. I shrug. Looking around I’m surprised to find that we aren’t alone. A Shifter lady

who looks to be in her early forties is sorting through a collection of bags she has placed on Megan’s bed. I falter a little bit. I don’t think my conversation with Megan is something to share with just anyone. Maybe I should wait until this woman leaves. She seems to be here for hair and makeup so I guess I’ll talk to Megan a bit later. I’ll make sure there’s time before the ceremony.

Three and a half hours later, I wave goodbye to the Shifter woman who did our hair and makeup. Megan did introduce her earlier, but I forgot her name and wasn’t game to ask it

again. I’m already wearing my dress. It’s a simple, floor length silk grow an dlack the of course since that is the colour that suits me best and I dont have to worry about matching any other bridesmaids since I’m the only one. I do remember Megan mentioning a few weeks back that Tristan and Bellamy are both going to be wearing ble ties with their suits to make everything blend together well. At the time I just notified aliong, but satt i can think is that she basically arranged everyone’s colours to suit me and I just apprentiate her so much at this moment. She calls out from the bathroom.

“Ry? Can you come here, I need a hand doing, the buttons on the back of this diseas.” I much into the bathroom and quickly see to the small buttons that group atlong her spine. There are dozens of them but they look so good I can’t complain Ink up and I can see her full topic in

|| the mirror in front of us. She looks so perfect. Ton perfect. Il need to say something, tell her the truth but I’m struggling. We’re finally alone, but she seems so happy. I don’t want to min it for her. I take a deep breath and try to figure out how to start. This is so much harder tha I thought it was going to be. Megan seems to notice something is wrong

“Ry? What is it? It is because of my brother again? He messaged earlier, he’s already headed down to the hall.” She looks guilty. I shake my head!.

“No, for once this has nothing to dia with him, well mot tietty anyway. L… wanted to tell you something, but I’m worried about how you’re going to react.” Megan turns to face me

concern on her face.

“What is it?” she asks. I lead her back into her mom and have her sit on the bed, I sit beside her and clutch her hand. I’m not sure if it’s to comfort her, comfort me or maybe to keep her from running away once I start talking

“You shouldn’t get married today, but out. Okay, that was not how I was planning to do that. I meant to ease her into it. head. I just threw her into the deep end. Megan freezes and stares at me in shock. Nothing to do mow but keep going

“Tristan isn’t your fate. He’s already met the person he’s fated to be with but it isuit you. The reason your brother bought me here was to try and get more information on him and to

confirm what he already suspected because he doesn’t trust Tristan. They re fated to be enemies. I was there the day Tristan proposed and because you’re meant to be my friend I wrote you a note telling you that he isnt right for you and left it in your bag, but you didn’t find it. Bellamy did. We wanted to get proof about Tristan, find some kind of evidence that

he’s doing something wrong which is why neither of us said anything to you, but we haven’t

50- Challenging and comfortable

again. I’m already wearing my dress. It’s a simple, floor length silk gown in dark blue of course since that is the color that suits me best and I don’t have to worry about matching any other bridesmaids since I’m the only one. I do remember Megan mentioning a few weeks back that Tristan and Bellamy

are both going to be wearing blue ties with their suits to make everything blend together well. At the time I just nodded along, but now all I can think is that she basically arranged everyone’s colours to suit me and I just appreciate her so much at this moment. She calls out from the bathroom. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Ry? Can you come here, I need a hand doing the buttons on the back of this dress.” I rush into the bathroom and quickly see to the small buttons that go up along her spine. There are dozens of them but they look so good I can’t complain. I look up and I can see her full look in the mirror in front of us. She looks so perfect. Too perfect. I need to say something, tell her the truth but I’m struggling. We’re finally alone, but she seems so happy. I don’t want to ruin it for her. I take a deep breath and try to figure out how to start. This is so much harder than I thought it was going to be. Megan seems to notice something is wrong.

“Ry? What is it? It is because of my brother again? He messaged earlier, he’s already headed down to the hall.” She looks guilty. I shake my head.

“No, for once this has nothing to do with him, well not directly anyway. I… I wanted to tell you something, but I’m worried about how you’re going to react.” Megan turns to face me, concern on her face.

“What is it?” she asks. I lead her back into her room and have her sit on the bed, I sit beside her and clutch her hand. I’m not sure if it’s to comfort her, comfort me or maybe to keep her from running away once I start talking.

“You shouldn’t get married today.” I blurt out. Okay, that was not how I was planning to do that. I meant to ease her into it. Instead, I just threw her into the deep end. Megan freezes. and stares at me in shock. Nothing to do now but keep going.

“Tristan isn’t your fate. He’s already met the person he’s fated to be with but it

sn’t you. The reason your brother bought me here was to try and get more information on him and to confirm what he already suspected because he doesn’t trust Tristan. They’re fated to be enemies. I was there the day Tristan proposed and because you’re meant to be my friend I wrote you a note telling you that he isn’t right for you and left it in your bag, but you didn’t find it. Bellamy did. We wanted to get proof about Tristan, find some kind of evidence that he’s doing something wrong which is why neither of us said anything to you, but we haven’t

50- Challenging and comfortable

been able to. So now there’s nothing else I can do but to ask you, beg you, to please trust me. He isn’t the one for you. I’m so sorry I waited this long to say something. I should have told you from the start but I was so caught up in my own emotions I just didn’t know what to do.” By the time I finish talking my breath is heavy from not pausing to take a breath. I’m a little dizzy and I feel sick. I’m so nervous. Megan pulls her hand out of mine and stands up. She takes a few steps. Her back is to me and it’s driving me crazy because I can’t see her reaction. I’m waiting for her to tell me I’m crazy, that she hates me or never wants to see me again. Finally she speaks.

“Ryann, did you ever wonder why I haven’t asked you about my own thread or fate?” I shake

head then remember her back is to me.

my

“I always assumed it was because you were already sure of Tristan.” Megan whirls around to face me. Her face is flushed, even through her makeup. She looks almost like she’s going to cry and my heart is breaking.

“That’s the same thing that I told myself. That I didn’t need to ask because I already knew. But, that’s not true. I never asked because I was scared you would say what you just said. That you would tell me I’ve messed up, wasted the last year and a half of my life on a man who isn’t right for me. He is just so perfect, we’ve never fought or yelled at each other. Everything. has always been so easy with him.” Megan sighs.

“No one has ever said anything negative about him, until this moment I couldn’t think of a single reason why I might not be in love with him. I’ve been perfectly comfortable.” Megan collapses onto her bed beside me, heedless of her dress.

“But watching you and Bellamy, I’ve been starting to think that’s a problem. Comfortable is good, great even. But comfortable doesn’t challenge me, doesn’t encourage me to be better. I’ve been thinking that never fighting might not be a sign of compatibility but rather a signi that there is no passion, for anything, including each other.” I stare at her. Does that mean she’s not going to marry him? She believes me? I didn’t really expect that she would. Maybe Harry is onto something with this talking to people thing. It’s working better than I had hoped.