𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐞

fourteen.✔

I feel dirty.

I feel like a piece of trash on the sidewalk.

Wraith grins at me as he fixes his collar and I press my skirt down. I don't know why I gave into him. Perhaps to ease my own guilt. He didn't seem to notice as I nearly cried through the entire thing. Or the fact that I faked more than my desire, yet Wraith has never caught on. If I wasn't so disgusted with myself, I'd pat myself on the back for another brilliant performance. I have become quite the actress, not that I didn't enjoy our sex in the beginning, I just never got where I needed to go.

"I'll give you a minute," Wraith kisses my cheek and walks out of the restroom.

Yeah, I also felt like shit for that too. In a restroom no less.

I don't look at myself in the mirror because I will completely loose it. Instead I clean myself up the best I can. I choke back tears at how desperately I want run away from all of this. But that's not real life, I don't get to run away from life's hick-ups. It wont always be like this, it's just all fresh.

When I can muster it, I smudge the little mascara that fell so it just looks like I did a smokey eye and reapply my lipstick. I flip my head over and run my fingers through my waves a few times before I look less like a mess and more like a purposeful one.

"Perfect timing," Wraith winks at me, taking my hand when I finally came out. "We should be there on the dot as promised."

I nod and let him lead me out of the hotel to his BMW.

Patricia had gone all out. The lawn of the mini-mansion has tealights littered across it with floral arrangements lining the walkway. I ignore the amount of cars parked on both sides of the road as Wraith pulls into the driveway.

"I hope this is everything you ever dreamed of," Wraith breathes as he brings my knuckles to his lips.

I force a smile. "We better not keep your mother waiting."

I yank the skirt of my dress down one more time as Wraith takes my hand in his as we reach the front door. It's eerily quiet as Wraith opens the door, he blocks my view as he pulls me inside where the cheers erupt.

"CONGRADULATIONS!"

Endless faces I don't recognize stand before us with champagne glasses toasting our arrival. Wraith pulls me into his side as the camera flashes start to blind me. I blink a few times as I mindlessly say hello to the strangers I can barely see.

"On the dot," Patricia says, kissing Wraith's cheek.

"This is beautiful, Mother," he replies. "You've out done yourself."

The house is covered in white and light pink flowers, and filled with clearly wealthy people and a violinist and pianist are in the parlor, fulling the space with music. Staff walking around with champagne and food trays. I scan the home for my own family.

"Your sister is out back," Patricia says a bit aloof.

"Thank you," I force another grin. "This is wonderful, Mrs. Lockett."

Wraith stops one of the staff and hands me a champagne glass. "I'm going to say hello to my aunt and uncle," he tells me. "Go find Caroline, I know you want too."

I wait till I'm out of his eyesight to shoot back the entire glass. I politely weave through the guests, saying hello but don't deter from my destination. The French doors leading to the backyard are open where more tealights and florals are covering the already over the top backyard. I spot my two very bored nieces sitting on the stone steps that lead to the little stone courtyard beside the pool. Caroline and our mother are standing before them with their own champagne glasses, feeling equally bored and out of place.