“Nonsense. You, Kennedy Edwards, are my special guest. You’re here on holiday. You get to see how we fancy people party.” Amelia scolds. “There is likely an eligible bachelor or two who’ll love to take you for a spin around the dance floor.” Something flashes in her eyes I don’t quite understand when she says that. “Besides, what do you plan on doing tomorrow night, throwing on some overalls and splashing around in paint?”
That is exactly what I’d be doing if I had half the chance. She stops fussing with my dress for a minute, and sits on the bench in front of me, before bursting into tears. It’s both unexpected and completely out of character. Amy is the overly happy sort, all sunshine, and rainbows. I’m the introvert who spends most of her time at home and never sees the glass half full.
“Amy, what’s wrong?” I step off the stool and sit beside her, my puffy dress swooshing when I do, puffing out like a cloud around me. She looks up at me, her eyes red and filled with tears that spill over her long lashes when she blinks.
“Oh, Neddy, I’ve been promised.” she sniffs, swiping her hands under her nose.
I frown. “Promised. As in marriage?” I hold her small hands in mine.
She nods, and bursts into tears again. “He’s a horrible person. I’ve heard such terrible things about him, and yet my father has agreed to this…farce.” I look at my friend, and I know this is the last thing she wants. That and the fact that she already has a boyfriend.
“What about Henry? Can’t you tell your father you don’t want this?” I ask quietly. “Does, Henry know?”
“Henry’s horrified. I was going to move to England, you know, but a promise is a promise here, especially if I’m supposed to marry the son of one of the richest men in Istanbul. His father practically owns mine. They own an island for fuck’s sake.”
My eyes widen. “Whoa! That kind of complicates things.”
“You think?” Her eyes are red-rimmed. I place a hand on her back, rubbing small circles trying to offer her some comfort. “He’ll be at my welcome home party tomorrow night. My God, I can’t even believe this is happening to me. I’m twenty for God’s sake. I haven’t even lived my life.” she sniffs. Now I understand why she needed me here, why she needs me there tomorrow night. She needs a friend when she gets thrown into the lion’s den.
“We’ll figure this out, Amy, I promise. And I’ll be by your side tomorrow night.”
She throws her arms around me, and I squeeze her back. She’s a head shorter than me, and petite, where I am athletic. Her fiery red hair a contrast to my raven locks. She pulls away and smiles. “I am so glad you’re here.” Her brown eyes are sincere.
“Me too,” I tell her. I had no idea these things still occurred. Arranged marriages and the like are archaic.
We stop for lunch at one of her favorite restaurants that sell delicious cuisine at ridiculous prices. We talk more about this guy, Sai, and I hate him more by the second. I think about poor, sweet Henry, and it breaks my heart to believe that two people who care about each other as much as Amelia and Henry do, will be torn apart by a tradition.
We’re both quiet on the drive back to her father’s monstrosity of a mansion by the sea. I’ve never been surrounded by such opulence. When I first arrived, I walked around wide-eyed for hours, unable to fathom how people could possibly live like this. The sea views are magnificent, and the sound of the gulls that fly about are like something out of a movie. It is devastating to think that my friend has everything but her freedom, which is one thing I could never give up.
Looking around me, I realize I have left the modern world far behind. This is a land that myths and magic are made of. White sandy beaches, turquoise, and blue seas that sparkle like gems. Palm and other tropical trees surrounding us. I look around my room in the condo behind Amy’s mansion. French doors open out to white sandy beaches and the blue ocean. White curtains bellow in the breeze. This space alone is bigger than my entire apartment, with a four-poster king-sized bed in the middle of the room. A marble bathtub, shower and basin in the en-suite belong in a castle. The oriental décor is nothing short of exquisite. My phone rings, and I smile at the display. She’s called at least three times a day since I got here, and I never tire of hearing her voice.
“Hello, Neddy-bear.” I smile at my mom’s nickname for me.
“Hey, Momma.” I plop myself on the bed backward and literally sink into the mattress.
“How is paradise? Meet any exotic Adonises yet?” She sounds too excited for her own good. I roll my eyes.
“Really, Mom? I hardly think I’d tell you if I did.”
“Oh, don’t be such a stiff. But how are? How’s Amy?”
“Uhm…we’re good.”
“Why do I think you’re hiding something?”
I sigh. I’m okay, Mom, Amy isn’t so hot.” Even thinking about her situation is unbelievable. “Her father wants to marry her off to some rich tosser.”
“Kennedy, Edward. Language, please. Oh no, that poor girl. What about Henry?”
“Tradition is a huge thing around these parts as you know, Mom.” My mother of all people will understand that better than anyone. “I have no idea how she is ever going to get out of something ingrained in these people. She is devastated.”
“I can imagine honey, I guess all you can do is be there for her. These things have a way of working themselves out. You read those romance novels, HEA guaranteed.” She chuckles.
“Somehow, I doubt that’s the case in this situation, Mrs. Positivity. Not everyone is as rebellious as you and Dad were. ”
“That is true, baby. I miss your face so much.”
“I miss you too, Mom. So much. How’s James?”
