Belle’s POV
When I finally opened my eyes it was already morning. I hovered my hand over my eyes to protect them from the sun. I turned away from the window to face Reign. She's still sleeping. Her arm is still wrapped around me while the other is under my head. I moved closer to her. I don't want to get up. I want to stay beside her forever.
"What time is it?" She asked with a very drowsy voice.
"I don't know. Probably sometime in the afternoon."
She opened her eyes but immediately closed them when she realized it was too bright. She then stood up. Not being bothered that she doesn't have any clothes on, she picked up the fabric and covered the one window that was opened. She turned to face me. "Your angels are hella mad." She picked up a shirt from the floor and wore it.
"Really? Sucks, huh?"
“I’ll prepare breakfast.” She said as she disappeared in front of me to head downstairs.
I looked for my shirt on the floor but it was not there, then I realized that Reign probably picked it up without realizing that it was not hers. Can't wait to see her in pink. I took her black shirt from the floor and wore it. I followed her downstairs. She was devouring a piece of bread and drink. Right, her body gets really tired after that.
"Lady in all pink," I called.
She frowned. Then she looked at my shirt. "That's mine." She said with her mouth full. Then she looked at her shirt. "Oh."
“Pink looks good on you.”
She made a disgusted face.
Reign finally brought me home. As soon as I got back to my room, a clone of me–as expected, evaporated into thin air.
"That's how they do it, huh?" Reign asked. "Freaky."
"I guess that's a more logical way than explaining how I disappeared for almost a month." I sat on my bed.
Reign sat beside me.
We were silent again. Not awkward. Just silent. Then she laid her back on it.
I copied her. We stared at the ceiling.
I was going to lean for a kiss when my door suddenly opened so I had to act as if I fell from my bed and I had to get up and it just so happened that Reign was there.
"I'm sorry. I fell." I said to Reign.
She frowned. She's probably wondering what I'm up to again.
"Belle, I've been calling you." My mom said, "Ray, I didn't realize you were here too."
Reign raised a hand.
"What do you need, mom?" I am actually happy to see her again. She seems happier than the last time I saw her. I wanted to hug her but I had to act like I'd been here all along.
"Your friend, Selene, ordered a cake and I've been asking you to deliver it. Go before the icing melts."
"Oh...right."
"You may go on a date after this. But deliver the cake first."
"Mom!"
"What? You think I wouldn't notice that you tried to kiss?"
"Mom!"
Reign covered her face and tried to stop herself from laughing.
"Take my daughter home before dinner. Okay?"
"Y-yes, Mrs. Glow." Reign sat up properly. Surprised by the mention of the word ‘date’.
Reign and I got to deliver Selene's cake on time. We were about to go since we weren't planning to stay but Selene started talking about things that I've probably missed the past few weeks that I got caught in her stories.
"Wait...You chose me as your model for the fashion show again?" I asked.
She nodded. "You already said yes."
My mouth remained open. What was the clone version of me doing?
"Anyway, gotta put this cake in the refrigerator. Nice to see you again, Ray. It's been a while."
Reign waved and smiled at her.
"See you in school tomorrow. We need to fit the dress."
I nodded.
Reign and I started walking. I know she's alert in case any angels are following us. I mean, from what they've told me, they're always watching. I'm pretty sure they are around but just silent. The sky started to darken and the smell of the surroundings started to change.
"It's going to rain." Reign looked up.
"We should get home fast then."
The sky started making noises; it was thundering. And bits of water started to fall from the sky. Reign, instead of running towards cover, raised her hand forward and let the water fall over it.
"Reign?"
"I like this weather," she smiled. She raised her other hand forward to collect the rain on her palm. "My body is cold. So cold that I couldn't feel anything else. The heat of the sun doesn't bother me. The coldness of winter doesn't make me feel shiver. But the rain? It makes me feel something. I get drenched. I feel it in my skin." She opened her arms wider and raised her face upward. "It makes me feel warm. Like I am a kid again playing in the rain."
"The warmth of the rain makes you feel human."
She smiled and nodded.
I also raised my hands sideward to copy her and let the rain pour above me. "Yeah, this actually feels nice."
"You let your problems be washed by the water as it falls down from your body. Let it all flow away from you." She murmured.
I closed my eyes. I could feel the water hitting my skin. At first, it bothers me but after a while, it felt kinda nice. I let it drench me until my clothes couldn't absorb any more. I opened my eyes and saw Reign staring back at me.
"What?" I asked.
"You and the rain give the same warmth."
I lowered my hands to my side.
She closed our distance and made her lips land on mine. It was a short kiss but the feeling stuck on my lips.
"You don't feel cold at all," I said.
She raised a brow.
"Back then, when you touched me on this arm." I showed her. "Turned really pale. But eventually, it never happened again. Your touch suddenly became warm." I pulled one of her hands and intertwined it with mine. "Like this. I could hold you like this without being bothered."
She placed a kiss on the back of my hand. She then pulled me and we ran around under the strong pouring rain like we were kids again. I got to see Reign's face as we were running. She's smiling. No. She's laughing. Loudly.
We continued to play under the rain but somehow, we both lost our balance and slipped. We both fell on our butt.
"Are you okay?" Reign rushed towards me.
I laughed. "Of course I am."
She helped me up and pulled me closer to her to give me a tight embrace. "Don't ever lose that smile, okay? Don't lose that sound of genuine happiness. You brought back mine but remember to keep yours."
I hugged her back. I don't want to forget. I really don't. But I don't want to lose her forever either.
--
Reign went with me to university. She’s invisible to the rest of the people except for me for the whole day but she’s always standing beside me or just in the corner of the room. The only time she wasn’t invisible was when we went to Selene’s workshop where I will be fitting the dress.
“Hello, you two.” Selene greeted.
“Hey,” Reign greeted back.
“So, Belle, this is the dress.” Selene removed the cover to reveal a voluminous white gown.
“Oh my god.” My mouth fell open. “Selene, you outdid yourself.” I drag my hands over the fabric of the gown. The top part is glimmering because of the sequins she stitched on it and the lower part is quite glittery because of the fabric.
“It’s the wedding dress.” Selene smiled widely at me. “Come on, you should try it.” Selene unzipped the gown from the mannequin.
“I’m scared. I might ruin it.”
“No. Don’t worry about it. Oh, Ray.”
“Yes?” Reign raised a brow.
“Can you leave for a sec?”
“Why?”
“You can’t see the bride.”
“Huh?”
“Belle is going to try on a dress and there’s a saying that the groom shouldn’t see the bride before the wedding or else it will not pursue. Well, in your case a bride and a bride.”
“Ha?”
Selene smiled teasingly at the two of us. “Come on. Just go.” She pushed Reign out of the room and slammed the glass door behind her.
Selene just pushed a demon out of the room.
“So? Let's go? Get naked.” Selene ordered.
“You make it sound so disgusting,” I said as I unzipped my jacket.
Selene guided me on how to wear the gown. She also helped me with the veil and my hair.
“I thought this was just a trial.”
“Yeah but I want to see Ray's full reaction.”
“What?”
“Don’t you?”
I blushed. I sucked my lips together just let Selene do whatever she was doing.
Selene gave me a final look and finally, she put down the hair curler on the table. “I’m satisfied. Okay, hold this one.” For some reason, there’s already a bouquet of flowers on the side.
“When did you even have the time?”
“I had an extra hour last night. It’s fine. That’s fake flowers anyway.” Selene walked towards the door. “Ready?”
I gulped.” Y-yeah.”
Selene opened the door revealing Reign standing right by the door with her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes were glaring at Selene but they softened when she saw me standing behind her.
“What do you think?” Selene asked.
Reign clenched her jaw.
“Yep. Exactly the reaction I would like to see from you. Speechless.”
Reign’s arms tightened as if she were trying her best not to run towards me now and remove the veil over my face.
“I’ll leave you two alone.” Selene winked and left.
Reign didn’t move an inch. She remained standing outside the room just staring at me.
“So?”
“So?” She repeated.
“Are you not going to lift the veil and kiss me?”
She smiled. She lowered her arms to her side and slowly walked toward me. She stopped right in front of me and stared at the flowers I’m holding in my hands.
“These are fake according to Selene.”
Her hands are now on the lower part of the veil. She stared at my eyes first and slowly lifted the veil finally showing my face. She smiled as she studied my eyes. I studied hers too. Just like before, all I could see was my reflection on it. I wonder if she sees her reflection on mine too because she’s really the only person important to me right now and my only focus.
“Someday,” I said. “This is going to be real.”
Her lips landed on mine. Instead of putting the veil behind my head, she covered us with it so now it’s the two of us under the veil.
Comments (0)
See all