A Beautiful, Terrible Love by Lucky 97 (books for 9th graders txt) 📖

looked at me, pure love in her gaze.
What had I done to deserve this adoration?
Sadie appeared next, guided by Lou. She looked absolutely breathtaking, as you should on your wedding day. Everyone seemed to be struck by her beauty, their faces of awe.
As they stared at the bride, a tiny hand shook the folds of my dress. I looked down into the face of a little angel, her eyes wide and her tiny mouth stretched into a grin as always. "Hey mommy," she whispered, "You are so bee-yoo-ti-ful! I knew u would be the mommy my Daddy liked as soon as I saw you,"
I laughed very quietly at the way she struggled with the word beautiful. "Why, thank you," I whispered in return, "now, let's watch the bride,"
She grew silent, though her hand weaved towards my own. Quietly, I allowed her to grasp it, her tiny hand vanishing under mine. I drew comfort from her warm presence, her comfort she so generously offered.
I observed Jack's calm, adoring face as he took Sadie's hand, all their love swirling around them for the whole world to see. They seemed suspended in elation, their expression of pure joy. At that moment, I was absolutely positive that this was the best day Sadie had experienced in her entire life.
The rest of the ceremony was the same way, not quite like the boring ceremonies I usually had to sit through. It was full of emotions through and through. Every touch, every word, was filled with love and sweetness. Before, I thought they might have been just infatuated with each other. However, I soon realized that it was really much much more.
When Jack kissed her, I realized that truly, love could be a powerful thing. It was so soulful, their lips lingering on each other's for a second longer than necessary, their faces unwilling to break apart. However, they didn't seem to be slobbering over each other, almost like an innocent love, not filled to the brim with passion and desire. It was there, obviously, but rather subtle.
Once again, I envied my pretty sister.
Suddenly, I noticed that the sunset had faded into a deep night, purple streaking across the horizon as the sun still fought for light as it was forced away. The stars were beginning to twinkle, the moon shining into the church, illuminating it with its brightness.
Then the amazing happened.
The guests looked on in amazement as the midnight glories opened slowly, their buds finally bursting with maturity. They spread, almost glowing as they soaked in the moon's light, until the beautiful flowers were at their prime. They seemed to sparkle, representing a new love that had taken a big step. Our dresses seemed to sparkle with it, resembling a midnight glory to the upmost.
It was so amazing... to see them blossom so beautifully. Jack kissed Sadie again, symbolizing how their love was going to grow even more, never to vanquish.
At the end of the ceremony, the bride and groom left first. I could spot many people with tears in their eyes, and I soon realized I had moisture running down my cheek. I reached up with one hand to brush it away, to try to wipe away my crazy emotions. All the while, the little girl didn't let go once of my hand. Sometimes, she gripped it even harder, seeming to sense when my emotions were about to overflow.
She was just what I needed.
It was her turn to go, right before Dex and I, but she refused to put even one foot forward. "You have to go," I whispered softly in her ear. The church was suspended in silence, each guest wondering what was going on. She shook her head, her ruby ringlets bouncing on her back.
"Not unless you do," she insisted. With a firm tug, she suddenly forced me to the altar as she walked to Dex. Pulling on his arm, she dragged us both to the aisle, both of us surprised at her strength. "Now it is perfect," she smiled, walking with both of us in hand.
This felt, strangely, right. As if this was how we were supposed to go back down the aisle. I could feel Dex's energy as it channeled through the girl, and I'm sure he could feel mine also. We were connected through her, almost like she was the missing link. Everyone in the audience could see the chemistry too, their whispering voices clearly heard as their words reverberated around the church.
I felt a smile stretch across my face as the doors swung shut behind us, the petite woman looking at us in fury. She, obviously, was not amused.
I, however, was rather pleased.
"My name is Felicia," she boomed, smiling up at me happily, "What is your name, Mommy?"
"Eve," I replied, looking at her perfect face. I felt an instant emotion sear through me, and quickly realized it to be affection. It was almost as if my feelings for Dex were sort of... amplified in this look alike. Was this what people called "parental love"?
"I love you, Mommy," she oozed satisfaction and eagerness in every word. I jumped a little at her declaration. Dex, however, seemed unsurprised, his face alight with amusement, and another strange emotion I could not distinguish.
"How can you love me, Felicia? You just met me!" I said, smiling, hiding my true emotions of pure shock. I bent down so I was at her level, her face equal with mine.
"Because my daddy loves you," Felicia grinned, "right, Daddy?"
I felt my heart race as I looked up, only to blink as the form that was just there had disappeared. "Where's Dex?" I asked, standing back up, picking Felicia up with me so that she sat in my arms. She looked around, searching just as I was for the lost figure.
Shrugging in defeat, she stated, "Daddy always runs away,"
"From what, Felicia?" I asked, not quite understanding. Why would a little girl say something like that?
"The truth," she said plainly, Dex's eyes, through another face, staring into mine.
I marveled at the little girl's simplicity, yet colossal understanding. She seemed to comprehend everything about her father, his feelings, his words... the meaning behind his words. Felicia was so intuitive... she seemed to have gotten the best genes.
Where did he go? Was he really escaping from us so that he didn't have to answer Felicia's questions? I wasn't angry at him, but a little disappointed. Maybe this won't turn out too well after all.
Maybe he found another, but he didn't want to hurt me. Truly, I had no idea.
Felicia put a tiny hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, mommy," she said quietly, "even though Daddy runs away, he will always come back. Wait for him,"
I silently held Felicia, her arms wrapped around me, my anxiety somewhat soothed by her words.

I walked to the water pitcher, refilling my glass once more.
We were all located in the reception room, a small building about ten minutes away from the church. It was right next to the lake, displaying a beautiful view of the crystal waters. The building was the location of the dance floor and the food, and outside there was a small patio on which guests could lounge about, right next to the lake.
It was absolutely beautiful, just like the church, with a creamy white exterior, inlaid with granite countertops, marble flooring, and a seemingly appropriate disco ball. Midnight glories burst with beauty all around us, lining the walls and the patio outside. The dance floor was filled with couples, a band jamming in the corner of the room.
I had not danced yet, though asked over and over again by men I didn't even know. They didn't appeal to me, their forms dulling in comparison to the man I loved.
Sadie was dancing with Jack, of course, their bodies melding together in perfect alignment, easily the best dancers on the floor. Their elegance was displayed throughout the whole building, their love amplified. Everything they ever wanted was coming together this very day.
I could imagine their joy.
I had experienced that elation... once.
Felicia trooped over to my side, pulling her beautiful nurse along with her. Her face was alight with joy, so similar to Dex's expressions that it made me jump. She smiled, her voice sugar sweet, "Hey Eve,"
"Hey Felicia!" I said, smiling energetically. I gave a nod to the nurse, who gave a slight tilt of her head in return. "What's up?"
"Playing with nurse," she laughed, gripping the nurse's hand so tightly that it turned white.
"I can see that," I said, distracted as I caught another glimpse of Sadie and Jack as they slow-danced, swaying to the beautiful music. They seemed so happy... so radiant.
Suddenly, a figure with red hair creeped up to the band members, conversing with them in low tones. I squinted, trying to make out who the man was. Was it who I thought it was...?
Dex turned, smiling brightly, catching the attention of every person in the building. "Hey everyone, I'm Dex," he said roughly, making all the girls squeal, "I'm going to sing a song for you all. Can everyone please clear the dance floor?"
There was a bunch of shuffling as everyone conformed to his request. Sadie seemed slightly confused, but still happy. She caught my eye, and winked, making me wonder what exactly was going on.
When everyone was off the dance floor, Dex continued, "I'm going to sing my most popular song so far, 'Release Me'," He paused as applause and screams followed. i felt my heart beat faster as I started to realize what he was about to do. Smiling, he said, "However, instead of Richy Charles, I would like to sing it with someone else. Eve Valencia, could you come up here?"
Screams exploded, people turning to stare at me as I walked to his side. I could hear frenzied yells of, "Go Eve!" and "I didn't know she was here this whole time and I didn't notice!" constantly, pounding against my eardrums. I would imagine that some of them were wondering why two a-list celebrities would be at a wedding like this.
Dex smiled at me, his perfect teeth sparkling. "Here you go," he whispered, hooking a tiny microphone to the top of my dress. As I stared into the crowd, I could spot Sadie's smiling face and Felicia's silly grin, energizing me. Encouraging me to go with Dex's crazy, impulsive actions.
The band started the first few notes, the music drifting to my ears, the familiarity relaxing me. Dex cautiously took my hand, his voice intermingling with mine as we sang the first few notes. I soon lost my shyness as my voice grew, confidence coming from his beautiful voice, his presence beside me. I was with the man I loved.
He pulled me to the dance floor, wrapping his hands around my waist, I going with the flow and putting my hands around his neck. We swayed as we sang, our voices tangoing with each other, weaving within our notes. It was so beautiful, our harmony, so perfect and intoxicating. I felt myself drown in the melody, in his beauty as I stared into his immaculate eyes, green beyond compare. I longed to delight in the taste of his appealing lips, to sink into pure elation, desire, and passion like Sadie and Jack.
My gaze didn't waver from his statuesque face, unable to notice any other. It was as if my eyes were glued to his, with the way he didn't release my glance. Everything around me vanished, only us left.
As we dwindled to a close, suspended in time, we stared into each other's eyes, our faces a hairsbreadth apart. His