Orla.

 "He had better be dead before I find him!" Mateo fumed.

 It was finally my wedding. But we'd gone to the predestined location where I was meant to finally tie the knot with Sebastian, stayed through for an entire hour past the scheduled time – 6:30 pm precisely – and he was still nowhere to be seen.

 I'd gotten antsy. Unable to contain my imagination that ran amuck with so many insane possibilities of what could be keeping him, I suggested we went to his house instead.

 For starters, nights were for after-wedding parties and not the actual ceremony. And in no way were these joyful occasions held without family. But in this case, it was just the three of us. Given how much we all had to forfeit, Mateo's rage was justifiable.

But what if?

 "What if he's in trouble?" I nearly whimpered, my unease flying to the apex after the umpteenth attempt to reach him failed. Sighing anxiously, I plopped my hand down from my ear.

 "He had better be!" he returned almost at once. "Because my trouble would be lethal."

 He slammed his foot against the pedal, accelerating the vehicle almost dangerously, apparent rage oozing his clenched muscles around the steering wheel.

 We got to his about twenty minutes later, our vehicle closing in on another driving out simultaneously. Mateo revved the car to a parking spot and jumped down after, the tires' screech birthing the action.

 "Sebastian," I breathed in relief, spotting him through the windshield and getting off at a slower pace.

 He was about to head back into his mansion when the slamming sound of our doors strung in the air, halting his movement as he turned around.

 "Well, well … look who we have here," he crooned, flitting his eyes between me and Mateo.

 "Wait –" He flinched, narrowing his eyes in observation. "You guys just got married? – Without me? – I thought we were best friends!"

 "What foul play are you driving at?"

 He scoffed. "You're the one in a suit. Why am I the one being interrogated?

 "Sebastian!" Mateo hailed infuriatedly. "This was supposed to be your wedding," he completed through clenched teeth, stalking toward him.

 "My wedding?" he reechoed, clueless.

 An awkward silence engulfed the air, the absurdity of his question rendering us speechless.

 "Oh!" he exclaimed, forgetful. "That totally skipped my mind."

 "Do you have chicken feed in your head as a brain?" He gestured, pointing his forefinger at his head.

 "I got caught up in my appointments with the producers," he rambled, flatly ignoring Mateo's fuss.

 "Sebastian," he called again through gritted teeth, his voice almost inaudible with infuriation. "You forgot your wedding? That sounds like a lunatic to me," he remarked, sounding pissed.

 "Frankly speaking, I canceled," he admitted.

 My heart skipped two beats, the writhe already dwelling between my brows morphing into a befuddled scowl that rumpled my features.

 "Canceled what?"

 "The wedding."

 "What gives you that right?"

 "It is my wedding, Mateo. I choose to do whatever I want. And whenever I want to," he responded casually, the distance he traveled beneath Mateo's skin clearer than crystal.

 After a brief pause, Mateo said in a grim tone, "It's only taking the grace of God and the intent desire to stay off headlines to keep myself from ripping your tongue off."

 "Why're you seething? You should be glad that I canceled. Or do you no longer – "

 "Shut! –" he yelled demandingly. "Your trap."

 "What? –" He ambled over the distance left between them, a daring look adhering to Mat's. "Did I pluck a nerve?"

 "Mateo!" I hailed pitifully, only intervening when he grabbed Sebastian's collar, his right hand balled into an abrasive fist already in the air.

 I quickly brushed away the tears lining my under eyelids with the back of my palms like a forsaken child before dragging my feet gently across the floor, my toes curling from the chilly sensation as they were bare.

 "Why?" I breathed whimperingly, standing directly before him. "We were fine, Sebastian. You were excited to do this. You jumped on the idea. You … you said it was the only way to break free from my dad and finally be free. You … you said it was finally time for us to be together, Sebastian. So what's with the sudden change? Did I do something? Have I done something wrong?"

 "I canceled, Orla. How hard is it to understand?"

 "Exactly, why?!" My tone leaped, cracking and paving the way for the misery already welling in my chest.

 He scoffed, snidely throwing his gaze away for a while before reverting to me. "What were you thinking? That I'd settle for a low-profile wedding for your sake? Someone of my status should have news reporters and T.V. stations strolling in and out of the ceremony, Orla. What were you thinking getting ahead of yourself?"

 I parted my lips to speak but all they could muster was a silent flutter. My words didn't roll back down, they were never any to begin with.

 "I thought about it. And no matter how I see it…" His eyes then fell on my shoulder, the scorn they were dripping inciting an instinctive pull of my right hand over the scar. He chuckled lightly as if amused by me, before leaning in to whisper, "You're most definitely not my style."

 He then pulled back, his face still tilted to mine when a willy smirk pulled a corner of his lips upward.

 My eyes were now burning, and a stinging pain was now forming on my palms as my fingers curled up into fists by my sides. Clenching my teeth, I tried to hide the quavers that slowly squirmed to my lips, all in a bid to suppress the teary outburst clamoring to run loose. The composure I fought so hard to keep was gradually going into shreds. Before I could piece them all together, my hand leaped out of its place to his cheek.

 "Orla!" Mateo called from beside me, his tone drenched in surprise.

 He didn't expect that. I didn't either. It was safe to say my hand acted sheerly of its free will when it harshly collided with his cheek.

I slapped him.

 "I get it." Rubbing his cheek, he nodded repeatedly, the apathy his eyes swelled with getting on my last nerve! "I deserve that much for making you go through the stress unnecessarily. Yes, I do."

"Stress"? We'd been dating for SIX years!

 "When you guys are done with this garbage, you know your way out. I wouldn't want a scandal erupting because of your drama."

 "Sebastian!" Mateo hailed, the vibrance in his tone breaking with a punch across Sebastian's cheek.

 Not only did I lose the will and energy to interfere, but I also crumbled to the floor, the devastating reality finally packing an agonizing punch.

 "Ma …" I tried calling – watching them through the mist now shrouding my eyes as they started exchanging blows – when my voice diminished into a soft gasp. My breaths morphed into sobs, a funny feeling creeping to the back of my head. I could feel my consciousness slip through my fingers, my eyelids getting lazier by the second.

 In a blink, my back clashed with the hard floor, the world around me plunging into darkness.