Chapter 21

*****Fayes POV*****

I was grateful to be spending the night with Mike in his room before I have to marry myself off to Jaxon in the morning...

The day had already gone by in the blink of an eye and it now all just felt like some weird dream...

I had eventually gained the courage to speak with Rinna to choose colour themes, music, desserts and other details for tomorrows wedding after we had gone dress shopping. All things that I wasn't at all prepared to even discuss, but I was thankful Mike was there to help me out.

How they where even going to pull this wedding together in one day was a mystery to me... but I guess anything is possible when you are as rich as Jaxon.

Rinna had been so kind, and I had really started to like her - as did Mike.

By the end of the day, I couldn't help but long for her to be a part of tomorrow, thinking that I might find comfort in having another friendly face around on the day.

After all, it was so far Jaxon and all of his men who I knew would be attending and that alone was a nerve wracking thought.

"I was thinking... could I ask Rinna to be a bridesmaid tomorrow? I know that sounds ridiculous and we've only just met her, but I really like her, and she will be there tomorrow anyway helping out... do you think Jaxon would let me actually involve her in the wedding?" I share my thoughts with Mike, who was currently giving me a French manicure on my toes.

I can't believe I'm preparing for a wedding to a man that I don't even love... it was all just a fucked up plan... and here I was preparing as though I couldn't wait to sign my life away to him.

"I don't see why not! Why don't you just call him and ask... he will say yes anyway... you have him wrapped around your finger and you don't even know it!" Mike laughs, as he applies a top coat before putting my foot under the UV lamp that we had picked up from the store earlier.

"You think he will?" I ponder, clicking the button on the remote in an attempt to change the song that was playing in the background.

So far I had bathed, shaved, fake tanned and was now having my toes done. Nico had also very generously dropped a bottle of wine up to Mikes room for us both since we where practically hiding out in here until morning.

Like Mike had said, it was bad luck to see the bride the night before the wedding and in this situation... I couldn't agree more!

"Just call him already!" Mike hands me my new phone from the charger, as I take it and unlock it - having not actually spent much time on it yet since we had left the office.

I couldn't believe he had actually bought us both the latest iPhone, bugged or not, my last iPhone was an iPhone 7 (which I loved and used for years) but to have a brand new, larger phone, made me feel like a kid on Christmas Day.

I immediately clicked on to the Instagram app, remembering the pictures Jaxon had decided to post without my permission. I glanced at the bright screen, noticing my new profile (fayegrey1).

His second name...

Mike continued to sing along to the Miley Cyrus song - 'flowers' - that played as he made a start on my other foot - lost in his own daydream.

My eyes shifted back to my account which so far had 4 followers which where no surprise - Mike, Jaxon, Seth and Nico. I clicked the photo uploaded from today, taking the time to actually look at it now.

I would be lying if I said my heart didn't sink a little when I thought he had seen a photo of me in my dress... but thankfully it was only the photo of me afterwards and another candid of me looking around the store.

Why I even cared so much about him seeing the dress was a mystery to me, since the wedding wasn't actually a normal one, but deep down I still wanted to have the total 'wedding' fantasy in a way.

I looked so happy in the first picture, holding the sign up and smiling bright as though it had been the best day of my life... it would fool anyone.

A part of me also wanted to go back and follow everyone from my old high school - just so they could see how happy and fabulous my life had become - whether it was a lie or not.

I had been given an opportunity of a lifetime, despite the fact that Jaxon was quite simply using me, but was it terrible to say that I was also guiltily using him?

Using him for a better life...

"Call him already!" Mike laughs, gaining my attention, as I look up and remember why I had even went on my phone in the first place.

"Oh yeah!" I laugh, as he shakes his head and laughs with me.

I waste no time as I click off from the app and move to my contacts - finding Jaxons name saved with a black heart beside it...

That's odd... I can't imagine him putting a heart beside his own name... nobody else has one either? Maybe it's to help convince anyone who sees him calling my phone in the future that we are madly in love...

I shake the thoughts away as I press call, moving the phone steadily up to my ear.

It rings once, then twice, before-

"What is it princess I'm busy?" His voice grits sharply down the phone, as I open and close my mouth like a fish out of water from hearing the common pet name he liked to use.

"Ask him!" Mike hisses, noticing that I had practically froze on the spot.

"Oh um... I just wanted to ask you something about tomorrow..." I rush out, hearing the momentary silence on his end.

"What?" His voice comes out softer this time, as I release a shaky breath.

"I was wondering... if the girl Rinna... that we met today... could maybe come and be a part of the wedding? Like a sort of bridesmaid? If she even wants to that is! I just feel that I don't have a lot of people there and another familiar face would be nice... and I really like her...and..."

"I'll call her right now that's fine... is there anything else?" He cuts me off, as my eyes widen.

"No that's all..." I quickly rush, wanting to end the call since I was quite clearly irritating the man.

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow." He states, and before I can even reply, the phone beeps to signal the call had ended.

I remove the phone from my ear, as Mike cackles once again.

"You both crack me up!" He states, always finding the humour in every situation unlike myself.

"At least he said yes right? I think Rinna will love to be a part of the wedding too... she was so excited to be helping you plan it in the first place." Mike adds, as I nod and smile gently.

I hope that she does be a part of it... so that the wedding isn't just full of scary men...

"I can't wait for everyone from school to see our pictures from the wedding..." Mike states, as he finishes the top coat on my last foot.

"I was thinking the same thing!" I laugh out, as he grins.

"We need to get amazing pictures tomorrow! Then just to be extra bad... we will follow them all on our new Instagram accounts and will post the pictures... they won't believe their eyes at how good our lives are about to get Faye! They will regret it all!" He claps, before tidying away the nail products as my foot dries under the lamp again.

"Yeah and all of those boys who have fucked you over won't know what's hit them when they see you in your gorgeous pink suit posing in an Italian wedding!" I cheer, and stand to do a little excited dance once my toes where done.

"Yeah and not just any fucking wedding Faye! They will all see that it's your stunningly expensive Italian wedding!" We both jump around like hyper teenagers, laughing and grabbing our wine glasses.

I actually felt happy, that through this whole ordeal, I was now in a room with my best-friend, knowing that I could face anything as long as Mike was by my side.

"I know it's fucked up... but I'm actually grateful that we are both here together... and let's be honest... those men aren't exactly the worst kidnappers are they?!" I laugh, feeling the wine talking.

"Right?! They are like something from a movie! A total fantasy! We seriously can't complain can we?!" Mike doubles over laughing as I join him.

"I guess they aren't exactly strangers anymore either?" I shrug, attempting to justify the whole situation to myself.

"They aren't strangers at all Faye! They were never away from our damn cafe for months! I practically fantasised over them every time I took their order... now if that's not serious manifesting then what is?!" Mike finishes his wine, as I laugh at his thought process.

"They also saved us from that hellish party let's not forget that!" He adds, as I nod.

He was right, although Jaxon was a complete psychopath, I couldn't help but feel there was more to him than what meets the eye...

"Here's to our new beginning!" Mike pulls me in for a hug, giving me a squeeze, as I fight back the overwhelming tears that threat to spill.

I can't ruin my fake tan... don't cry... don't cry... don't cry...