My mother not only did my makeup, but she also convinced me to change my dress when I told her that Seth was going to be at the party. I was currently wearing a red off-the-shoulder dress, a little above the knee and a red heels. I was shocked when I saw the red dress in my mother's closet, she said she was saving it for a special moment but I knew she kept it there to remain her what she was like what my age. Shoes wasn't a problem since my mother had amazing taste and we happen to wear the same size. 

  My makeup didn't turn out looking bad either, It was better than anything I could ever do. She even gave me a wing. I could barely do eye shadow and yet my mother was a makeup queen. 

   This evening was surely something that I never thought would happen in my adult years. It was the closest I've gotten to my parents in years and the bonding session between my mom and me made me feel so much better about myself. Especially now since I found out my mom is a great makeup artist and an even better friend. 

  I stepped out of my car quickly, I just finished talking to Iris on the phone and she was on the way here. I told her that I was leaving New York tomorrow and I need to see my best friend before I did. Iris being the sweetheart she believes that's running her to save me. 

   'Le Passion Rouge' was a garden that I'd come regularly when I feeling down or when I just wanted to enjoy the beauty of mother nature. 

"You're late, did you make the call?" Brandon asked me. I could hear the nervousness in voice. 

I smile, "Calm down, she's on her way. You're going to marry my best friend." 

He smiles, "You look nice."

I smile, "Thanks." I silently thanked my mother for dressing me. 

"Where are the cake and flowers?"

"My back seat." I opened the door revealing the 40X40 Chocolate Mocha cake and a Bunch of her favourite flowers, Dahlias. "These were not easy to get."

He smiles, "That's why you're her best friend."

I laughed, "Precisely." 

"C'mon. Let's get these out of the car." He grabbed the bouquet and left me with the cake. I sighed. 

  "I guess it's just you and me cake." I pulled the cake out and held in my two hands, then used my feet to close the car door. I start walking towards the set-up area, all my attention on the cake. I had a tendency to be very clumsy when I had important things to do and didn't want to drop it. Especially when it was our favourite cake. 

  "I'll take that." I left my head and my eyes met the green eyes that were still implanted in my memory. Before I could even process everything that was happening Seth took the cake out my hands and disappeared. 

  I sighed and started to walk towards the setup. When I arrived a few of Brandon's friends and Iris's parents and secretary. Brandon said the small the surprise party the less likely it was for her to find out that she was getting engaged. It thought it was a great idea. 

I walked over to my best friend's parents, "Goodnight Auntie Verona and Uncle Justin."

  The couple turned and offer a big smile, Verona pulled me in a hug then her husband shakes my hands.  "You're next," he said with a smile. 

I offered a small smile and shake my head. 

Verona rose her chin, "You're a beautiful woman, are you telling me that there is no man out there for you?"

I shake my head, "I do believe that there is a guy out there for me."

I just lost him.

She smiled, "Then you'll find him."

  I offered her a small smile. "How is the physiotherapy going?" Four months ago, she was in a car accident. A truck hit the side of her car and it injured her left foot. 

She looks down at her foot, "It's getting better every day." 

   Her husband shakes his head, "Karishma, she doesn't listen. I tell her to sit down she doesn't listen." the couple has been married for only a few years now but it was obvious that they loved each other and Justin loved and treated Iris as his own. 

  "Yes, Iris is the same. Never listens to anything I say. She.." before I could continue set started to shout, "She's coming turn off the lights, she's coming! Karishma, be ready."

I laugh and shake my head, the poor man was panicking. I nod my head at the couple and started to walk in position. 

The lights went off and the place was completely silent until I started to hear Iris call my name. 

"Kari? Kari? Are you here?" she called out.

"Yea, I am. Sorry. The late went a few minutes ago. Follow my voice you'll find me."

She laughs, "I'll be fine. You're the one who's afraid of the dark."

"I'm not afraid of the dark." I defended. 

"Tell that to someone who hasn't known you for so long." she paused, "How are you?"

  "I'm okay." I could sense that she was close, all I had to do was continue to build the conversation. 

"No, I mean, How are you doing since...you know?" I knew actually what she meant.

I paused for a while before answering. "I'm breathing."

"It gets better," she assured. "I think I see you."

"My mother said the same earlier."  I sigh, "I don't see you."

"Are you wearing black and white?" I smile, the plan is working. 

"Yes, I am." 

She laughs, "You look a little tall."

  "I'm wearing my mother's heels." I smiled. I can't believe she hasn't noticed that the figure in front of her is a man and not me. 

"Your mother is a diva."

I laughed, "Tell me about it, she actually did my makeup."

  "I can't wait to see your face then." she laughs, "You must look like a doll. Hmm..Kari, I don't think you're the person I'm seeing you have way more curves than the person in front of me."

  I wanted to laugh but I maintained my act, "Thanks, I feel like a princess now. Getting a compliment from a queen."

  I could tell she rolled her eyes as she hissed her teeth. "You're a...Brandon!!" she shouted in shock. 

  At the sound of the password, the lights were switched on, just in time for Brandon to go on one knee.

  "Oh my god! Kari! Why you tell me about this?" I watched as she looked around for me then brought her eyes back to the man on one knee. She grinned and laughed. 

  "We've been together for five years and those years have been perfect. I love coming home to you, I love telling people that you're my girlfriend but what I'd love more than anything else in the world is if I can tell people that you're my wife and when I come home my woman, my wife is waiting for me." he slowly opens the small jewellery box, "I guess what I'm trying to say is, Will you marry..?" 

  He didn't get to finish, she jumped in his arms and scream yes five times. Everyone came out of their hiding spots and start clapping their hands. Iris turns around and saw everyone including me. She shakes her head and laughs at me. "You're the best." she mouth. Her mother walked up to her hugging her. 

  "My beautiful daughter is getting married. Finally, I've been waiting for this for five years." Verona said.

Iris laughs, "I'm not letting him wait a next minute."

"You better," Seth said to her smiling. The same smile he used to give me. 

It hurt but I had to move on. 

"Let's eat cake," Brandon shouted. 

   Everyone laughed and started to make their way to the cake. Iris and Brandon cut the first slice together then Brandon started to cut the cake in smaller pieces and distributed it to everyone.  When everyone had theirs I went for mine. 

"Make sure I get the biggest piece."

He smiles, "Of course." he cuts a big slice and place it on my plate. "Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome, brother." he smiled at his new nickname. 

  Everyone sat in a circle eating cake and champagne and talking among each other. Ethan, Iris's secretary stood from his corner, "Attention, Attention. It's time for the couple to give us the story on how they met."

  Everyone stopped the talking and turned their attention to the couple waiting for them to begin. 

  Iris looked at Brandon for rescue. Even though she was a great business speaker, she hated sharing her private life. 

  Brandon laughed, "Okay, I'll do it." He placed his drink in the ground and started, "We met at 5k marathon, she bumped into me."

"No!" Iris shouted, "That's not how we met, we met at a conference."

  I made a buzzer sound with my voice, "You're both wrong. You met at a dorm party. I invited you to come with me and when we entering the party and Brandon collided. Brandon, you're close, two weeks after you collided again and then you officially at the conference."

Iris laughed, "Yea, you're right. I can't believe you remember that."

"I still won, I was closer to the real answer." Brandon joked. 

 The couple started to laugh and talk about their other experience since they've been together, while everyone sat around and listening. I was slowly getting a little emotional at the love overload that the two was showing.

I wasn't jealous, just sad. 

I could have had a love like theirs and I ruined it.

  I slowly stood up trying to be a quiet as possible with as little disruption as possible. I managed to get away without any noise or anyone realising that I left. I walked over to a small fountain and took a seat at its edge. I looked in the water at my moonlight reflection. 

 Maybe Karishma Jones love life was not written in the stars. 

Maybe you were meant to get your heart broken a few times before you actually found the 'one'

Maybe there is no such thing as the 'one' 

I wiped the single tear as it slipped from my eyes. 

  Everything happens for a reason maybe I don't know the reason for this sadness and loveless life now but in the future, something will make up for it, or someone. 

"Hey," I lifted my eyes to see Iris looking at me. She took a seat next to me. "Why are you going to the Bahamas?"

  I wiped the tears and sniffed, "It hurts." It was worse than any physical pain that I've ever felt, even period pains and those were terrible.

  "What hurts?" I knew she knew the answers to questions before she asks them. This was her way of therapy, trying to get me to talk. 

"He just sits there and acts like everything is okay." 

Everything is not okay. Nothing is okay. 

At least not with me. 

  "Is that why you're leaving?" 

  "I need fresh air."

"Fresh air?" she inquired.

"He hates me." I bend my head and start crying. She pulls me in a hug, "It's okay."

"No, he blocked me. He doesn't want to talk to me or even look at me. It hurts." I said the words through sops while my heart broke slowly. 

She pulls me away from the hug and looks into my eyes, "You love him?"

I nod, "So much." 

She gave me a small smile, "Karishma Jones in love. I never thought I'd see the day."

I gave her a small smile, "It's not like it matters anyway, he hates me."

"He doesn't hate you."

I laughed at her words, "He blocked me, he acting like I'm a complete stranger, ignoring me."

"That doesn't mean he hates you."

 "He does, I didn't respond when he told me he loved me and according to my father that's the worst thing that can happen to a man."

"He doesn't hate you, Kari."

  I shake my head at her words, "He does."

  She looked behind me, "Instead of assuming he hates you, why don't you ask him yourself?"

  I turn to look behind me where she was staring and my heart jumped at the sight. 

.................

What do you think is going to happen in the next chapter?

I hope you enjoyed the update. 

Thanks for reading.