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The man came closer toward us, in the dark I could barely make out his features. A strong jaw line, straight nose and blonde hair. He had crows feet around his golden eyes. He was wearing a suit and tie and his hair was parted and gelled. It was like looking into Vox’s future, the man standing before us was an older copy of Vox. “As I was working down on the 7th floor, I got an alert that I had opened the 100th floor door.” His voice was laced with anger mixed with disappointment. “Now it could have been a glitch in the system, but I figured I would come check it out. And low and behold I find my son trespassing on government property to show a girl the pretty stars.”

Vox swallowed but didn’t speak. His face showed that he had sobered up at the sight of his father. He didn’t make eye contact with him, he stayed staring down at the ground.

“It was my fault.” Vox’s head snapped up to meet my eyes. I didn’t know why I was saying this, but I decided to chalk it up to all the champagne I had. I looked back at Mr. Bly. “I kept complaining how I couldn’t see the stars here, so I forced Vox to take me here.”

Mr. Bly’s golden eyes finally focused on me, “Just because I matched you with my son doesn’t mean I like you, it doesn’t mean I want you to make my son happy, it doesn’t even mean I think you are worthy to be apart of this family. It means that you’re hear to supply us with the next generation. That’s all you are good for. So, I encourage you to keep your mouth shut and your nose out of things that don’t concern you.”

I stared at him in disbelief. I couldn’t believe that he just said that. That he had actually told me that I was only here to be a baby maker. That I wasn’t useful for anything else. What an arrogant asshole.

That’s when I actually started to think. I started to think about Mrs. Bly and how her only job was to make the next generation. When that job was over she just filled her life with parties and balls that her husband couldn’t be bothered to attend. She had been taken from her home to this god forsaken place with him, all because his father matched them together. I didn’t want to end up like her, with no life purpose, filling my time with frivolous activities. And it would be the same way for our children. Vox would choose some innocent girl to be thrown into this family against her will so she could bring forth another generation of Blys.

I thought of Hal and how she didn’t even have a chance to be a mother. She wouldn’t get to bring forth a new generation, all because she wasn’t arranged with some stranger. If this was like the world I read about in romance novels, she’d fall in love with Mr. Right, and live happily ever after. But this wasn’t like that world. And Halston wasn’t matched.

Lincoln Bly was the most powerful man in the country. He had the ability to rip families apart. He had the power to force people to marry. He could match whoever he wishes. He could ruin lives. But he could also make lives. He could make new families, create a new bond between people. And soon, Vox would have that power.

I hadn’t realized that I had zoned out until the car had pulled up the house. When did we get here? How did we get past Mr. Bly? I was still a little dazed and confused from the combination of champagne and our encounter with Mr. Bly.

We walked into the house in silence. Vox walked be to my door. He paused and placed his fingers on the bridge of his nose. “Look, I’m sorry about what he said. He was more mad at me than you.”

I frowned, but didn’t say a word.

“He said something similar to Yale once. You know who Yale is, right?” I nodded. “Well, anyway he said something along the lines of ‘you don’t deserve to be apart of this family’, and ‘you’re lucky I picked you. I could have easily replaced you with another girl.’ But after a while, she grew on him. He was pretty broken up over her death. So, I’m sure it’ll be the same for you. Just don’t do anything to agitate him, okay?”

I nodded, “Yeah.” I picked at my nail polish. “What will happen to you?”

He shrugged, “Ah, he’ll probably scold me tomorrow, but it’s nothing I haven’t endured before.” He sighed. “Okay, well, I’ll let you get some sleep. Good night, Emmary.”

I smiled and said “Good night, Vox” as he turned on his heel and started walking toward his room. I watched him as he opened his door and vanished inside. After a few beats I did the same.

I found some clothes to change into. I took one last glance in the mirror and had to admire my reflection. I still couldn’t believe that the girl staring back was me. She looked beautiful. Her hair was done up in curls, and the make up made her blue eyes stand out. Her figure was flattered by every tight fitted curve of the dress. I turned around and reached for the zipper in the back. My fingertips brushed the metal, but I couldn’t quite reach it. I sighed and made my way down the hall to the only other person I knew was home.

I knocked on his door. He opened it within seconds. “Emmary?”

I took him in with my eyes. He was only wearing his black slacks. No shirt. Staring straight at his bear chest made it hard to breath. “I um, I can’t reach my zipper, would you mind?”

He shook his head no and I turned around. His fingers were cold to the touch as he grabbed the zipper and started pulling down slowly. His fingers were leaving an icy trail down my back. Goosebumps started to form on my skin. I held the dress to my chest with one hand and could feel my heart beating faster and faster through the fabric.

The zipper stopped, but his hands lingered for a few seconds longer than necessary. I turned around. His eyes weren’t flickering with the excitement as they had when we were in the elevator. This was something else. “Thanks.” My voice came in barely audible.

His breathing was shallow. He swallowed, “Yeah.” There was an energy between us that I couldn’t quite describe. He started leaning forward. I felt myself being drawn in closer and closer to him.

I broke eye contact and shook the feeling away as I took a step back. I turned and walked back down the hallway before anything else happened. I didn’t know what that was, and I didn’t want to find out where it was going. I could feel him lingering in the doorway, watching me walk away.

I found refuge in my own room. I let the dress fall into a wave on the ground and put on the clothes I already laid out. I pulled the pins out of my hair and started to think on what had just happened. Were we about to kiss? Was that kiss about to turn into something more? I had never felt that kind of energy, not even with Koontz. With Koontz it was a comfortable steady love. This was what I had imagined passion to feel like.

I washed the makeup off my face and brushed my teeth. It had been a long night, hell even a long day. Was it today that Hal had cried and begged me not to talk about what I overheard? I sighed as I crawled into bed and laid my head down. I yawned one last time before turning out the light.

As soon as the room was black, I felt on guard. My body was tense and my eyes were wide, scanning every inch of my room. I wouldn’t ever be able to fall asleep this way. I tried to calm myself by chanting that I was safe over and over again in my head. But it didn’t work. My body rejected the notion that I was safe alone in this dark room. It fully believed that any second Captain Pike would jump through the window again.

I decided to turn the light on and read a little, hoping that would wear me out further so I could fall asleep. An hour passed by, then two. I had tried to lie down multiple times, but as soon as I turned out the light, I was wide awake again. I gave a frustrated sigh and climbed out of bed. I wanted to avoid going to him because of what had just happened between us. But I felt like I had no other option. I silently walked down the hallway and into his open room.

I could hear Vox snoring lightly, signaling that he was asleep. I didn’t want to wake him for a third night in a row. Instead I climbed in next to him, careful not to jostle the bed. I faced my back to him and pulled the covers tight around me. Here I felt safe. My eyes drifted closed as I matched the rhythm of his breathing.

When I woke up the next morning I could feel his arms around me. His body was pressed against mine, forming to each other’s curves. I could feel his chest rise and fall against my back, is mouth inhaling and exhaling every breath onto my neck. He was holding me there, so close to him, and yet I felt relaxed. My eye lids started to drift close when an alarm went off.

Vox groaned and pulled me tighter to him before letting go and rolling over to turn off the alarm. I stayed quite and still. I felt his weight leave the bed. He started to rustle around in his drawers. I turned to look at the clock. It read 6:30 a.m.

He noticed my movement, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. I have to go work. It’s still pretty early, try to go back to sleep.” I nodded in response and fell back asleep almost instantly.

When I woke back up it was 10:00, and Vox was gone. I stretched out before deciding that I should get up. I walked back to my room. I took a quick shower and dried my hair with the fancy dyer that blows hot hair all over the place. After I had changed there was a knock on the door.

Hal peeked her head through, “Oh good, you’re up and dressed.” She opened the door farther and let herself in. “Good morning!” She chirped.

“Good morning.” I replied as I picked up my dress from last night and hung it up. “What should I do with this?”

Hal waved her hand, “Don’t worry, the maid will come by and take it to the cleaners.” She skipped to the bed and fell back into the soft mattress.

I smiled, “You look like you’re in good mood, what’s up?”

She heaved a wistful sigh before answering, “Nothing. I just had a marvelous time last night.”

I knew enough from the other girls in the sector when someone had a secret crush. “Who is he?”

She sat up, “What do you mean?”

I rolled my eyes, “Oh please. You like someone.”

She shrugged, “It doesn’t matter if I do anyways. He’s matched and married to someone else.”

I walked over to her, “But you still had a good time with him last night?”

The smile returned to her face, “Oh yes.” She frowned, “But promise me you won’t say anything. Father would be furious and, well, it would just cause a lot of trouble over nothing.”

I smiled, “Of course I won’t say anything.” Hal would never actually have anyone special in her life. I could keep a secret that she liked a guy. Of course she had to like someone, right? She couldn’t go her whole life being alone without feeling something for somebody. Of course this was now the second secret of Hal's that I was supposed to keep. How many more did she have? How many did this family have?

She stood up and hugged me, “Thanks. I knew I could trust you.” She was grinning as she let go of me. She then clapped her hands together and changed the subject, “Now let’s talk wedding.”

I internally groaned as we both sat on my bed. This wasn’t what I wanted. None of it. I didn’t want to get married right now. I wasn’t ready. If it had it my way, we would be waiting for at least a year, at least. In a perfect world I would wait another five years. In am even more perfect world I would be marrying Koontz. Right? My stomach knotted at my self doubt. Of course I would. I shook the doubt from my head.

“I was thinking of going with a blue color scheme. It’d match your eyes and I look good in blue.” She paused and smiled, “Don’t worry, so does Vox. Blue is the Bly’s family color according to our crest.”

I smiled and nodded along with everything she was saying. I didn’t want to make any decisions about color scheme or what kind of flowers I was thinking about getting. Making any sort of decision would mean that I was making this wedding an official thing, that it was actually happening. Suddenly I realized that I didn’t even have a clue as to when it was. “What’s the date?” I blurted out over Hal talking about baby’s breath.

She gave me a startled look, “Oh, the 18th I believe.”

Today was what the 3rd? The 4th? I had no clue anymore. In any case that gave me two weeks. I had two weeks before I was supposed to marry Vox Bly. That wasn’t nearly enough time. I started to feel claustrophobic, like the walls were closing in around me and there was no escape. I didn’t want to start having a panic attack in front of Hal, so I calmed my nerves by imagining a huge field where there was no commitment in sight.

I had to stop the onslaught of wedding questions. It was getting to be too much. “Don’t you think Vox would want to help make decisions? I mean after all it’s half his wedding too.”

Hal tilted her head back and let out a laugh. “Oh that’s so sweet. It may be like that in 16 but here in 3, women do all the planning. The groom just shows up.”

I gave a small smile to cover up my disappointment. Getting used to the idea that I’ll be married in two weeks was stressful enough. Planning the damn thing just made my stomach queasy and my head hurt.

“You look a little pale. Are you feeling alright, Emmary?”

I frowned and shook my head. “No, I think I just want to lie down for a bit.”

“Okay, well, I’ll leave you alone then. I saved some magazines that we can go through later.” She stood up off my bed, “Do you want me to bring you anything?”

“No thank you. I think I’m just going to try to get some rest.”

She smiled, “Okay, well if you need anything just holler.”

I nodded, “Will do.”

She left the room and I finally got some peace and quiet.

Now I knew that I couldn’t hide from the wedding forever. I’d eventually have to pick out a dress and décor and menus and color schemes and flowers and photographers, and the little place card that told people where to sit. My head started spinning faster and faster before I finally just laid down under the covers and shut the world out.