chapter 3

"Ava, what are you doing?" Eva's voice shrill, echoing off the walls of the bridal suite. She stood in the doorway, staring in incredulous horror as Ava hastily gathered her things, the fragile wedding dress left ignored on the mannequin beside her. “Where are you going?”

Ava whipped around to face her, her features set in a determined glare. "Anywhere but here. I'm not going through with this, Eva."

“What?" Eva's heart was racing, her mind refusing to believe what it was hearing. "But everyone's here, the guests, our families. Shawn's waiting."

"Well, I didn't ask them to wait on me, did I?" Ava snapped, the bitterness ripe in her tone as she crammed another dress into her suitcase, her eyes never straying to her sister. "This is all your fault, you know.”

Eva's breath caught, the pang of guilt tight around her heart. "My fault? Ava, I went on that date because you asked me to. I did it to help you, you literally beg me to go on every date with him.”

"Precisely," Ava retorted, her eyes slanted as she finally faced her sister. "I sent you to fill in for me, to keep him company, not to accept a marriage proposal on my behalf."

"I. I didn't mean to," Eva stuttered, her voice quivering. "He proposed out of nowhere. I couldn't just break his heart in front of everyone.”

"Spare me the melodrama," Ava cut her off, her eyes rolling. "You're too soft-hearted, Eva. And just look at what you got me into."

Eva took a pleading step closer with her eyes wide. "Ava, don't do this, please. Just wear the dress and go out there. He's a good man, and he doesn't deserve this…”

"No," Ava said, cutting her off, her voice cold as steel. "You're the one who needs to take responsibility for once. You're the one who said yes, who made him believe I wanted to marry him. Fix it."

And the request that came really took Eva by surprise. Eva's eyes had widened in shock; her mind struggled to wrap itself around what Ava was asking of her. "Fix it? How?”

She cast a sideways glance at the wedding dress, which sat in its corner, curling her lips wryly. "Put it on. Wait in here until I'm gone, then call off the wedding. Tell them there is some sort of emergency and that I have to go."

“An emergency?" Eva repeated, hardly anything more than a whisper; her voice wasn't even recognized as the full implication of what Ava had said hit her. "And Mom and Dad? What am I supposed to say when they find you gone?”

They don't need to know details," snapped Ava, zipping up her bag. "Tell them just what I told you. And whatever you do, don't let them find out about everything we did with shawn." Her voice dropped down to a whisper, and for one moment a shadow of guilt crossed over her eyes, looking away from them. "I don't want to deal with their disappointment."

Eva felt a surge of helpless emotion with this announcement. "And where are you off to, Ava? And Shawn?"

"I'm leaving the country," Ava said, a little smile forming on her face. "James is waiting for me. He… he's who I really want to be with, not Shawn. You know I was just keeping Shawn around for his influence all these months.”

"James?" Eva felt as though her heart had reached the pit of her stomach, remembering the college boyfriend with whom Ava had been so enamored. "Ava, you … you can't just run off like this. Do you know what this will do to everybody? To Shawn?"

Irritation flashed in Ava's eyes. "That is not my problem, Eva, Shawn will live eventually. And as for you…", she stuttered to a halt, her gaze intensifying. "Just do what I said. Wear the dress, play out my excuses, and be done with it. You accepted the proposal in my place, so call it off in my place too. That's the least you can do.”

Anger and heartbreak fought their ways up to her chest as Eva shook with trembling hands. "Ava… please, don't do this. Don't throw everything away like this.”

Ava's eyes momentarily softened before setting once more in their stone-like resolve. "I've already told you, Eva, this is my decision. I'm leaving, and you're going to clean up this mess you've made." She took a deep breath and pushed by her sister. "Goodbye, Eva."

Just like that, she was gone.

Eva's frame stood there, it felt, for an eternity, staring after the door Ava disappeared behind. Her mind was racing with one thought warring with another. Her twin sister was gone, leaving her with the consequences of their actions and the weight of the wedding dress that crushed inside her from all her decisions.

The silence in the room hung heavy and thick upon her skin, weighing her down, casting her gaze into an empty stare at the dress-the delicate lace, the shimmering beads almost mocking her. She could almost hear Ava's words resound within her brain.

“Take responsibility. Fix it.”

Hypnotically, Eva reached out to the dress, stroking her fingers over the intricate fabric. She could still turn around, still could tell them all what Ava had done, show the world the reality behind this artfully created veneer. But then what? Her parents' disappointment, the embarrassment, the hurt in Shawn's eyes,…

Just the mere thought of it all was an ache to her heart.

The other thought had started to take hold now; quiet at first, but getting louder with each passing second.

Maybe this was her chance;a chance with the man she loved, even if it meant being another woman. Nobody would know with Ava gone: not Shawn, not Mom and Dad, nobody.

Eva's heart beat faster; and her trembling fingers took the wedding dress and she slipped her delicate body into it, seized the veil and drew it over her head. She adjusted it with the exacting precision of a bride about to take the aisle, and peered into the glass.

It was only when the soft knock on the door pierced her reverie that she turned to see her father, standing at the door, where pride welled in his eyes and he proceeded into the room. "Ava," he said softly, "it is time. Are you ready?"

Eva's heart pressed against her chest as her gaze met her father's. The decision weighed in the balance within her; each drop of its finality oozed from every pore.

“Dad, there's something you need to know.” Eva managed to let out.

Concern etched on her father's face. “Ava, sweetie, is anything the problem?”

Then she thought again. Wasn't this what she wanted? To be with Shawn.

Then she snuffed the doubt with a quivering breath and deliberately pursued her lips in a small, forced smile, while her head nodded. "Never mind, Dad. I'm ready."

His father's face shone proudly; his features were spread in a kind smile. He reached for her hand, and they started getting themselves ready to go out.

As they left the room, stepped out into the hall, Eva cast one more glance back. A thrill of nervous excitement tangled with the guilt that twisted in her stomach.

This was her chance, and she was going to take it.