2-13: Congratulations

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"You can't actually be naive enough to do this."

Eden crossed her arms over her chest, looking at her youngest daughter's face in the mirror before them. Rain's face paled more than it already was naturally, and she dropped her eyes to the various objects on the vanity below her.

"If you don't like it, you don't have to say it like that, mom."

Eden shook her head with a sigh, walking over to the bed in Rain's new bedroom. Well, her and Thorne's bedroom. Not that anything had actually happened. She had slept in the same bed as him when they moved in, yes. But she wasn't going to give anything else to him until the night they were married.

"You know that's not what I'm talking about."
Eden's voice was unintentionally cold, and when Rain lifted her eyes back into the mirror, her mother's eyes almost matched her tone.

"I know."

Her soft voice was so quiet in the room, Eden had to stop herself from telling her to speak up. She'd had to stop herself from doing that most of Rain's life. 

"You barely know him."

"I know him enough."

"No. You don't."

Rain turned around in her seat to face her mom, her cheeks going from pale to red as her anxiety grew.

"Why does everyone have such a problem with this?! Why is it that I'm the only one of your children not allowed to make serious life decisions alone?"

Eden's eyes widened and she sighed, shaking her head.

"Because, Rain. You're only 18. None of your family, or your friends, even knew this guy before you're suddenly marrying him in five days.

I didn't even marry your father until I'd known him for years. This is too fast, and too much."

Rain got to her feet, pulling the barrette out of her hair and dropping it onto the vanity. She turned to face Eden again, her voice full of the emotion she never could quite keep under control.

"Mom. I'm not you. I'll never be you. You all have told me that since I was a toddler.

I won't make your decisions, and I won't make you happy no matter what I do. 

I could marry someone I've known all my life, and you both would still find a way and a reason to tell me it isn't right."

Her voice became strangled, tears burning at her eyes. But for once, she refused to let them fall.

"You are here because you're my mother and I love you. I wanted you to be part of my wedding. My wedding to the man that I love. 

Why can't you just ignore your smothering obsession with how I'm not good enough for one visit with me? Just this one? 

And then you can go back to California, and remind yourself again how I'm not you."

Eden's mouth was hanging open, and for the first time in as long as Rain could remember, she was speechless.

Frustration grew in Rain's chest and she turned for the bedroom door. At the last minute, she turned around, her eyes brimming and exposing those familiar tears.

"I love you, momma. I'm sorry I let you down. Again."

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"This whole thing was a joke, right?"

Rain looked up from where she was sitting at the head table in the reception hall, dread dropping into her stomach. The wedding had went off smoothly. No bumps or bad comments or fights. It was all she could ask for, but she knew... She knew it was only a matter of time before someone said something. 

She just didn't expect it to be Discord.

"Excuse me?"

Thorne's voice was calm, but it carried a tone she couldn't place. One he reserved only when she upset him. One she disliked immensely. 

"You heard me. This is a joke, right? You marrying a girl you barely know?

She's basically still a child. Are you into that or something?"

Storm choked on the bite of whatever it is she had just been trying to eat, coughing and staring back and forth between Discord and Thorne with wide eyes.

Ryan, however, was sitting on the other side of Rain, and his face looked less concerned, more confused.

"I'm eighteen, Discord. I'm not a child."

Discord scoffed, picking up the wine glass in front of him. He drained it, his eyes on Thorne. The look on his face was so full of disgust, Rain couldn't understand it. It was the first time Discord had ever even met him.

"You are barely eighteen. How old is he? Thirty?

Wouldn't a prostitute have been cheaper than this big ass wedding?"

The entire table was quiet now, just watching whatever devastation was about to unfold in front of them.

The waiter came by, clearing the table of all of the half eaten or barely touched food.

Rain eventually spoke once he had walked away.

"Discord, stop it."

Rain's voice was quiet, tilting towards tears. On her wedding day. Of course this would happen.


"Have you noticed he's not saying anything? He must know that I'm right."

Thorne shook his head slowly, his eyes surveying Discord. But there wasn't any emotion in them. No hint of anything. Even anger.

"You seem to care a great deal about Rain. So I would think you'd discontinue your attempt at dramatics and let her enjoy her wedding. 

Don't you think?"

He put his hand over Rain's on the table and she smiled up at him hesitantly. But he didn't return it. Not that she could blame him.

"No, because this entire fucking wedding is a sham. You're a fucking sham."

Throne raised an eyebrow, emotion almost showing on his features.

"I'm pretty sure that you know nothing about me, kid."

Rain pulled her hand out from under Thorne's and got to her feet, clearing her throat.

"I can't do this. I need to go to the bathroom."

As she stood, however, so did Ryan. He followed her halfway across the reception hall before she turned around, her eyes full of bitterness.

"Why are you following me? I'm sure that you'd rather be back at that table watching the horror unfold. This is probably what you wanted anyway. I don't deserve even this day to be happy, do I?"

Ryan looked taken aback, his eyes wide.

"No. I didn't want this. Discord is my brother, yeah, but I don't control him. You should know that. You have no control over your siblings either."

Rain groaned, turning back around for the bathroom, but Ryan's hand closed around her arm.

"Rain, wait."

She pulled her arm out of his grip and turned to face him again, her voice rough.

"What do you want, Ryan?"

"What I want doesn't matter anymore. You already married this guy. You already made your choice. No matter what Discord says to him, or what anyone's opinion's are, this is set in stone.

But I'm still your friend right? That's what you said in your apartment. So..."

He shrugged, looking back towards the table everyone was still seated at. No one even seemed to be paying attention to them. 

And Discord didn't seem to have stopped his tirade.

"I just wanted to know if I could have a dance."

Rain's face quickly went from upset to incredulous.

"Seriously?"

Ryan nodded, once.

"Seriously."

Rain's eyes traveled over the table like Ryan's had and Thorne wasn't even looking her way. He was too busy being a solid block of ice and staring at the man who was trying his hardest to ruin this entire thing.

She let out a sigh and looked around at the other tables, all the people who were here for this. Her mother and father, Thorne's parents, his siblings. Everyone was here but one face. Thaddeous. When she looked back at Ryan, he was holding a hand out, his eyes expectant.

"Don't leave me hanging here, Mrs. Campbell."

A small smile found its way onto her face at his words, even though it was clear they didn't carry any hint of congratulations. She put her hand in his and followed him over to the place where other people were slow dancing to some song she didn't even pick.

His hand met her waist, and she almost couldn't reach his shoulder with her hand even in her heels. It must be comical in everyone's eyes who actually saw this.

They didn't speak for a few moments, but eventually Ryan's voice sounded in her ear.

"I'm trying to be happy for you, Rain."

She looked up at him, tilting her head at the softness in his voice.

"You are?"

He nodded once, his eyes looking back over towards all of the tables.

"I said I'm trying. Not that I'm succeeding."

His grip tightened momentarily on her hand, but it didn't hurt. Somehow it felt comforting.

"But I can't tell you that I trust him. I may never trust him."

Rain stayed quiet, even when he pressed just a little closer to her. It didn't feel wrong, even though maybe it should. Ryan was basically her best friend besides Nash. Even if they had kissed all that time ago.

"I've known you for years. I've known how trapped you were in that world. Like a bird in a cage."

She noticed that she had been staring at him and quickly dropped her eyes from his face, a lump rising in her throat.

"Or an angel without her wings."

Ryan's voice was doing something unrecognizable. And everything around them almost seemed to fade in the presence of his words as he continued to speak.

"But you seem free here. Like you can finally fly. And I may hate that guy, and hate this decision, but you seem happy."

He looked down at her, his lavender eyes bright with something.

"And that's all I really wanted for you."

The song around them faded to a close and Ryan paused for a moment, his gaze far away. He removed his hand from her waist and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. But Rain was sure that it lasted just a little too long.

He pressed his lips to the top of her head and broke the hug, looking down at her. And his words seemed sincere.

"Congratulations, Rain."

His hand brushed her cheek and he nodded, walking away through the crowd and leaving her to stare after him.

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"Everyone you know seems very full of distaste about us, Rain."

Rain looked up at him from her side of the limousine, trying her hardest to give him a reassuring smile. The reception was over, and they were headed to the airport. He was taking her somewhere for their honeymoon, but wouldn't tell her where.

And she was finding it impossible to be excited. 

No one in her entire list of guests she had invited seemed excited at the prospect of this marriage. Not one person.

"It's only because of how fast it happened, Hawthorne. I promise, they will grow to like you in time. If I love you, they'll love you."

She wasn't sure at this point if she was trying to convince him... or herself.

"I'm not sure that I believe that."

He reached over, pulling her across the seat and against his side, his arm behind her and his hand on the other side of her waist.

"But I don't have to, right? You belong to me now."

Rain nodded once, her eyes submissive under his own. 

"I do. I did. No one can change that. I love you, Hawthorne."

He leaned down, brushing his lips across her own.

"I love you too, Rain."

He lifted his eyes from her, glancing out the window as the car moved forward. His next words were in that tone he had used with Discord in the reception hall.

"However..."

Rain blinked at him once, his grip on her side tightening slightly. But not like the way Ryan's had on her hand. It was different.

"However what? What's wrong?"

He looked away from the window and back into her eyes. But she couldn't read anything in his. They were empty. She always tried so desperately to see the love he said he felt in them, but she didn't think she could.

She could hear it in his words, and feel it in her chest... But his eyes never seemed to reflect it. But they never reflected much of anything.

"Ryan seems like a problem."

Rain stared at him, her mouth dropping open slightly.

"What?"

Thorne sighed quietly, and his voice grew much more stern. Almost as if he was reprimanding her like he would a naive child.

"Ryan. I saw the way he was touching you. I see the way he looks at you. 

You're my wife now, and that isn't acceptable."

His grip on her side became so apparent that it stung. She reached down and pushed his hand off of her, turning her body towards his.

"He's my friend, Thorne. You know that. I've known him most-"

Thorne cut her off, removing his other hand from her skin too.

"That is beside the point, Rain.

As I said, you're mine now. And you do as I say. 

And I do not want you to talk to him."

Something in her stomach turned violently and she couldn't do anything but stare at him. It was almost as if his words froze her in place.

"That's not fair, Thorne. He didn't do anything."

"He will."

"He won't! He's not like that! You don't even know him!"

Thorne's gaze hardened, and his eyes were almost what Rain would call cold.

"Do not yell at me."

Rain instantly dropped her voice an octave, trying again to explain the anxiety rolling in her chest.

"He's my best friend, Thorne."

The car rolled to a stop outside of the airport, and they sat in silence as the driver came around and opened the door for them. Thorne exited the car and held his hand out once he did so Rain could take it, pulling her to her feet.

"He's in love with you. And you're not to talk to him as long as you love me.

Understood?"

Rain looked up and into Thorne's eyes, her breath catching in her chest. She wanted to protest and she wanted to defend him, but she was frozen in that gaze again. He pulled her close to him, and she relented, a small sigh leaving her lips. Complying without conscious meaning to.

Maybe Thorne was right. Maybe Ryan did love her... maybe it wasn't okay to be close to him. It would explain a lot. 

And she didn't want to lose Thorne over it. She didn't want to lose this. 

Her marriage or the feeling he put in her chest. The love.

She didn't want to lose the first thing she'd ever been able to call her own. 

"Understood."

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My words they don't come out right
But I'll try to say I'm happy for you