Sophia had been hanging out with Lizetta quite a bittely, and they hit it off pretty well. Lizetta even


    invited Sophia to her wedding.


    Feeling a bit worried, Sophia decided to check in with Cassius to see if he knew what was up.


    Cassius was lounging in an SUV, getting a touch-up from his makeup artist, when he casually said,


    "The Starlight Group isn''t some backyard operation; they''re not about to make a big mistake. Isn''t Remi


    getting hitched soon? Whatever you''ve heard must be some baseless rumor."


    "I wish it were just a rumor, but I literally just overheard Mr. Dashiell calling Lizetta. Brides tend to get


    super jittery right before the wedding, all scared of tying the knot and whatnot. This is when they really


    need their other half to step up, provide that sense of security, and patiently be there for them. It''ll make


    the girls fearless, and start the marital life at ease."


    "I''m all for staying single, and the thought of marriage freaks me out, so you''re barking up the wrong


    tree here."


    "I just think Lizetta''s not in a great ce emotionally. Aren''t you and Mr. Dashiell friends? Maybe give


    him a nudge, remind him that his wife shoulde before business, no?"


    After Sophia hung up, Ynda''s frustrated voice filled the SUV, "I knew that badass Remington


    wouldn''t just behave! Call him up, ask what the hell he''s nning to do?!"


    Cassius was getting his makeup done, and just now it was Ynda who helped to hold the phone near


    his ear.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Ynda, frantic with worry, didn''t y nice. After her rant, she called Remington and pressed the


    phone back to Cassius'' ear with force.


    He felt as if half of his head was numbed. Cassius couldn''t understand why he''d be punished for


    Remington''s lousy antics.


    "It''s off."


    The call didn''t go through.


    Annoyed, Ynda threw the phone at Cassius and dashed out of the SUV to call Lizetta. She was


    worried that Remington might be getting cold feet.


    "Yoli, he said he''d be back before the wedding; don''t worry," Lizetta''s voice was still cheerful while the


    call got through.


    It seemed Lizetta was in good spirits. But Ynda knew her; Lizetta was the type to bottle up her


    feelings.


    Still worried, she said, "I''m gonna take some time off from the crew. I''ll stay with you until your wedding


    day."


    With Remington missing right before the wedding, she was all the family Liz had, and she was


    determined to be there for her.


    "Okay."


    Hearing Lizetta agree so readily weighed heavily on Ynda''s heart.


    Lizetta was never one to trouble others, even her. That single word of agreement revealed Lizetta''s


    hidden fears and vulnerability to Ynda.


    Remington had promised he''d be back before the wedding and asked her to wait for him; Lizetta chose


    to believe him.


    Yet, days passed with no sign of him, and he didn''t pick up the phone either. He had assured her he''d


    return at least by the eve of their wedding, but he didn''t.


    At night, Lizetta stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, phone in hand, her figure solitary against the dim


    glow of the courtyard, her gaze distant.


    Ynda walked in with a mug of warm milk, finding the room pitch dark, "Why didn''t you turn on the


    light?"


    She flicked on the switch, making her way to Lizetta, who turned with a start, forcing a smile, "Oh, it''s


    dark already? Yoli, I forgot to turn it on."


    Seeing her like this, Ynda felt a pang of pain, cursing Remington for the umpteenth time in her heart.


    She approached, setting the milk aside to hold Lizetta''s icy hands, “Liz, stop waiting. Let''s call off the


    wedding."


    Remington wasn''t worth it. He had no idea what he was missing, a girl who loved him with all her heart,


    willing to wait for him forever.


    But in this world, not everyone was willing to stay put indefinitely.