Why We Broke Up
Chapter Seven: Threat
by tyrantsandcreampuffs

A few days after I met up with Athrun again, Lacus called to check up on me.

"Hey!" she greeted ever cheerfully. Then, her voice took on an accusatory tone. "You didn't answer any of my texts."

"Yeah," I answered noncommittally. The truth was that I didn't know how to deal with Athrun right now—especially after the day I spent with Meer. I was so convinced that I had to help Athrun, that I was doing it more to help him than to help myself after realizing that I may have had—or have—feelings for my oldest friend. But after the things Meer said to me, I wasn't so sure anymore. "I've just been busy with work."

"You run a café. How busy could you be?"

Quite busy, mind you, I wanted to tell her—but that would've been beside the point. Lacus knew I was purposefully ignoring her. And she was calling because she knew I wouldn't have any excuse to pick up.

"Cold feet?" she inquired.

"No, that's what we want Athrun to get," I replied, not letting my sarcasm seep too much into my voice. "I know what I have to do, Lacus; it's just…"

I don't know how to go about this anymore.

"Cagalli?" Lacus called out on the other end of the line. "Did anything happen?"

Yes was the honest answer—but that wasn't something I was ready to admit to. Not to her or to myself.

"Everything's fine, Lacus," I lied, immediately feeling guilty. "I promised to help and currently I have everything on my end under control."

"That's good. Meyrin's trying to dig up more dirt and substantial evidence we can use against Meer."

"Well, if all goes according to plan, Athrun should be calling it off by next week, right?"

"Yes!" I could hear Lacus's enthusiasm at the thought of her goal becoming accomplished. "And I expect you to keep up with your presence in his life."

"Yeah, to agitate his emotions for me or whatever."

"Well you've seen firsthand now how lifeless he's been! He needs you, Cagalli," Lacus was being supportive again and I knew that it was one of her tactics to make me feel guilty if I wasn't cooperating with her plan—but she was doing everything in sincere pursuit of Athrun's happiness and I couldn't really say anything bad about her for it. "How many times have you seen him since our talk?"

"Once," I mumbled, hoping that she'd mishear and assume I said a larger number.

"Once!" I had to put the phone a good distance away from my ear when she started screeching. "Cagalli, I thought that you'd try to see him every other day—"

"With try being the operative word!" I countered, annoyed. "I am trying, Lacus. You have to give me more credit here. It's been quite difficult for me after I saw Athrun."

"Because you realized your feelings for him?"

"No!"

"I can tell when you're being defensive, Cagalli; that tone is doing you no favor."

"I don't like Athrun!"

"Then what's making this difficult for you?"

I wanted to tell Lacus the truth that I did realize my feelings for Athrun, but I didn't know what she'd do if that was the case. Surely she'd push for me to confess as soon as possible, and that wasn't something I could pull off. I had spent the past few days thinking, reminiscing; wondering when the hell did I start liking Athrun. When did I consider the possibility of him being something more than just my friend? And then I would remember that night we kissed—and how in the back of my mind I knew it was right, but I was just so terrified.

And that was only really the icing of the cake because Meer practically threatened me and I couldn't exactly tell Lacus that her plans could be compromised. She and Meyrin were counting on me and I had to find my way around Meer myself.

"I told you," I responded, knowing how dishonest I was being. "I've just been busy. Someone caught the flu at work and I'm down two employees."

The latter wasn't a complete lie. I was down two workers—but only because I granted their request for a leave. Lacus didn't know that, but it was believable enough for her to be acquiesced.

"But you'll be going later to the lessons, aren't you?" she asked, concerned. "Kira will be arriving at Aprilius today and he will be picking you up on his way to the venue."

These details were all in the schedule which Lacus had provided. Meer had apparently insisted that all her bridesmaids and Athrun's groomsmen to learn how to dance and so arranged for a day just for all of us to learn how to be prim and proper in the ballroom so as to 'not embarrass her' or whatever reason she had.

"I'll be there," I finally said and ended the call.

What have I gotten myself into?

After stepping out of Athrun's apartment complex, Meer and I took a cab to go to her dressmaker, some girl named Stellar Loussier. Her name was supposedly synonymous with couture down on earth, as Meer would not stop talking about how Stellar Loussier was the top designer of the year. I couldn't care less what Meer wanted me to wear because I was pretty sure her wedding wasn't going to happen. Still, I had to feign politeness, nodding to almost everything she said. I tried my best not to show how irritated I was with her presence, but I had to be patient else everything would be ruined.

When we arrived at the quaint shop, we were immediately greeted by the designer herself. She had on a dress of blue and white which seemed to show too much skin; and draped on her shoulders was measuring tape.

"Oh, Miss Campbell! What a lovely surprise!" She kissed Meer's cheek and led us inside to a lounge with dressing rooms. "But I do believe that your fitting isn't scheduled until two weeks from now."

"Yes, darling, but this bridesmaid of mine hasn't had her measurements taken yet."

"Is that so?" Stellar turned to me, assessing me. Both she and Meer weren't too taken with the fact that I was wearing pants, but that hardly bothered me. "Well, I'll take them right now. Shinn!"

A black-haired man who couldn't be three years younger than me stepped out of another room looking irate.

"What," he grumbled, not pleased to have been summoned. "Do you need?"

"I need to take her measurements! She's part of Sir Athrun's wedding."

"Really now?" This Shinn guy looked at me and sneered. "You must be the prodigal bridesmaid then."

"That's not even the right use of prodigal," I pointed out, smirking when he growled back. "Can we just get this over with?"

"Most certainly," Stellar interrupted, stomping on Shinn's foot—presumably to keep the boy hushed. I rolled my eyes, not bothering myself with their immaturity. How this young girl was the best designer in the world, I didn't know—and I really didn't care.

After Stellar wrapped her tape around every surface of skin on me, she and Shinn went to the back room to get a sample dress. Apparently I was about the same size as another one of Meer's bridesmaids and they wanted to see the dress on me because they hadn't had their fitting yet.

"I think you'll look beautiful, Cagalli," Meer commented and I was taken aback by how earnest she sounded. "Athrun was the one who chose the color of the dresses of the bridesmaids."

"Did he now?" I tried to appear as uninterested as possible, but at the mention of his name, my heart skipped a beat. "Whatever he picked, it must be a nice choice—"

"Light green, your favorite color," Meer interrupted rather harshly. "Of course he chose it because of you."

No. I needed Meer to think I was on her side, to make her trust me. But she apparently had hostile feelings for me and I didn't know how what to say to make her believe that I didn't have any intentions.

"Meer, I—"

"And I'm telling you to back off now, Cagalli," she warned, standing up and walking towards me. She looked quite intimidating with her high heels and practiced glare, but I tried my best to not budge. "You were gone from Athrun's life for so long and now you come back a month before our wedding? I call bullshit."

I didn't do anything about Meer. It wasn't in me to just accept threats, especially not from the likes of Meer, but I would compromise the mission if I gave in to my urge to put a shiner on the face of Athrun's bride-to-be. Still, it was hard to keep up with appearances when I didn't know what to do. This was not in Lacus's manual.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Meer," I told her with the eloquence my father instilled in me. He had always taught me to remain diplomatic in the most impossible situations and it was paying off now more than ever. "I'm here because Athrun told me he wanted me to be there at your wedding."

Stellar entered the room again and just as Meer had said, the dress was my favorite color.

Kira was the only one I entrusted with a spare key to my apartment. I had no plans on giving anyone a copy, but he had insisted that I give him one because he was my brother. He entered my apartment shouting my name. Typical Kira to not even bother checking the rooms. I groaned as I got off my—very comfortable—bed and walked out to the living quarters to entertain my one and only half-sibling in the universe. Not that I was given a choice anyway.

"Cagalli!" Kira ran up to hug me. He was usually quiet and timid, but he became expressive with me—which I didn't mind because it was nice to know that he could be open with me. "I missed you so much, lil' sis!"

"Don't call me that," I hissed, pushing him away from me. As much as I enjoyed hugging Kira, I just wasn't in the mood. "You're early."

"Is that a bad thing?" Kira was frowning, probably upset that I wasn't reactive to his gesture. I walked to the kitchen and got myself a glass of water as he continued speaking. "I thought that since we'd have two hours to spare before going to those ridiculous lessons, we could catch up a bit. You haven't been the most responsive lately."

"Because you'd keep badgering me about Athrun's wedding!"

"Because I know you're keeping things to yourself again."

"And it's such a terrible thing to have secrets, isn't it?"

"It is when what you're keeping are your feelings."

"Oh, and now you're suddenly an expert? After all that drama with Flay and Lacus?"

"At least I was being honest—"

"And that honesty ended up hurting people, Kira!" I didn't mean to slam my cup onto the table and spill water, but I had all this pent up frustration and I couldn't really tell anyone about it. Athrun used to be my confidant, but he wasn't available for me anymore. "You know I didn't want to go to Athrun's wedding, right?"

Kira followed me into the kitchen. He took a seat on one of the high stools near the countertop and offered me a smile.

"Yes, but Lacus was able to convince you to go with her plan, wasn't she?"

I shook my head. "I've never really been able to say no to her."

"Lacus does have a way to be persuasive—"

"I don't even want to know whatever corollary there is to that fact when it comes to you."

"But she really only ever has good intentions," Kira said, rolling his eyes. "She wouldn't have asked you to play along with her little scheme if she didn't believe that the outcome would be for the good of everyone—including you."

I frowned. "You know everything about her plan?"

"She ran it by me a couple of times," he admitted. "And I know the first step of everything was to make you admit to your feelings for Athrun."

"And how are you okay with your half-sister having feelings for your best friend?"

"I think my being in love with Athrun's fiancée was worse."

"Right."

"Listen, Cagalli," Kira reached out and took my hand from across the table. "No matter what you do, someone is bound to get hurt. If you stop Athrun's wedding, Meer's going to be upset. If you don't, you and Athrun are both going to suffer for who knows how long."

I knew that. I knew that there was going to be consequences to all my actions since I agreed to partake in Lacus's plans. And I knew that I was already hurting just at the thought of failing.

"It's all a matter of choice, Cagalli," Kira concluded with a gentle look in his purple eyes. "And I hope you choose what's going to make you truly happy."

After spending so much time catching up, I was surprised that Kira and I arrived at the dance studio right on time. I didn't know who the other bridesmaids were, but based on their stares, I knew that Meer didn't tell them the nicest things about me. Luckily, I didn't have to feel awkward because I was very familiar with each of Athrun's groomsmen.

"Well, look who's here!" Dearka, a tall tanned blond, declared as Kira and I entered the reserved room. "Little Miss Cagalli Yula Athha finally making her grand appearance!"

"Shut it, Elsman," Yzak grunted, elbowing his friend with a glare. Yzak hadn't changed one bit; he still maintained his stylish cut for his platinum hair and his blue eyes were as piercing as ever. That and he still had his awful temper. "This acoustics of this room wasn't meant to handle your pompous voice."

"Hey, calm down, you two." Nicol was ever the sweetheart and offered an apologetic smile in my direction. "Hey, Cagalli."

"Hey yourself," I replied, hugging the green-haired lad. "Where's Miguel?"

Miguel Aiman was one of Athrun's groomsmen as listed in the wedding invitation—and was the only one not present. I looked around the room for signs of another blond but he was nowhere in sight.

"Ah," Kira started, apologizing to the other members of the entourage. "I haven't told her yet."

"Told me what?"

"Miguel got into an accident last week and is currently confined in a hospital. The doctors don't think he'll be able to walk for a while and has to go through intensive physical therapy."

"Oh," I gasped. The grim looks on the faces of the other groomsmen was enough indication that I was being terribly insensitive. "I'm sorry; I didn't know."

"It's alright, Cagalli." Kira put an arm around my shoulder. "It's a good thing that one of Athrun's friends was willing to be part of the entourage this close to the wedding."

There was supposedly a new groomsman, but I didn't see any other guy in the room. "Who—?"

My question was cut short as the door slammed open and a woman with long midnight blue hair similar to Athrun's sauntered in. She towered over everyone in the room—including Dearka—as she wore the highest heels I've ever seen. Yet she was able to exude a certain grace and was fluid in every motion; it was safe to assume that she was our dance instructor.

"My name is Aisha and I will be teaching you how to not embarrass yourselves on the day of the wedding," she said, confirming her identity. "The bride and the groom requested to have their own private sessions and will not be joining us today."

I cursed inwardly. I tolerated wearing these damned heels because I thought I would have the opportunity to see Athrun—but somehow Meer found a way to foil that, too. Now I was no step closer to accomplishing anything in Lacus's plan and I was stuck in the most uncomfortable shoes for the next two hours.

"Now, as per the bride's request, the pairing of bridesmaids and groomsmen will be as follows," Aisha announced, reading through a list on her tablet screen. "First, the maid of honor and the best man will be paired together, of course."

Kira left my side to meet with Meer's principal bridesmaid at the middle of the dance floor. I didn't know who she was, but she was glaring daggers at my direction. I simply rolled my eyes and didn't bother with her or with any one of Meer's cronies. I didn't care for them—after all, I wouldn't have to deal with them on the wedding day because there wasn't going to be a wedding day.

Aisha continued to list down the names of the pairings and I became anxious to find out who I was going to have to dance with. I had two left feet and I couldn't dance if it meant stopping the next war from breaking out. Whoever I was going to be paired with, they were going to have to suffer from my heels.

"Miss Athha?" I was acutely aware of her calling me out and I raised my hand for her to know who I was. "Ah, you're supposed to be paired with Mister Westenfluss. Mister Westenfluss?"

Meer had paired me up with Heine Westenfluss. Heine. Athrun's friend. The person Meer cheated on Athrun with. And she had the gall to pair me up with him.

The door opened and I didn't have to guess who it was.

"Sorry I'm late," Heine exclaimed, all amber charm. He was beaming at the other ladies until his eyes landed on me. "Miss Athha, I believe we've met before. Seeing as you're the only one standing alone, I can assume that you're my dancing partner. Sorry I've made you wait."

"She hasn't been waiting long at all," Aisha answered for me, striding to the door and pulling him in. She dragged him—I was surprised by her strength—and made him stand by me. "But I do not appreciate any form of tardiness."

"Duly noted, Ma'am," he answered back, sending a wink to her direction. Aisha rolled her eyes and carried on to the front of the class. Then, Heine turned to me. "If I may say, Miss Athha, you still look as radiant as ever. Are you by chance seeing anyone at the moment?"

No. But I was going to see to it that his feet would have multiple bruises by the end of the day.

With Stellar and Shinn in the room, Meer really couldn't say much to me. But when we were finally done with the most awkward dress fitting of the century, I had to leave the petite designer's studio with Meer. And when we were finally outside, that's when she decided to rain hell upon me.

"You're not going to do anything to ruin my wedding, do you understand?" She pointed an accusatory finger at me and dug her long nails into my shoulder as she provoked me. "You think you can just walk back into Athrun's life and take him away from me?"

"Meer," I tried to reason with her. She wasn't incorrect, though, but I still had to qualm her somehow. "You're misunderstanding the situation—"

"No, I see right through whatever it is you're planning and I know you're out to stop my wedding, Athha." Man, Meer had no shortage of trust issues and insecurities. I almost pitied her for the nasty side she was showing, but I was too annoyed at her to even consider sympathizing with her. "You're not going to take Athrun away from me."

"I don't have feelings for Athrun—"

"Yes you do! And you'd be so stupid to think that you can convince anyone otherwise."

"I really don't—"

"And Athrun obviously loves you back! He's loved you for who knows how long, but you've been oblivious to his feelings—except now, for some reason." Meer jabbed her finger on my shoulder one last time before she pulled herself away. "But even if you did finally realize your feelings for Athrun, I'm his bride now, Cagalli. I'm the one he asked to marry. Not you or Lacus Clyne or that Meyrin whoever she is."

Meer was obviously playing to her own insecurities and not mine, but somehow she was still finding a way to monumentally piss me off. I couldn't stand her attitude, how she thought she was above me—and how she just shrugged off Meyrin and Lacus as she did.

She turned around, her heels clicking, and started to walk away.

"I know what you did!" I shouted at her, furious. I knew I was going against Lacus's guide and was risking being thrown out of the wedding, but I was so angry. "I know you cheated on him!"

Meer didn't face me. She didn't even bother to acknowledge what I had just accused her of. And she didn't need to. She left without another word and all I knew now was that Athrun couldn't spend his life with someone like her.

I had to stop their wedding.

Note: I think it's important for me to point out that what Cagalli's been denying in the past few chapters was Athrun's feelings and not necessarily hers. :p But seeing Athrun again and noticing him made her realize that it was a possibility and that she might like him as well. Also, Cagalli wasn't afraid to admit that she did find Athrun attractive, so that was one step in that direction. ;)

Thank you for all the reviews and messages! I do agree that Athrun should have been more proactive in pursuing Cagalli, but the thing is was that they were both scared of screwing up their friendship. :)