Chapter 4
As his fingers almost skinned the metal handle leading inside the boutique, he was distracted by a tight tug at his arm.
"What a nice surprise to see you here Athrun." The sweet little red-head at his side exclaimed, tip-toeing to give him a chaste kiss on his lips.
He looked over his shoulder, slightly in shock, but had to recover quickly and seem natural before she could read too much into his alarm. He smiled. She smiled. End of story. At least that was one less thing to worry Athrun Zala's buzzing mind.
"Mey-Meyrin? What are you doinghere?" he stumbled clumsily as he scrambled to find voice.
"I was about to ask you the same thing. How did you know I was coming here today?" Meyrin wondered pinching her chin. Then her eyes lit up like a child's firstglimpse of candy. "Are you here to buy me something for our wedding? Oh! I've ruined it, you poor thing you're so thoughtful to think about me." She squeezed his arm a little tightly in a warm embrace smiling angelically. He could not say a word, a lump forming in his throat.
Coward…
He scolded himself.
Athrun felt like he could crawl under a rock and die of complete guilt. Here he was admiring his former lover and here was his fiancée thinking he was so self-less. If she only knew, he thought. He couldn't help but smile and go along with the charade. He quickly glanced once in a while through the window trying to see if Cagalli was still there. She was. But his big ordeal was trying to get away from Cagalli. He didn't want to face her with Meyrin with him. It always felt a bit awkward to him. When they would walk down the street, Meyrin and he, and Cagalli would bump into them it was always this nagging torture inside him. He wanted to truly avoid this encounter if possible.
Unfortunately for him Meyrin had other plans. She yanked at his arm and before he could say anything or hesitate he was already in the Soiree Boutique's entrance. He gulped. He made a silent prayer wishing God could kill him at that very moment
"I'll save you the trouble Athrun. I'll show you what I absolutely adore and you can pick from either one. How about that? Won't that make things simpler?" She cocked her head to one side, her violet eyes looking straight into his green ones.
"Sure…" he ageed.
As they walked inside the shop, Athrun saw no sign of any blonde prancing about. Cagalli had probably left already. He felt himself less tense, he could now actually hear what Meyrin was talking about, and how she would point out the gowns and the jewellery she absolutely goes crazy for. Athrun felt bad and he mentally noted that he would definitely make it up to her.
"If you want it I'll get it…" He said through a small smile.
She jumped him. Hugging him and flowering him with soft kisses all over his face. He had to laugh whole-heartedly. Looking at her this way, part of him was greatly amused and another adoring. Yes. He had to admit he liked her very much and could even say he adored her, but not in the way he wanted to. He and Meyrin didn't share the same chemistry Cagalli and he had shared. Truly what he wanted was to feel the same fulfilling feelings with Meyrin as he had had with Cagalli. Athrun dismissed that little voice in his mind. Meyrin was who he loved now…there was no going back.
Lacus was completely taken by Cagalli's beauty; the dress looked like it had been made for her body alone. It hugged her curves splendidly her waist looking refined, her back partly exposed looked flawless. Everything about the dress seemed perfect it could make anyone feel worth a million dollars. Sadly the ownerof the dress was not as content within as was seen externally. Cagalli loved the dress, Lacus knew that. However she also knew that this very stunning midnight blue dress was also something that made her friend think of someone's wedding. The dress would hang in her dresser, a constant reminder of the coming day when her hopes are shattered for ever. When Cagalli will be forced to accept that Athrun Zala will no longer be part of her life. It was an awful and heavy thing for Cagalli but Lacus had a firm belief that Athrun was simply trying to kid himself in trying to hold on to something that was non-existant with Meyrin. Which in the end it would ultimately mean either way someone would get hurt. Lacus's inner thoughts were ceased when she her the dressing cabinet lock unlock.
"I can't believe how beautiful it is." Cagalli said coming out of the fitting room. She handed the dress to one of the women working there.
Lacus was about to talk to Cagalli but her eyes picked up something quite alerting.
Athrun Zala.
"Oh." She slipped out.
"Lacus is something wrong?" Cagalli questioned a little anxiously at her pink-haired friends sudden change in behaviour. Before Cagalli could get a glimpse behind her, Lacus jolted.
"Paparazzi!" she said rather bluntly.
Cagalli raised a golden brow in confusion, which then was quickly replaced with a scowl.
"Filthy bastards. They never get enough do they? Lets get this paid and leave before they get any freebies ranting about how I've turned lesbian with PLANTS most influential songstress… That's all I need…"She said a bit irritated. Lacus tried to muffle her giggles.
"That seems reasonable enough. Besides Kira must be horribly worried. We've been here for more then four hours." She said quickly following the representative to the cash.
Together they walked up to the woman who was at the cash. Knowing the route almost routinely due to her frequent visits Meyrin led the way her arm intertwined with Athrun's. Both enveloped in their lover's talk, neither had noticed two women paying the cash and walking away with purchase in hand.
"It was stunning…"
"It was wasn't it? I don't feel worthy enough wearing it…"
"Don't be silly you'll be—
"Oh sorry." Athrun blurted out even before looking at who or what he had bump into.
"Cagalli! What a pleasant surprise!" Meyrin was the first to greet gleefully.
"Cagalli!" Athrun said shockingly.
"Athrun!" Cagalli retorted with the same puzzlement spread across her face.
Both amber and emerald eyes caught each others gaze and quickly looked away.
"Meyrin, Athrun. It's good to see you again. What brings you by?" Lacus started trying to make the best of it.
"Athrun and I are off to get this paid for." Flashing her left hand Meyrin showed off her beautiful new ring. A beautiful emerald stone tear-dropped shaped surrounded by glittering diamonds.
"Oh it's stunning." Lacus exclaimed clasping her hands together.
"Very beautiful." Cagalli said forcing some kind of happiness in her voice. She forced a shaky smile as she avoided Athrun's eyes. Her heart bitten with a pinch of jealousy.
"What brings you here?" Meyrin questioned charmingly.
"We were shopping." Cagalli stated simply making sure to not further the story with any more details.
Athrun felt a nudge at his side. He got the point he had been silent the minute they started the conversation.
"That's…nice." He said. Cagalli looked up at him. He stared back. Then she looked away. That annoying awkwardness was rising again in him, he wanted this to end.
"Anyways we better be off. I've kept Cagalli away from her work far too long." Lacus explained ending the conversation quickly. Athrun's eyes thanked Lacus, she nodded in understanding.
"We'll see each other at the wedding then. I'm so nervous its next week." Meyrin hugged both Cagalli and Lacus.
Athrun kissed Lacus on the cheek, he was about to do the same to Cagalli but halted. Instead she gave out her hand. He stared at it for a lingering moment. He took it and he felt his pulse increase and his heart flutter.
Cagalli wished that he had kissed her cheek, that she had felt his skin taken in his scent. But a hand shake had to do. The minute her hand clasped his she felt an electrifying sensation running through her body. The hand shake felt like an eternity, until she herself ended the nostalgic moment.
"I'll see you around…" she said looking at him one last time before walking past him and exiting the shop, Lacus following right behind her.
Athrun's eyes followed Cagalli out the store; unbeknownst to him Meyrin had sensed something a little off key between the two. She eyed Athrun from where she stood staring at the shown side of his face as his look was fixated on the Orb leader.
Author's Note: They finally bump into eachoter...oooooh(Athrun and Cagalli). lol.Chapter 4 isdone...phew.Next chapter will surely be the wedding! So hang on tight it might be a while before i update. I have a life! lolol workkeeps me busyso lets hope i have enough time to finish it. Please let me know what you think. lol CIAO
