I was late. I was super late. My sister and mother were sure to have a nervous breakdown. It was just after two in the afternoon and I was supposed to be at my hair appointment. I sat fourteen city blocks from where I needed to be, the traffic was a nightmare and there was nothing I could do.

I had forgotten to pack extra clothes to change into. I know the black pencil skirt, a turquoise button down with cascading ruffles down the front with a blazer with a gorgeous pair of black classic pumps would make them suspicious but I had walked off and the bag that had clothes in it was laying right where I left it.

"You're late Arabella... and a little overdressed for a hair appointment." My mother barked as I run into the salon.

"I know... I know. Traffic was a nightmare. I have been sitting for twenty minutes at a complete stop trying to get here." I said trying to take the attention off of my clothes and the face that I was super late.

"I told you not to go into the city this morning. Why did you have to go into the city?"

"Not a big deal. I'm here. Let's get this over with." I sat down in the empty chair that awaited me.

Luckily my mother drops the situation and starts explaining to the hairdresser how she wants my hair done. Like I said, nothing about this wedding had to do with me at all.

I haven't worn that ring at all yet. And as it stares back at me in that navy blue box. I begin to hyperventilate just thinking about putting it on.  I knew that I had to. I knew that I couldn't show up at my engagement party without an engagement ring.  I have yet to even speak to the man I was going to marry. I had managed to put on the most gorgeous dress my mother had picked out. However the shoes she chose were to plain for me, white, typical for my mother to choose something like that. I slide on a pair of red heels I bought while I was in L.A., making sure that they were high enough that they would poke out of the bottom of the dress when I walked.

I dropped that ring into my clutch and stepped into the limo.

"Arabella Kinsey those are not the shoes that I picked out for you."

"I know they are not the shoes you picked out. I'm doing more than I ever wanted to be doing at this very moment for you. Could you please just stop about the shoes. I'm not that plain Jane you and everyone else in this family wants me to be. I'm marrying a guy that I can't stand for this damn family. Shouldn't that be enough for eternity?"

"Arabella Kinsey, what has gotten into you lately? You have not been yourself for a while. You would have never spoken to anyone like that before." My mother attempts to make me feel bad, but it doesn't work.

"I have learned a lot in the last month."

She snaps her head up, "I wish you would have never taken that trip with your father. Los Angeles is a place you never need to visit again."

"What's funny is Los Angeles made me realize exactly who I was. Not the Kinsey who was going to be a Doctor and not the Kinsey that was being forced to marry someone she didn't care about. It made me realize who Arabella was... who Bells was."

"Who is Bells?"

"You wouldn't understand."

*Back in the present *

"ARABELLA!!"

I roll my eyes. I couldn't escape my mother for a moment without her freaking out. She was worried that I would do something to embarrass the family. I had two glasses of wine, I didn't drink the whole damn bottle. I wanted to leave this damn engagement party. I didn't want to be here. Sad thing was this was my engagement party. I was the one supposed to be happily engaged. I was no way near happy. If I had enough nerve I would walk away from everything. I would walk away from this bloodline and never look back.

I should be happy. I had graduated from Medical School. The grueling rotations at the hospital have started but it was part of the job. Patients are something I have deal with, not something I want to deal with. I didn't have that doctor gene that they all seemed to have. I haven't found the ‘love' for this job as I thought I would. Who wouldn't want to be a doctor? Isn't that the American dream? I didn't have a worry about anything. I walked out of Med School with not a single student loan to pay back, life was going to be easy. I had the brains and the knowledge of a doctor, it just wasn't the things I thought I was supposed to do for the next forty years or my life. The few things I did want in life, were out of the question.

My mother appears from crowd again. "Arabella, it's rude to keep your guests waiting. Get out there and mingle with them. Show some respect."

Respect. I shake my head. Not one person in this room shows respect for anyone.

Doctors from around the country have showed up in awe of my father. Not one of them gave a shit to who I was or what was about to change in my life they were here for their own benefit.

"Arabella... I'm Sara it's nice to meet you." This petite five foot two blonde reaches her hand out for me to acknowledge her existence.

"Hi..." I extended my hand to finish the gesture.

"I'm going to be joining you at the hospital for our internship. I thought maybe we should introduce ourselves."

"I'm glad my father took the liberty of inviting you to my engagement party for us to meet."

"He thought it was a great idea."

I'm sure he did. I thought to myself.

"So I have to ask... Justin Timberlake... where did that come from?"

Was she serious with that question? Seriously? "Justin is an amazing person and someone I will always have in my life..." I was lieing. Justin has already exited out of my life, but I wanted to keep him there as long as I could.

"So why didn't it work out with you two?" she asked, sipping on her glass of champagne.

"I'm sorry, Sara did you say it was? Do you see what is going on around you? Do you see that I am engaged to marry someone, don't you think that's inappropriate to ask?"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it in a negative way... it's just well... a friend of mine is friends with him and they said he was devastated and heartbroken and I thought maybe it had something to do with you."

He was heartbroken? My entire body started to stiffen. "I'm sorry I need to go... I ... I... see someone I need to talk to." I bolted out of there, heading straight for the bar. I seriously need to stop masking my problems with alcohol. "Jack and coke please." I say to the bartender.

"Ma'am I would love to serve that to you but the woman in the green over there..." he points to my mother. "Has cut you off."

"SHE WHAT?" I was furious "Listen, either you pour me the drink or I will come behind the bar and get the bottle myself and start chugging. I'm sure she won't like that."

He looked at me for a moment before caving in and mixing me a drink.

I turned, lifted the cup nodding my head at my mother, acknowledging that I had another drink, and then gulping the entire drink down like it was a shot. I had the bartender pour me another before I exited the room and found myself outside on the terrace.

"I like... the woman intoximcated and rough sex!" he says slurring his words. I think my mother should have cut him off.

I felt the overwhelming urge to hurl come on. "The only sex I want is with Justin. He is the person that I want to touch my body."

"Look around you Arabella" he begins to get louder "I don't see that fool anywhere around. He left you in the dust like you were yesterday's news. He doesn't want you more than I do. Sometimes we don't have those choices in life." He steps closer to me, rubbing the side of my arm.

I step back quickly. "Trust me, Gavin. The last thing I want in life is to become your wife."

"Well you better get used to the idea. And I better see that ring before the night is over." He demanded.

"You want the fucking ring... I will give you the fucking ring. I don't want it." I reach into my clutch and throw at his face as I walk away from him.

"Arabella baby... come back here. I just want to touch you."

                Hours later the crowd as disappeared and so had Gavin. I was never happier to be alone.

"The limo is here Arabella. Let's go."

"I will take the town car, you all just go."

"Arabella" my sister says sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked, confused.

"For you losing the love of your life for the bloodline, I can tell you really truly loved him."

I dropped my head to cry and she walked away. A Kinsey just felt remorse for someone other than themselves. Maybe she did have a heart.

Silence.

Silence was all that I hear surround me. Never in my life have I been so happy to hear nothing. The last month quietness is all I have wanted. I didn't want to hear anything. I wanted everyone around me to be in mute.

I had a bottle of Jack latch in my hand that I wasn't letting go of. I wanted to chug the entire bottle, and I was doing pretty well. Forgetting everything that has happened in the last month and what is about to happen.

Footsteps begin to enter an empty ball room. The footsteps begin to echo, my head slowly rises and I see a man sexier than I ever remembered walking towards me. His simply t-shirt and jeans were just plan sexy. I rose to my feet quickly bolting across the room.

Just steps in front him I place my hand over my mouth with tears flowing down my face. Was I dreaming that he was standing right in front of me? "Justin?"

He takes my hand off of my mouth and places it into his hand.

"First thing is... I don't want you out of my life. No matter what happens you are the most amazing person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I never wanted to lose you Bells." Tears are streaming down his face which only makes mine intensify. "Never for a moment do I want you to think I want that. I know that I chose to walk away from you... I know that I'm not who your father would want you to marry. I know that I will never be the generation your family would like to add to their bloodline but I love you... I love you more than this guy ever could."

I reached my hand up to his face, slowly gliding my fingers over the curve of his jaw line. "I love you. I-"

He interrupted me, "I'm not asking you for an answer right this moment... but I want you to know that I take back what I said, I'm not going anywhere. I want this... I want you... I want us..."

I place my hands over his jaw line, pulling his face close to mine. Taking in his scent, "Can we go back to your place? I need to feel you near me. I want to fall asleep in your arms."

"Is that all it takes to make you happy?"

"That's all." I verified.

"Well then let's go. I will make you a very happy woman tonight."