Lucas’s POV:
I handed my phone to Ashley, telling her to find the album in my phone while I went to get the paper version.
When I returned, she hadn’t started showing the pictures yet, which I was glad for. I took my seat next to her again.
“Well, here we go…”
(Shall we skip to pre-ball prep?)
(sure!
not it)
(NOT IT)
(Taking advantage of the fact that I lost WiFi, I see… I suppose I deserved that, though. Lol. I always make you guys start.)
Ashley’s POV:
I pinned one last loose curl up into the bun-like updo I’d done in my hair. I was already wearing the pink dress I’d picked out, the one with the slightly ruffled skirt, high neckline, and open back. All that was left was my jewelry and heels, which I was very excited about.
The shoes matches the color of my dress and had gold accents in the sides. The heels themselves were the real showstoppers with their pink and golden design. Overall, they were probably my favorite part of my whole outfit for today.
Oh, and my mask! That was also pink and gold, an intricate golden design over the front of the cream background. Feathers were on the right side of it, looking like a pink flower, almost, in the way they were placed.
[Dress: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/604819424937162893/
With this type of neckline: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/804525920911505564/
Hair: https://pin.it/ngkurr7yo4wekp
Mask: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/451978512597888221/
Necklace: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/155303887171570742/
Right hand: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/584342120373078816/
Left hand (plus engagement ring): https://www.pinterest.com/pin/551128073147763644/
Heels: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AXqntMAIhQ62QN8fbNxOol8D64lKHLH6N_yiy_CAMrIBsgc5oEdDgCU/ ]
Sterling’s POV:
I ran a hand through my hair as I looked in the mirror again. I’d already donned my black and purple suit and tie, all that was left to wear was my mask.
The object in question was currently sitting on my desk. It matched the black and purple theme Eden and I had settled on, with the majority of it being black and some accents being purple. The area around my right eye was a pearlish white, and the area above my left eye was the same color. It covered the right half of my face in a Phantom-of-the-Opera-like fashion.
[The suit: https://pin.it/j2x3ypsghenzw5
The mask (but the gold-ish accents are purple): https://pin.it/vy244yj2r3c6ly ]
Eden’s POV:
I looked at myself in the mirror, the way I’d dressed myself, unable to believe that the person I was seeing was actually me. I’d even decorated my face with makeup—a smoky eyeliner, blush, and dark lipstick to go along with it.
I was already dressed in my gothic dress with a back lace panel corset with black tights to cover my legs. My heels were lavender lace, completely different from what I was used to. I wore a purple choker, a purple Zirconia ring, and amethyst earrings in a heart shape.
I decided on a butterfly mask—the tip of the wings colored pink while the other part dyed black. I was worried whether Sterling would like it or not, but as I knew, I looked okay.
I finished my look with braiding my hair. Of course, with Lucas’s help.
Once I was done, I sighed. We were supposed to be the first ones there, and I was going to meet Sterling at the ball. I just couldn’t wait…
The hairstyle:
https://pin.it/v5odtgkioqdmp6
The dress:
https://pin.it/mjuuxh7emxi4vf
The heels:
https://pin.it/tkktpawy7tjjsg
The tights:
https://pin.it/mjhl2v2m4avbiy
Choker:
https://pin.it/y4tknrrfazeipn
Ring:
https://pin.it/jmo7o4qsfgbaoe
Earrings
https://pin.it/hwty6pyyenxfpc
Mask:
https://pin.it/w5gjufzbckarmo
Lucas’s POV:
There, I was done. I’d pulled myself in my pink shirt, black suit, and a black tie. My hair was nearly done with some hair gel (I wasn’t going to resort to that, but my hair was being a bit… annoying.)
Finally, I reached out for my mask. It was a cracked white and light pink mask, fitting my face perfectly, shaped like a Roman emperor’s mask.
Once I was ready, I walked back out where Eden was already settled on the couch.
Suit:
https://pin.it/zy77b26pz5hlkc
Mask:
https://pin.it/75i4qgepemeq4s
Gray’s POV:
I was a nervous wreck, I’m telling you. Though I was already dressed in my suit, I didn’t know if it was good enough. I could only hope I looked like I was Violeta’s boyfriend. That girl would literally look amazing.
Finally, I stopped staring myself in the magnificent mirror of this amazing hotel, and exited the bathroom, grabbing my mask in the process.
I stared at the reflection in the mirror, allowing myself a little twirl that made the generous skirt of my gown flare out and swish around my knees. Was this an illusion I was seeing? A hallucination? A dream? Because whoever the beautiful girl in the mirror was, she definitely wasn’t me.
I ran my hands down the length of the gorgeous gown, the fabric cool and soft beneath my fingers. It fit perfectly, clinging to my curves and without hiding or squeezing the fat in, but somehow making it look attractive. My freckled shoulders were bare, the neckline swooping low, my neck and chest draped in slim, elegant gold filigree chains. Similar jewelry dropped from my arms and ring-covered hands, and matching earrings hung from my ears. Somehow, my heels were easy to move in, well-balanced, and my hair, done in a half-up style with golden glitter sprinkled over it, framed my found face perfectly. My makeup was relatively simple, mascara, slim eyeliner, shimmery gold eyeshadow and highlight, and pale, peach lipstick, but overall…. Even I had to admit that I looked good.
But fear and apprehension had lodged in my heart. Would Gray like the outfit? Would he think of me as beautiful? Or would he covering ashamed expressions and reluctantly dance with me?
Finally, I adjusted a few, carefully curled strands of hair, picked up my elegant Venetian mask, and exited the second washroom of the hotel room Gray and I shared.
(Dress: https://pin.it/flnjcipml2pnk4
But with this neckline:
https://pin.it/la7svzepwx4bqp
Heels:
https://pin.it/fcetnvff54l3jz
Mask:
https://pin.it/6se6g6yaugvw6t
Necklace:
https://pin.it/djy63wzcbcae4b
And her bracelets match the necklace..
Rings:
https://pin.it/h2pgdf46a5tmbl
Earrings:
https://pin.it/uxf37idfj7xjx7)
(Eden and Ashley’s dresses match except for the necklines and colors! Lol.)
Eden’s POV:
When we reached the ball, Uncle Archer, the President of our company, greeted us, along with his wife, Veronica. Luke and I looked around, trying to find someone we really wanted to see.
The Carters and Ainsley’s has yet to arrive, but there was someone both Luke and I were dying to talk to. Aunt Vero noticed, laughing, ruffled our hair and pointed in the direction towards the person we wanted to see.
My grandfather was still the same, despite the wrinkles on his face and his hair turning white. My eyes widened and I immediately walked in his direction.
“Grandpa,” I breathed out. Noah McArthur looked behind, his once empty eyes lighting up as he saw both Luke and I. He opened his arms for a hug and suddenly I felt like a child again with my grandfather hugging me, telling me small stories, trying to make things up to my father.
“Grandpa, you made it,” Lucas whispered as we practically melted in his warm embrace.
“Eden, Lucas,” Grandfather kissed us on our heads, softness lacing his voice. “You’ve grown so much! Eden, my child, you look absolutely dazzling. No man could ever look away.”
I laughed, shaking my head at his flattery. Lucas pouted, wanting the same.
“And where’s Ashley, young man?” Grandpa crinkled his eyes as he smiled. “You can’t let anyone other than your girlfriend look at you.”
“She’s on her way,” Lucas grinned. “And she’s my ex-girlfriend. I think she should be getting here any time soon!”
Gray’s POV:
I felt like my world stopped spinning the minute Violeta walked into the living room. This was my girlfriend, the most breathtaking woman in the world. Her dress complimented her spectacularly and God, her choices…
I was a dead man.
My mouth opened and closed like a fish. I was speechless.
“Viol—Vy, oh my God,” I stood up from my spot on the couch, eyes wide. “Holy shit. You look absolutely—damn it, no words can describe just how gorgeous you’re looking right now.”
My heart stopped beating.
Gray. Standing there in a perfectly tailored suit and mask, looking like he'd just flown down from heaven and landed in our hotel room. My mouth fell open. He was gorgeous.
"Oh my god…." I breathed, my feet rooted to the ground. Gray was looking at me like I was his sun, his world, the words that tumbled from his mouth spinning an inescapable web around me. "Gray–You–" I thought my knees were going to give out—I didn't stand a chance.
Gray’s POV:
I immediately closed the distance between us, walking over to her, cupping her cheek with one hand while the other hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her towards me.
“Shit,” I breathed out. “Are you trying to kill me? Is that it? Goodness, are you really mine?”
I went weak against him.
My body began to tremble in his arms as I reached up to cup his cheeks, run my hands down the length of his suit. "Gray—I have no words," I finally breathed, leaning heavily against him. "You look–You look amazing. Beyond description. Like–Like an angel."
Gray's POV:
She thought I looked like an angel? The one who was currently standing before me, dressed like a goddess, thought I looked like an angel?
"Can I kiss you?" I asked, my voice shaking.
And oh, I wanted to say yes. To end up pushed against a wall, his mouth utterly devouring mine. But an hour of meticulous preparation had made me cautious.
"Gray…." God, the hunger in his eyes…. "I wish I could say yes, but… it took a while to get everything looking right. After the party, I promise,"
Gray’s POV:
I growled lightly but understood.
“After the party,” I told her. “No later than that.”
Someone knocked on the door of our room, possibly the driver who was driving us. Eden really did take care of everything, didn’t she? From the plane tickets to the wonderful hotel (which so happened to be one of the Carter’s) to everything.
“Come on, let’s go. The sooner we get done here, the quicker I can kiss you.”
(Poor Gray. Lol. Sterling is going to be in much the same boat as him very soon. ;)
Ashley’s POV:
I carefully walked into the room when we arrived and looked for Lucas. These heels were killer, so I had to slowly at first. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d worn heels so tall. All was well, though. I figured it out quickly enough and was walking around like I was simply wearing tennis shoes instead of four-inch, ridiculously-thin heels.
As soon as I spotted my fiancé, my whole face lit up, and I made my way over. He was standing by Eden — who looked amazing, btw! Sterling was going to have a hard time keeping his hands off of her for the few hours we’d be here — and talking to someone…
“Mr. McArthur! It’s wonderful to see you again!” I greeted the man with a wide grin, taking my place at Lucas’s side.
Gray’s POV:
I growled lightly but understood.
“After the party,” I told her. “No later than that.”
Someone knocked on the door of our room, possibly the driver who was driving us. Eden really did take care of everything, didn’t she? From the plane tickets to the wonderful hotel (which so happened to be one of the Carter’s) to everything.
“Come on, let’s go. The sooner we get done here, the quicker I can kiss you.”
I shivered lightly, following after.
The whole way there, I couldn't take my eyes off Gray in his sleek, fashionable suit. I had never seen him in anything other than relatively casual attire, and the sight of him like this whipped my poor heart into a frenzy.
Lucas’s POV:
I almost choked on absolutely nothing. Holy muffins, was the universe trying to kill me by using this woman?
She looked absolutely breathtaking, her grin lighting up her face. Grandfather noticed my look and chuckled. He must still be thinking about the ‘ex-girlfriend’ thing I’d told him as a small joke.
“Ashley. You look beautiful, my dear,” Grandpa smiled, kissing her on the forehead as well. “Lucas just told me you’d broken up?”
“She’s my ex, grandpa,” I continued to tease my grandfather, causing Eden to shoot me a look. I reached a shaky hand towards my girlfriend’s left hand and pulled it towards him so he could see. “Because she’s my fiancée now.”
Grandpa was ecstatic.
Eden’s POV:
I craned my neck, trying to see whether Sterling had arrived or not. Excluding myself from their company, I walked around. By now, more than half of the guests had arrived, but I still couldn’t find Sterling.
“Miss McArthur?” I looked back to find a man in a well-polished suit, sporting a white mask over his eyes. His lips were twisted into a smile. “You look absolutely ravishing tonight.”
My eyebrows furrowed at his choice of words, but I nodded nonetheless.
“Would you like to give me the pleasure of having your first dance?”
Gray’s POV:
I knew what my goal would be in this ball. Keep guys off of my woman.
“Have I told you you look like a goddess tonight?” I questioned, kissing her softly on the cheek. “Because you do.”
Ashley’s POV:
If I hadn’t been wearing so much makeup, the blush on my cheeks would have been incredibly obvious. I curled my fingers around Lucas’s hand after his grandfather (my soon-to-be grandfather-in-law, if that’s even a thing) inspected the ring.
“Not exactly broken up,” I said with a slight chuckle. “But I think this is a much better deal.”
Sterling’s POV:
My eyes roamed the room as I entered, searching everywhere for Eden. At first, I didn’t see her, she almost blended in with everyone. Then someone approached a woman in a black-and-purple, corseted gown, and I immediately recognized the reaction as Eden’s.
I felt my throat close up as I took her in, my feet already carrying me there without my knowing. When I reached her, I completely ignored the other man, as my attention was fully on the beautiful woman in front of me.
“E… You’re breathtaking,” I murmured, reaching out to offer her my hand.
Lucas's POV:
I squeezed her hand, the stupid grin still on my face.
"That's great," grandfather smiled. "Congratulations, you two. I'll leave you both alone now. Where are your parents?"
"They're with uncle Archie and aunt Vero," I answered, hugging my grandfather again before he went on his way.
Eden's POV:
My breath hitched in my throat when Sterling approached me, his voice sending shivers down my spine, causing my heart to beat fast. I felt like it would pop out of my chest any second.
Completely entranced, I didn't even notice my hand was moving until it was already in his.
"Sterling…" I whispered, my face heating up, my throat closing in on me. My knees felt weak and it was a miracle I was still standing. "You look amazing…"
My free hand reached out to press itself against his cheek, trying to see if it really was a reality.
Sterling’s POV:
I leaned down to press a lingering kiss to her cheek before murmuring in her ear, “You think I look amazing? Eden, you are hotter than the sun in that dress… If there weren’t all these people here, you would already be pressed against the nearest wall.”
Eden's POV:
My stomach exploded at his words. Air seemed to escape from my lungs, and suddenly I found myself unable to support my own weight.
"Why did you have to say that?" I breathed out, my cheeks flaming red. "Sterling…"
Sterling’s POV:
“If I can’t do what I want to do, then I’m at least going to tell you,” I whispered before kissing her cheek again and pulling away, blinking as I tried to lighten my dark eyes. “You really look amazing, Eden. I can’t believe how lucky I got to have a girl as gorgeous as you.”
Eden's POV:
It took all of me to not crumble due to the intense look in his eyes. The way he looked at me, hunger dancing evidently, waiting for the perfect moment to devour me.
"Thank… thank you, Sterling…" I finally found my voice, but it kept breaking. "You look so handsome…"
I reached out to cup cheek, softly rubbing my thumb across the soft surface.
"Are you really mine?" I murmured. "How did I manage to get the world's hottest male as my boyfriend?"
Sterling’s POV:
I smiled as I leaned into her hand, keeping my hands in my pants pockets so as to not touch her. If I touched her right now, I wasn’t sure if I could hold myself back for very long.
“Thank you, love. I’m glad you think so,” I said softly, smiling down at her. “Is there something that I could grab to drink? I’m a little thirsty. I could grab something for you, too, if you want.”
Eden's POV:
I wanted him to touch me. Oh God, why wasn't he touching me? I wanted to feel his lips on mine. I wanted him to slam me against the wall and make my mind go blank, but the reality was cruel. We were surrounded by people. We had to be careful–we had to keep in control.
"I'll go with you," I found myself whispering. "Can I?"
Sterling’s POV:
I felt my face and neck grow warm as my eyes tracked over her before I tore my gaze away from her, slowly shaking my head. When I finally spoke, my voice was low and roughened with want… with need…
“I think I should go alone this time, E,” I said reluctantly. “I have to calm myself down a little…”
Eden’s POV:
I swallowed thickly, nodding slowly, my insides twisting.
“Ok—okay…” I removed my hand from his cheek, my face flushed. “Okay. Get me some water?”
Sterling’s POV:
I gave her a small smile and caught her hand before she pulled it away. After gently pressing it to my lips, I let it go slowly and took a small step back.
“I’ll be back in a moment. Don’t let anyone try to take you away, okay?” I said with a wink, only half joking.