“Uhhh… You see… ummm.” I don’t know how to explain this.

            “Are you and Eunwoo dating?!” she exclaims much too loudly.

            I quickly shush her and shake my head. “No,” I look away.

            “You’re not looking me in the eye… You are dating!” I try to get Eryn to lower her voice but my attempts are failing.

            “Will you be quiet?” I ask, sounding a little too harsh.

            “Are you or are you not dating Eunwoo now?” I pause for a minute when I feel my cheeks heat up. Why do I blush when people mention him? “You’re blushing! You’re definitely dating,” she concludes her own assumptions.

            “Okay, fine,” I sigh in defeat. “Yes, we’re dating.”

            “For how long?!” she sounds almost shocked now.

            “A few days into the Paris trip,” I tell her as I look to my feet, probably appearing embarrassed. “Anyway, let’s go try on your wedding dress!” I try to change the subject.

            “Okay but we’re coming back to this conversation,” she smirks. I sigh but nod anyway.

            I follow Eryn as she talks to the person at a desk and they eventually lead us to a dressing room. Eryn steps inside and awaits her dress to arrive and I wait outside, sitting on one of the few chairs against an adjacent wall to several mirrors.

            It takes a few minutes but Eryn finally exits the dressing room in her wedding dress. Her dress is a champagne satin gown, fitted to just above the knees and accented with a few jewels; it fits her perfectly. Seems pretty fitting considering it’s her last dress fitting, I laugh to myself. “How does it look?” she asks me.

            “It’s looks amazing!”I gasp. “Rocky’s gonna flip when he sees you,” I smirk.

            “Shut up,” I see her blush.

            “You’re going to marry the guy, he loves you no matter what,” I decide to continue teasing her by trying to make her blush even more. I’m an evil friend but sometimes it’s fun.

            “Stop,” she drags the word out. “But the dress looks alright though?”

            “Yes, it looks perfect,” I compliment my best friend who is obviously nervous about her wedding in a month.

            After Eryn has talked with the seamstress or whoever she talked to- I honestly got a bit distracted texting Eunwoo so I didn’t catch the conversation and who Eryn was talking with. I feel bad that I stopped paying attention but it was a conversation between Eryn and whoever so it’s not my place to listen in. Eunwoo kept texting me and asking me how much longer I’ll be because he says he misses me. My heart melts every time Eunwoo talks to me.

            “Ready to go?” I hear Eryn’s voice snap me back to reality.

            “Uh… yeah, one second.” I quickly text Eunwoo once more to tell him that we’re done at the dress shop and I need to be picked up again.

            “Also, I was thinking of having everyone do dinner. Skye and MJ found a sitter for tonight for the twins and Bin and Stasia said they were free as well. Do you and Eunwoo have plans in a few hours?” I don’t know if Eunwoo had plans or anything but I could definitely ask him considering everyone would be going out for dinner. “And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about you and Eunwoo,” she chuckles.

            “I’ll talk to Eunwoo when he picks me up and let you know,” I nod. “If you tell Rocky, please tell him not to tell anyone,” I plead.

            “I won’t tell him,” she raises her hands in surrender.

-

            ERYN:

            I’M SORRY… I TOLD HIM…

MADISEN:

TOLD WHO WHAT?

            ERYN:

            I TOLD ROCKY ABOUT YOU AND EUNWOO… I’M SORRY

MADISEN:

IT’S OKAY LOL IF YOU ONLY TOLD ROCKY I UNDERSTAND… HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL YOUR FIANCÉ?

            ERYN:

            I’M STILL SORRY

            I shake my head as I look down at my phone. “Who’s that?” Eunwoo leans over the arm of the couch I sit on and glances down at my phone.

            I quickly kiss his cheek before answering his question. “It’s Eryn; she saw us in your car when you dropped me off, concluding we’re dating and now she’s told Rocky but no one else.  We should probably talk about that,” I add.

            “Talk about what?” he asks.

            “If we’re going to tell everyone we’re actually dating tonight,” I shrug.

            “Tonight? What’s tonight?” Oh right.

            “Everyone is going out for dinner tonight; you, me, Bin, Stasia, MJ, Skye, Eryn, and Rocky. Do you want to tell everyone else when we go to dinner in a couple of hours?”

            “Honestly, no. I want to keep you all to myself,” Eunwoo whispers before kissing my lips.

            “Okay, we don’t have to tell anyone,” I smile. “Did you want to-” I start but I’m interrupted by Eunwoo’s phone ringing. Who could that be?

            “Hello?” he answers as he stands up straight. “Please, don’t ask me anything about this now mom, I can’t handle this right now,” he sighs. Oh no, it must be his mom calling about something to do with his arranged marriage. He gets so stressed when his parents try to communicate with him about the arranged marriage and wedding planning itself. I hope it doesn’t get too bad…

            “I’m hanging up now,” Eunwoo sighs and turns off his phone. “Sorry Madi,” he sighs again. “I just wish they’d see how unhappy and anxious this arrangement makes me. I just wish they would put a stop to all of this.”

            “I know babe, I know. I’m sorry they’re putting you through this,” I stand and walk over to him. I hold his face in my hands and look into his beautiful eyes. I can see the sadness and anxiety going on in his head by looking into his eyes.

            “It’s not your fault,” his shoulders slouch slightly. “Anyway, let’s get ready for dinner with everyone.”

            “We don’t have to go to that if you don’t want to,” I tell him.

            “It’s fine,” he smiles weakly. “As long as you’re with me, I’ll be fine.”

-

            Eunwoo and I arrive at the restaurant and see no one in our friend group out in the lobby or waiting area- whatever it’s called. A hostess notices our presence and asks, “Table for two?”

            I shake my head slightly, “Actually, we’re meeting our friends here. I think the reservation is under ‘Park’,” I tell her.

            “Right this way,” she smiles. She leads us to a secluded room in the back of the restaurant. They must have reserved the room I guess.

            “Hey guys,” Rocky greets us as he notices our presence. We thank the hostess and quickly sit in the last two seats. “How are things?” Rocky asks us, in almost a teasing voice.

            “Things are fine,” Eunwoo chuckles but I know exactly what he’s thinking; he’s thinking about his arranged marriage and whatever his mother said to him on the phone and he’s in a fairly fragile state right now. Part of me wishes he would’ve stayed home so he could basically cool off. I feel Eunwoo’s hand reach for mine under the table. I’m a little surprised no one has asked where Eunwoo and I had been for so long but I’m not about to bring it up and try to explain my way out of that one without letting them know of our relationship. Maybe Eryn and/or Rocky told everyone already? I’ll have to ask Eryn later…

            “So, Eryn, Rocky; how are the last-minute plans for your wedding going?” Oh no, MJ. Why’d you have to ask that, of all questions? I feel Eunwoo’s grip on my hand tighten.

            “It’s a little bit stressful but worth it,” Rocky smiles as he leans over and kisses Eryn’s cheek. You could see her blush from a mile away.

            “I’ll be right back,” Eunwoo tells me but basically announcing it to everyone else. “Rocky, can I talk to you for a minute over there?” I watch Eunwoo point towards the door that separates our private room from the rest of the restaurant.

            I watch Eunwoo and Rocky walk away before I glance at everyone’s faces; every single person has the same expression of confusion covering their features. I shrug before turning my attention back to Rocky and Eunwoo, I can’t hear their conversation but Eunwoo still looks stressed. “Well, at least you’re free to love and marry the person you love,” I hear Eunwoo raise his voice, causing my eyes to widen at the realization of their conversation. I look back at everyone; they definitely heard Eunwoo say that to Rocky.

            I look back at Eunwoo once more to see him storming out of the restaurant. I watch Rocky as he re-approaches our table and looks back at me. I can feel everyone else’s gaze land on me as I try to think of anything to say to explain what they just heard.