- HERE COMES THE BRIDE!, L.Q
"Getting married can be one of life's greatest joys. But what happens when the horrors of married life completely overwhelm you? What happens when your fiancée turns out to be a very different person from the one you knew? What happens when the signs indicate that something very bad is going to happen?"
warnings - plot w/ smut, g!p reader, MDNI! | Love being Love, Camila Morrone as Rachel Harkin (cause i was deadly inspired by her show) btw inspired by you and something very bad is going to happen. Mention of blood, murder, n everything you've ever seen Love Quinn do.
now playing - You Are My Destiny, by Paul Anka
Your hands were trembling, your hair was slightly tousled, and a hole was about to open up in the floor if you didn’t stop pacing in circles within five seconds. Fortunately, the door opened just in time to prevent the floor from giving way in an incredibly unusual and impossible disaster.
“What are you doing?” Your best friend looked like he wanted to pull his hair out, and all you could do was take a deep breath and sit down in the chair next to the bedroom vanity.
“I don't know, Drew. I have a bad feeling.”
Looking up at your friend only made you see the look of surprise on his face. Drew knew that in a million years, you would never, ever think that. Especially at a time like this.
“What are you talking about?” He moved closer to you when he saw tears streaming down your face. “Hey, hey, hey. What’s going on with you? You love this woman, Yn! What’s the problem now?”
His hands cupped your face; his desperate eyes were filled with the tears streaming down yours. A sob escaped your lips, and a weary sigh followed shortly after.
Calmly, your hands moved up, grasping his hands on your cheeks. The whole room felt hotter than usual, and the white shirt you were wearing was starting to get damp with sweat.
“I... I think something very bad is going to happen if I marry Love!”
The gears were turning nonstop in your mind, a thousand flashes of moments roaming freely through your brain. Your eyes closed, and for a second, the sobs vanished, the room didn’t feel hot anymore, and all you could feel was peace.
You had never really gotten used to the keys to your apartment. Even though you’d been living there for six months, the weight, the metal, and the purpose of each one still felt strange. Moving to LA was crazy in your head, but you did it anyway.
“Usually the biggest one is the front door key.”
The voice made you jump. I mean, just seconds ago you were in an empty hallway, and now, looking back, a stranger was standing behind you as if the whole place belonged to her. You noticed she had black bags in her hands, and she was climbing the circular staircase that everyone in the building used to get to their homes—since the elevator never seemed to work.
“I... I always forget.” You tried the larger key.
“I told you.” She smiled, and you thanked her.
“I’ve lived here for six months, and my brain still doesn’t seem to adapt to anything here.” You shook your head. She raised her eyebrows.
“Seriously, I’ve been living here for six months too.” Her smile seemed too adorable to be true, and you noticed the tip of her nose was red, probably because of the unusually cold weather in Los Angeles . "Honestly, my only complaint so far is that the elevator never works. But on the other hand, I also like taking the stairs; it makes me feel like a supporting actor on The Big Bang Theory."
“I always say that!” She laughed, and you relaxed. “My friends call me a nerd, but it’s a really good comparison.” You argued.
“I totally agree!” Her eyes looked as bright as the stars, and for a moment you thought she was about to cry from emotion.
“I’m Yn.” The words came out of your mouth before you could even think them through.
You remembered feeling butterflies in your stomach that day. It was strange to meet someone like that. Three months later, you had those butterflies again. Love was laughing in the kitchen, Junia and Lia joining in her laughter as they sipped glasses of wine.
You, Drew, and Callie were setting the dinner table. The Yankees were playing like pros on TV, but no one was really paying attention at that point in the evening. The chicken Love was cooking was making everyone’s stomachs growl as the wonderful smell began to spread through the kitchen, and when you all finally sat down to eat, the atmosphere felt pleasant and friendly.
“Oh, you guys won’t believe who I ran into yesterday at the mall!” Junia began excitedly, grabbing Drew’s hand after patting it a few times.
“Who?” Love laughed, bringing her wine glass to her lips while placing her other hand on the back of your chair, leaning closer to you.
“Get ready!” Junia looked at everyone, as if she were about to reveal the world’s biggest secret.
Love’s eyes were on you, those big, loving eyes wandering over every inch of your face, smiling as you made a funny, suspenseful face.
“Just tell us already, baby! Drew urged. Junia let out a high-pitched, playful squeal as she laughed like a mischievous child.
“Rachel Harkin!” Junia clapped her hands. Drew shook her head. You took a sip of the wine in front of you.
But Love didn’t know that name.
“Who is Rachel Harkin?” The question hit the table like a flamethrower, spreading fire in every direction and burning you in particular.
“What do you mean, who is Rachel Harkin? She’s simply the most annoying ex Yn has ever had in her entire life.” Junia couldn’t hold her tongue, and Drew tried to stop her just in time.
“An ex, huh?” Love feigned nonchalance. Because that’s what she would do—she was the cool girlfriend she’d always been.
You gave a smile that didn’t reach your eyes; Love kept her composure. The wine glass in her hand was being raised with an unusual grip, and she took a big gulp—a gulp that went down, burning her throat.
“The worst, Love! I swear. She was a fucking paranoid, and always seemed to believe she was in constant danger. The girl was a lunatic!“ Junia joined in Lia’s laughter. ”When Yn said he broke up with her at Christmas, I was fucking happy." Lia delivered the final nail to your coffin, and Callie just downed a sip of wine as fast as she could.
Your eyes closed as if you’d seen the devil right in front of you. But Love just laughed. She took another sip of wine and cut the chicken with a very sharp knife.
“Well, it’s a good thing she’s terrible.” The table laughed.
And they kept laughing until the moment the door closed after midnight. As the cars pulled away, Love brushed against your shoulder when you tried to speak to her.
“Love, you have to listen to me. I…” The air felt thin. As if your oxygen had been cut off.
“You lied when you said you were single.” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.
The room was agonizingly silent, and for a second, you thought about running away.
“Love, I…” You tried again, but she raised the knife.
“You slept with me while you were fucking some other bitch! Her hands made the perfect cut through what was left of the chicken.
The thighs, a piece of breast, a wing. And then she raised the knife again, pointing it at you like an accusing finger. But that wasn’t a finger; it was much worse.
“Did you lie to them about when we met?” Her eyes were filled with fury; the same sparkle you saw the day you met now seemed far darker.
Your chest tightened, your hands began to sweat, and you wanted to get closer to her just for a moment. So you took a step forward.
“I wasn’t sleeping with another girl.” You took another step, and then she took a step back. The knife looked sharper up close. “We weren’t talking to each other anymore; she was living in New York, and we’d had a nasty fight.”
You stopped in front of her.
“She’d blocked me everywhere. I thought we’d gone our separate ways, Love.” Her breathing was ragged, and you wished you could control everything she was feeling right then. “Love, I thought I could fall in love with someone else. I fell in love with you.”
“THEN WHY THE HELL DID SHE COME BACK FOR CHRISTMAS?” Her scream made your blood run cold.
You flinched at the sound of the knife against the marble when she threw the object onto the counter. Love’s eyes were filled with tears, and you understood.
At least in that moment, you thought you understood her.
It didn’t matter; you handled it like professionals. There was nothing like a good talk and make-up sex to get you and Love back to loving each other like crazy, head-over-heels lovers. But that wasn’t the only time you saw that side of Love. All you wanted was to be able to say it was the only time, that it was something silly, stupid retroactive jealousy.
But you know very well that wasn’t how it was.
The sun was strong that day, almost as hot as the desert sun. Forty slammed your car door so hard it made you close your eyes and sigh. He’s chattering away about his new girlfriend, the one he’s been talking about all month. And now, when his and Love’s parents have organized a big, fancy family weekend, Forty thought it was the perfect opportunity to introduce his new girlfriend.
Your hands slid around Love’s waist when you saw her in the middle of the backyard garden at the Quinn mansion. Your lips pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek—settling for that when you saw the look on her mother’s face as she watched the two of you. Forty had slipped away from your side as you made your way through the house, and you’d never admit it out loud, but you were mentally grateful every time that happened.
“Mrs. Quinn.” You waved at the woman, who ignored the gesture and threw herself into your arms for a friendly hug.
“Yn, finally.” The older woman pulled back slightly, placing her hands on your cheeks and looking into your eyes. “Please, try to knock some sense into your fiancée and tell her not to ruin the day for her brother, okay.”
With a light pat on your cheek, the woman walked away—disappearing through the large door separating the backyard from the house— but not before giving you a goodbye kiss on the forehead.
Feeling Love’s presence by your side wasn’t a bad thing, but feeling Love’s presence right after her mother left the scene was completely different. You never quite understood it, but the woman had the worst tendency in the world to irritate her own daughter. Every time she was around, Love seemed tense. Her shoulders would turn to stone, her throat would tighten, and you could never get very close to her without being caught up in the mother-daughter storm.
You turned slowly, already watching Love pull away and walk slowly away from you, turning her back as if looking at you at a moment like this would make her break down. The dress she was wearing fluttered gently when the wind blew, as did her hair; she looked so beautiful for someone so disturbed. A weary sigh escaped your lips, and your feet mimicked her steps, slowly trying to approach your fiancée.
“No.” Love didn’t even let you finish. She knew her mother’s behavior wasn’t directly her fault. But something inside Love made her want to cling to your neck for not defending her the way she wanted you to.
Even though you had literally arrived just two minutes ago.
“You know, she does that on purpose. And it’s so annoying!” Love’s feet were carrying her back and forth across the lawn, and you were starting to get dizzy from all that walking in circles she was doing. “It makes me want to strangle her!”
You opened your mouth to speak. But you closed it right away when Love turned toward you with a furious look.
“You know what she told me? She told me not to ruin this weekend for Forty, because introducing his girlfriend to us is really important to him.” She waited for you to say something. Anything. And then she laughed sarcastically when she saw it wasn’t going to happen. “I know introducing Forty’s fucking new girlfriend is important. But this was all supposed to be our first engagement dinner, for fuck’s sake!”
Her voice rose at the end of the sentence, and you tried to step closer with your hands raised, ready to hold her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down.
However, your attempt fell apart when she took a step back.
“No, Yn. I don’t want you to act like I need to calm down.” Her eyes were glistening with tears of hatred, unshed tears, because Love Quinn always kept everything bad related to her family under lock and key. “As if I didn’t have enough reasons to be pissed off at everyone.”
She stopped, tilting her head to look at you skeptically, taking a deep breath as she watched you approach.
“Look, you’re under pressure. I mean, we all are.” Your hands rested gently on her shoulders as you pulled her closer. “This is our wedding, Love—we’re losing our minds.”
The words echoed in Love’s head, and her gaze fell on you like a poorly concealed judgment. The anger, the frustration, the outrage—and everything Love was feeling wasn’t exactly shared by you. Although Love had no problem with you being her lifeline in moments of losing control, all she wanted right then was for you to react with her.
You could break something, you could yell at someone, you could blame the collapse of your world on someone and start a fight. Love wanted to feel your anger coursing through your veins so she could join you.
But you never let that happen.
On the opposite. You held her close to your chest, let her breathe in your scent deeply, and kissed her hair.
“I’m sorry...” She doesn’t know why the words came out of her mouth. She wasn’t really sorry for her anger at everything and everyone. But you had that effect on her.
“You don’t need to apologize. I’m here for you.” You stepped back, looking into her eyes as you spoke the words from the bottom of your heart. “I don’t mind if you take your anger out on me every once in a while. I’ll always be here to catch you, Love.”
Her eyes were brimming with tears; she knew she would never let you go. She would never let you slip away, because no one had ever been as loving to her as you were. Love knew you were soulmates. You didn’t need anyone else, and no one would ever come between the two of you.
“I love you.” The smile on her face was carefree, almost as if she had completely let her guard down.
“I love you more.” Leaning in, your lips met Love’s as you shared a loving kiss. “Now how about we go in there and show them that we’re the best couple in the world?!” you joked.
Love laughed, becoming a little too serious for a second, just to say a short sentence.
“Better than all of them!”
“Definitely!” you laughed.
Wrapping your arm around her shoulders, the two of you walked into the house, moving together toward the dining room as you heard soft voices and laughter coming from the room. Living with the Quinns wasn’t an easy task, at least not for someone who wasn’t born rich and certainly didn’t share the same problems and questions as people with such an old fortune.
But you were about to get married; you were about to live a life alongside the Quinn family. God, you were about to become one of them. Maybe meeting Forty’s girlfriend wouldn’t be so bad after all. Someone outside the Quinns—a welcome change from that natural strangeness the family had—would be extremely welcome to you.
The laughter seemed clearer to your ears when you and Love arrived in the kitchen. Your hand slid gently from her shoulders to the small of Love’s back. The woman entered the kitchen with a smile on her face, very different from the expression she’d had seconds ago.
“Oh, look at the brides!” Mrs. Quinn announced your arrival, and then it was your turn to lose your smile.
That black hair, the tattoos, the heavy eyeliner, the perfectly shaped lips. Everything reminded you of a past you’d done everything to forget, a past you wanted to leave buried six feet under.
Forty shifted uneasily. He copied your movement from a few seconds ago as he approached the strange woman in the Quinns’ dining room. Love still had a smile on her face, ready to be the gracious hostess her mother had taught her to be—especially when it came to her brother.
She hadn’t noticed your smile fading yet, but hers faltered slightly when she realized that the persistent gaze of the woman standing next to Forty was directed at you.
“Love, Yn. This is my beloved, the most beautiful, sexy, and dangerous woman in the world.” Forty pulled her closer, as if he didn’t want there to be any distance between them. “Rachel Harkin!”
A sudden knock on the door made you and Drew jump in your seats. The recap of the entire story you and Love had been going over was interrupted by Forty’s voice, which sounded furious from behind the doorknob.
“Yn, what are you doing? You have to be at the altar in thirty minutes! I’m not fucking kidding!” The knocking continued; your body seemed to move on its own as you stood up and grabbed the top half of your wedding clothes.
“Wait!” Drew whispered aggressively, getting up from where he’d been listening intently to the story to follow you. “Look, I get it. Love is a little jealous, but nobody likes having their fiancée’s ex around the family, right?!”
You walked a little further, turning the doorknob and looking down both sides of the hallway, making sure Forty had really left.
“I mean, nobody would like that. I kind of get her.” The man continued, following you with quick steps down the long hallway. “And isn’t it kind of a good thing that Rachel’s gone for good? I mean, she was always paranoid anyway; maybe she left because she didn’t think Forty was her soulmate or something.”
Drew’s voice was laced with a tone of sarcasm and humor that made your throat tighten. Because you knew the truth. You knew everything Rachel Harkin wanted when she approached Forty; you knew she was right about some of the things she said to you that night. Your head felt like it was about to explode as Drew’s chuckle echoed off the walls of the long hallway; he kept saying something about how you might be getting just as paranoid as your ex-girlfriend.
His footsteps behind you sounded like a botched chase, and he barely managed to reach your side before you turned around, grabbed him, and slammed his back against the wall of that creepy hallway.
“SHE DIDN’T DISAPPEAR, MOTHERFUCKER! Your scream sent a chill down Drew’s spine, and for a second, all you could hear in that hallway was the sound of both of your breaths. “She never left…”
“YOU SAID SHE’D DISAPPEARED! YOU SAID SHE’D LEFT FOREVER! ” Love’s screams echoed through the room in the Quinn mansion.
Dinner hadn’t even been properly settled yet when Love hurried up the stairs. After Forty’s introduction of Rachel, Love remembered why that name sounded so familiar, or why her brother’s new girlfriend couldn’t take her eyes off you during the entire conversation.
“Love, what do you want me to say? I don’t know why she’s here! I mean, she’s Forty’s girlfriend. Maybe it’s just an unfortunate coincidence!” You tried, you really tried everything. But calming Love down when she was in that state seemed impossible.
Her nose was red, her teary eyes widening even more with every passive word that came out of your mouth, and all Love wanted at that moment was to crack open your head and reconfigure the entire way you reacted to every little thing.
“SHE DIDN’T COME HERE BECAUSE SHE’S FORTY’S GIRLFRIEND, YOU FUCKING IDIOT! SHE CAME FOR YOU!” Love’s voice rose even higher than before, and you flinched slightly.
The two of you stood perfectly aligned in the distance. The queen-size bed in the room separated the two of you. Love was on the left side, pacing back and forth as she tried to process the fact that your ex-girlfriend was now—in one of the many rooms of the Quinn mansion—on the other side of the hallway. The bathroom door was slightly ajar, and on Love’s side of the room, which meant it would be a difficult task to go over there and cross the invisible line between you two right now.
“Damn it, do you even care about how I feel about all this?” Love’s whispering voice seemed desperate for a reaction from you.
And for a second, you finally understood part of her frustration.
“You think I don’t care about how you feel?” Your head tilted to the left, and your eyebrows furrowed. The tone of your voice was slightly threatening, the kind of tone Love had never really heard before. “Do you think I’d be marrying you if I didn’t care, Love?”
Your feet were faster than your brain, circling the bed; your hands grabbed Love’s wrists, shaking her gently as if that would snap her out of the fucked-up mental state she was in right now.
“DO YOU THINK I’D MARRY SOMEONE I DON’T TRULY FUCKING LOVE?”
“Yn, you’re hurting me!” Her voice dropped from a firm tone to a timid little thing in seconds, and a sense of grandeur washed over you for a moment.
“Great, because now you know how I feel.”
Your eyes locked onto hers like a predator’s on its prey, and even though she was trying not to break character, Love was enjoying every second of your sudden boldness.
You kept staring at Love for five seconds before giving in completely and kissing those beautiful red lips that always seemed so tempting to you. You had never acted like this before; no one had ever made you lose even a shred of your patience, of your sanity. But Love knew how to do this. She knew it all too well.
Love’s fingers tangled in your hair, and the sound of your two labored breaths began to fill the room. The hand on your chest pushed you until the backs of your knees hit the mattress. The softness was replaced by the weight of Love on your thighs as she climbed on top of you. She attacked your lips again, almost like a well-rehearsed ritual; her hands grabbed your shirt as you raised your arms, helping her slide the fabric down your torso.
“Tell me you love me.” Her hands grabbed your cheeks, her nails digging into your skin as you furrowed your brow in confusion.
“Say I’m the only one you want.” She commanded again. Her hands slid down to your belt, unbuckling it before her fingers began to undo the buttons on your pants. “Say you’ll never leave me.”
The commanding, slightly raised tone of her voice made you feel strangely aroused. Your cock sprang to life inside your pants as Love’s hand brushed against the denim. Her hand was gentle around you, and the movements she began to make felt like a welcome to heaven.
“Say it, say you can’t live without me, my love.” She stared intently at you, watching you nod in agreement.
Your ragged breathing began to mingle with hers as the brown-haired woman pressed your foreheads together in the midst of the intimate moment. The speed of her hand was slow, almost like an eccentrically good torture. Your hands were tingling, and you grabbed the hem of her dress, pulling it up, hoping that would relieve whatever sense of euphoria you were feeling.
“You can come inside me, baby.” Her mouth slid down to your ear, whispering the words and referring to the lower half of her body that was exposed to you. “Just say what I want to hear.”
“Damn, Love, I could never live without you.” A sigh of pain and pleasure escaped your lips. You could feel the pain coming from the lack of relief, because the way Love was handjobing you was nothing. But the pleasure of her hand sliding over your cock was still there, screaming for more space. “I love you and I’ll love you until I die. Please!”
The words had barely left your mouth when your fiancée’s hands guided you inside her with the greatest ease in the world. You could feel how wet she was, and how her walls welcomed you as if they’d been waiting for you for centuries. Her weight on top of you was like the weight of a feather, but the movements of her hips were like the eighth wonder of the world.
“Damn, Love.” Your hands grabbed her hips, trying to guide her movements, but deep down, you both knew who was really in charge of the situation there. “I fucking love you.”
Her hands grabbed your face for the umpteenth time that day, and her lips kissed you passionately. Without you having the slightest idea, Love began to speed up the grinding, making your cock go deeper inside her. Your mouths parted when you moaned loudly, without a shred of shame. You knew your fiancée loved it when you showed her just how good she made you feel, and you would never deny that to her.
Her hands guided your head to the neckline of her dress, making you lick and bury your face in the warm skin that was exposed. You wanted more than anything to take that dress off her, taste the sweat on her skin, kiss every inch of her boobs like you always loved to do. But you knew that wasn’t exactly the right moment for that. And if you were seeing what Love was seeing, you certainly wouldn’t be doing half of what the two of you were doing at that moment.
Love’s eyes fixed on the door—or rather, on the figure standing in the doorway. Love’s smile widened when she saw the tears of contempt forming on Rachel’s face. The woman who had just witnessed the fight couldn’t bring herself to leave when she saw what was about to happen.
Love had seen the black hair peeking through the crack in the door when the argument got heated; she knew Rachel was there, and it was killing her inside.
Your moans snapped Love out of her daze quickly; the woman clung even tighter to your hair, jumping on top of you with more determination, feeling your hands grip her waist and your cock hit every sweet spot inside her. Her moans grew as loud as yours, and she smiled amid the pleasure when she saw Rachel hurry out of her line of view as she wiped a tear from her face.
“I’m going to… fuck, Love, I’m going to cum! Your arms circled your fiancée’s waist, embracing her completely as your hips met hers with every thrust.
“Me too. Cum inside me, babe.” Her whisper in your ear was all it took for you to completely lose your mind.
Your hips stuttered as the knot in your stomach undid itself, thick strands of sperm spilled directly inside Love, bringing her orgasm crashing down on you like an avalanche. You were both convulsing as you remained connected like the soulmates you were both born to be.
The gasps faded as your hearts returned to their normal rhythm, and Love lay her head on your shoulder as she tried to figure out her next move.
“I’m here, Love.” Your hands traced up her back, caressing her as if she were made of porcelain. “I’ll never leave you.”
You greeted the guests—members of the Quinn family—who were spreading out throughout the Quinns’ large mansion. The outdoor area was decorated with flowers, chairs, and other wedding stuff, and most of the people who had arrived were comfortably enjoying the open bar that had been set up in the huge dining room.
Everyone seemed to want a little of your attention, and you tried your hardest to give everyone equal treatment. But Drew didn’t seem to understand what you were trying to do right now, since he’d been following you ever since you told him more of the story.
“Drew, I already told you to stop following me!” You dragged the man toward one of the first doors you saw, and the two of you ended up together in the pantry. “Damn it, I’m trying to pretend everything’s fine. Can you help me out for a second!”
“Hey, you started all this! I just want to know where this is going.” He said, watching you run your hands through your hair nervously. “Because I swear to God, Yn. If Love is part of a cult or something like that, and they used Rachel as a sacrifice, I’m out of this marriage.”
You paused for a moment. Biting your nails as you recalled the details of that night you didn’t want to remember. Drew’s eyes were slightly wide, and you saw yourself in him for a second. The look of uncertainty, the slightly quickened breath, all the adrenaline of a story heard for the first time. But you remember being worse off than Drew back then.
Because you weren’t just hearing a story from a friend.
The lights were dimmed, because now, dinner was about to be served, and the Quinns were fancy and wealthy enough for a candlelit dinner. Love and you had walked down the stairs hand in hand like the perfect couple, only to see Forty and Rachel being absolutely adored by Love’s parents. You thought you’d get some peace once dinner was served. God, how wrong you were.
“Oh, Love, I have the perfect place for your wedding!” Mrs. Quinn began. And if you’d known where that conversation was headed, you certainly wouldn’t have let her continue.
“Mom, Yn and I are still deciding...” The silence at the table was thick, because no one would dare interrupt a silent battle between Love and her mother.
“Then stop deciding. You can get married here! It’s just perfect!” You nearly choked on your wine.
Forty jumped up from where he was sitting, grabbing Rachel’s hand as he celebrated your impending doom. Love’s grip on her glass grew even tighter, and you swore she’d have a shard of glass embedded in her palm if she kept squeezing it like that.
“Mom, I’m sorry, but I don’t think this is the best place for Yn and me to get married.” Love seemed firm, but you knew her well enough to recognize the tremor in the depths of her voice.
“Nonsense. Your father and I got married here; you can get married here. Just like Forty and Rachel, when they’re ready.” The woman concluded, grabbing her son’s hand across the table.
Mr. Quinn took a long sip of his wine, Rachel shifted uncomfortably in her chair, and you were calculating whether it was worth losing your sanity to avoid ruining family dinner.
“Can you just stay out of our lives for a second?” You took a deep breath, and Forty squeezed his mother’s hand twice.
“I’m sorry, I just thought you might want a dignified place for your wedding.” That wasn’t a real, sincere apology, and everyone knew it.
“Yeah, because only what you decide is dignified, isn’t it, Mom.” Love’s voice rose slightly, and you tried to grab her hand.
“Love, you’ve always been ungrateful, but I didn’t think you’d make a scene like this in front of your brother’s girlfriend.”
That was the only push it took for the house of cards to collapse. The nasal—and, without a doubt—sarcastic laugh Love let out after that made you realize that the whole dinner had gone down the drain.
“Do you think she cares?” The words rang like alarm bells in your head. “She’s not here for Forty...”
“Love...” You tried to stop her. To warn her that this would only make things worse. But you should have known better than to think Love would listen to anyone when she’s like this.
“Why are you saying that, Love?” Forty, sensitive and oblivious—as always—seemed completely baffled by the way his sister was about to explode over what was, in Quinn family terms, a perfectly normal mother-daughter conversation.
“Did your beloved tell you that she used to date my fiancée?”
Your eyes closed, and you sighed in defeat. Mrs. Quinn squeezed her favorite son’s hand tighter, and Mr. Quinn had already opened the second bottle of wine. Rachel and Love’s eyes were locked in an endless battle, and it was almost as if Harkin were challenging Love to finish ruining the family dinner.
“What are you doing here, huh?” Love’s voice was calm, a smooth facade over the turmoil raging inside her. “Did you come here to try to ruin our wedding?”
“Love...” You tried to grab her hand again, only for her to pull it out of your reach as if your fingertips were smoldering embers.
“NO!” Her eyes raged with everything she hadn’t been able to say yet. And all of it directed at the woman you used to think was your soulmate. “She’s trying to ruin our marriage!”
Rachel didn’t seem surprised by anything, her face completely relaxed, almost as if Love’s threats or screams had no effect on her at all. You were starting to get really nervous. Things were starting to spiral out of control, and you didn’t think they could get any better from here on out.
“Why are you so afraid of me?” The one time Rachel spoke up, it felt like a deep punch to your stomach.
A tear of anger rolled down Love’s face, and you braced yourself to catch her in case she tried to jump on your ex-girlfriend.
“Afraid of you?” Love laughed. Or at least she tried to, since the sound was more like a disguised sob. “I feel sorry for you. Coming here after my fiancée as if you didn’t know we were together.”
“Oh, no. I knew you two were together. I definitely knew!” Crossing her arms, Rachel leaned back in her chair.
Her posture reminds you of the days when the two of you were still together. You remember how she always got extremely smug whenever she knew she was right, or when she knew you were hiding something.
“Rachel, what are you trying to do?” you asked, speaking up amid all the commotion for the first time.
“Aren’t you in love with me?” Forty’s question made the black-haired woman roll her eyes.
“What? Didn’t you know your fiancée had been stalking you this whole time?!” Rachel’s words echoed through the room, and for a second everyone fell silent. Rachel leaned over the table, acting as if she were about to tell you a secret. Maybe she was. “Your fiancée is a fucking psychopath, Yn.”
Love was trembling beside you, but not the kind of tremor someone feels when they’re scared—this was a tremor of hatred. The tremor of someone being exposed, as if everything she’d worked so hard to hide was worthless.
“I don’t know how, but this woman got the number to my apartment in LA, told me to stay away from you, and threatened me. She did everything she could to get you, and I don’t even know why!” Rachel’s voice grew louder and louder as the words came out of her mouth.
“YOU’RE LYING! YOU’RE A FUCKING LIAR!” Love’s scream sent a chill down your spine in less than a second. Your eyes closed slightly as the shrill scream lashed at your ears.
“But I did my homework. I know who you are, Love Quinn.” The sarcastic smile on Rachel’s face made Love practically want to stab her right then and there.
It didn’t make sense in your head. Why would Love be after you if you met in such an ordinary, such an unusual way? Rachel’s words jumbled in your head like pieces of a very difficult puzzle. None of it made sense.
“Rachel, are you high?” You could remember your ex-girlfriend’s habit. I mean, the two of you used to share a joint whenever you had a rough day. Staring out the window of her apartment in NY like two washed-up rock stars.
“For God’s sake, yn. I’m not high!” Her arms crossed again, as if she were on the defensive. You understood; she was extremely vulnerable. But she’d put herself in this situation.
“Do you remember ANAVRIN?” Her question sent you straight back to the depths of the relationship you and Rachel shared. “That fucking place you dragged me into when we first visited Los Angeles?” Rachel closed her eyes tightly, almost as if she felt repulsed just by remembering the place.
“Shut the fuck up.” Love tried, mimicking the movements of the woman sitting across from her and closing her eyes.
“What are you getting at, Rachel?” Your eyes were slightly teary.
The whole situation was just a huge mess; you hadn’t had dinner because the whole meal had been ruined before you could even take three bites of your food. Rachel smiled, leaning back in her chair again only to turn slightly toward Forty.
“Who owned that piece of shit hole you called a bookstore, darling?” Rachel’s voice was as soft as a summer breeze. And her hands rose to stroke Forty’s hair, who responded like a hypnotized puppy.
“The Quinns.” He paused for a moment, as if taking in everything that was happening right then. “Mine and Love’s.”
You shifted uncomfortably in your chair. Love’s hand tried to reach for yours, while you discreetly pulled yours away.
“Exactly. You know who was working making that fucking stupid cupcake you loved so much? Your fiancée!” Rachel’s voice grew harsher with every word that came out of her mouth, and you grew more and more fearful. “She saw you that day. She became obsessed with you, she stalked you like a fucking crazy bitch, because that’s what she is. And then, she threatened me to break up with you. Because Love Quinn is a fucking spoiled brat who can’t take no for an answer.”
Your ears seemed to have lost the ability to hear for a second, and you started to think you were going to pass out. Your hands were sweating, and a tear rolled down your cheek. Love was quick, bending down close to you, getting on her knees, and wiping your tears away quickly.
“Hey, honey. Look at me. That’s not true, remember, she’s here to tear us apart!” Love’s words seemed to numb you even more, along with her cold hands on your face.
“I have the messages, the letters she sent me. Every little threat, Yn.” The chair scraped across the wooden floor of the Quinns’ house.
Rachel had stood up; the purse she’d left near the coat closet was now in her hand, resting gently in her soft hands as her delicate fingers picked up the countless pieces of evidence.
“You thought I was paranoid, but I was being threatened and coerced. You judged me for thinking I wasn’t in my mental state. But I know very well every little hell I went through because of you, Yn!”
And there they were, scattered across the dining table: photos of you and Rachel together, threats written in letters cut out from magazines, and worst of all, a check signed by the Quinns, along with a cryptic note telling Rachel to get out of your life as soon as possible.
“Babe, don’t look at that. You can’t believe what she’s saying!” Your hands gripped Love’s wrists, forcing her to take her hands off your face.
Leaning forward, your hands reached for the check, the Quinn family name there—but specifically, Forty Quinn.
“Her plan would have worked.” Rachel looked into Love’s eyes, seeing the rage and tears burning her skin. “If… she hadn’t sent her stupid brother to do the most important job of all.”
The check felt heavy in your hands, because it wasn’t just proof of everything Rachel was saying, but also a testament to how little you knew the woman you were going to marry in less than three months.
“When I saw the name, Forty Quinn. I knew exactly where all of this had started.” Rachel’s hands reached for Forty’s hair again, but this time, the man turned his head away so she couldn’t touch him. “It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s not your fault your sister is a fucking psychopath.”
“Enough!” Mrs. Quinn spoke up, seeing how affected Forty was; the woman finally stood up. “This ends here. I want you out of my house—you’ve caused enough trouble already!”
The words echoed in your ears; Love’s tears dripped onto your jeans as she tried to get you to talk to her. Your world seemed to be spinning and turning faster than ever. Love’s hands were once again pulled away from your face, and you stood up from the chair, making the woman kneeling in front of you try to follow you. The shouting between Rachel, Forty, and Mrs. Quinn began to get louder, and you practically dragged yourself to the stairs.
For the first time that night, Mr. Quinn did something, getting up to turn on the old jukebox he liked to keep as a proud relic. The vocals of Paul Anka’s “You Are My Destiny” began to sound like a disturbing scream in your ears, drowning out everyone’s voices as you climbed the stairs like a living dead man.
Seeing you climb the stairs like someone who’d just been hit by a car made something snap inside Love. As she looked back, the woman caught a glimpse of all the chaos Rachel Harkin had just left in the Quinn family’s wake. Forty was crying his eyes out in her mother’s lap, who now looked at Love as if all of this were just another one of her failures. Because in Mrs. Quinn’s eyes, that was all Love ever did. She spoke to her brother, to her parents, and to you.
Stroking Forty’s hair, the Quinn matriarch’s eyes rested on her only daughter, shaking her head before saying in a low voice, “You ruined everything. Again.”
The words lashed through Love’s mind, a bitter taste flooded her mouth, and her teeth ground together as her jaw clenched violently. She couldn’t fail, but she had. Her marriage, the most important thing to her, was now at risk. Once again she had disappointed her mother, who had asked her to do something as simple as not ruining dinner.
Love wasn’t going to pay for this alone. Someone else was to blame for this, too.
Rachel was closing the trunk of the car when she heard the garage door open. The sight of Love Quinn standing in the doorway made the black-haired woman smile sarcastically, shaking her head as she slammed the trunk shut with unnecessary force.
“Did you get what you wanted?” Love’s question made Rachel let out a nasal laugh.
The car keys jingled in the woman’s hand. Rachel knew she couldn’t trust Love; after all, this was the woman who had spent months threatening her. The tips of the keys fit perfectly between Rachel’s fingers, and all she wanted was to get out of that house as quickly as possible.
“I didn’t want to make a scene.” Rachel shrugged, watching Love take a step toward her, moving further into the garage so the two could talk face to face. “But you didn’t give me a choice.”
“You’re pathetic.” Love snapped. “Do you think Yn is going to leave?!” The sarcasm in Quinn’s voice made Rachel look at her with anger in her eyes. “Do you remember what you saw earlier today? She’d never live without me.”
Rachel looked at the floor, trying not to let the tears fall from her eyes. The possibility of you going through with the wedding made her stomach churn; the thought that everything she’d done had been in vain made her feel terribly sick.
“Well, I couldn’t live with the guilt of never having told her the truth.” Rachel’s calm expression made Love twist inside. “I don’t know if she’ll choose to stay, Love. But I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t tell the truth to the only person I’ve ever loved in this life.”
Love laughed harder, looking away from Rachel so the woman couldn’t see the fear hidden in her eyes. Love’s eyes quickly swept over something red, a long handle, slightly sharp. Probably perfect for cutting large animals and trees with very thick trunks.
“I don’t want to bother you anymore.” Rachel turned away. The terrible mistake of trusting someone you don’t know completely. “I hope she leaves you…”
Rachel’s voice was cut short by a bone-chilling scream, just like the searing pain the woman felt in her shoulder blade. Rachel’s scream wouldn’t be heard by the people upstairs, nor by the neighbors, since the Quinns’ house was at least eighty meters away from any other house.
Rachel was on the floor, alone and bleeding. She fell to the floor as if she had expected exactly what was about to happen next. The woman’s sobs were quiet, and all she could do was try to crawl toward the automatic garage door. Her ears could hear Love’s footsteps approaching her fallen form, and terror took hold of her body. The pain felt as intense as anything she had ever experienced, and Rachel closed her eyes as she saw Love Quinn’s shadow looming over her.
“You should never have gotten in my way, bitch.”
Forty had both hands full; he was chattering away as he herded you and Drew toward the altar. The ceremony was about to begin, and all you could hear was your bride’s brother complaining about how he’d had to go hunting for the bride and the best man so the wedding could start.
“Wait. What happened after you went up the stairs?” Drew’s question made you jab your elbow into his stomach.
The two of you were at the altar; Forty had left, warning that Love would be ready in five minutes and that you two should be in position. Junia was on Love’s side of the altar, completely oblivious to the horror her husband was experiencing as he listened to your magical wedding story.
“Drew, I don’t know if we should finish this conversation right now...”
“Yn, we have five minutes to figure out if you’re right about not marrying her or if you’re just overreacting.” He whispered aggressively in your ear, smiling and waving to the guests passing through the rows of chairs to take their seats. “What the hell happened when you went up the stairs?”
You took a deep breath; just like that night, you could feel your heart about to leap out of your mouth. The screams had died down, until they stopped completely. Love hadn’t followed you upstairs, and all you could think was that maybe she needed some fresh air after everything that had happened.
The truth was, you were completely torn. You loved Love, truly. But all of that—all those circumstances that had practically been thrown in your face tonight—were a push to the edge of a cliff, where you genuinely didn’t know if you’d take a step back and save yourself from that fall, or if you’d throw yourself headfirst without caring about anything that had happened.
Maybe you needed some time to think, some time away from all the confusion and drama of the Quinn family. Your sweaty hands almost dropped the small suitcase when you picked it up; tossing some clothes inside, you went to the bathroom, ready to grab your favorite hairbrush. But when you came back, you ran into Love, your fiancée who just a few minutes ago seemed completely distraught, now staring at the suitcase you’d packed as if it were a declaration of war.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Her voice was enough to send shivers down your spine, and for a moment you wondered if it was a good idea to argue with her there.
“I think we both need some time to think...”
“I don’t need any fucking time, Yn!” Love stepped closer to you, making you take a step back. “I need my fiancée. Here. With me.”
The way she spoke, the tears threatening to spill from her perfect face. Everything was a reason for you to stay, to forget everything Rachel had said to you, and simply cling to Love as if she were your destiny. You watched Love take another step toward you, clinging to you like a lifeline. Her arms wrapped around your waist as she buried her head in your chest; her nose had memorized your scent so many times that in that moment, she realized you smelled different.
“You smell like desperation. Please, Yn. You can’t leave me.” Your hands grabbed her shoulders, pushing her away as you tried to bring some sense to her mind.
“Love, please. I don’t think it’s healthy for us to be together right now.” The words were enough to make her break down. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to cling to every part of you she could.
Her eyes were glistening with tears, lifeless; her nose, red from crying so much, revealed that no matter how hard she was trying to convince you to stay, everything she was feeling was genuine.
“No, you can’t leave me. We’re soulmates, we’re meant for each other.” You tried to break free from her, which only made her cling to you even tighter. “You can’t do this to me, you can’t!”
“Love, you have to let me go...”
“YOU WON’T LEAVE ME!” The woman’s scream was accompanied by a shove.
Your back slammed hard against the wall; you choked, losing your breath while Love kept trying to make sure you’d never leave that room again. One hand was on your chest, while the other tried to reach the injured part of your back. Love was looking at you as if you had just told her you hated her, and honestly, all you wanted was to get out of that house.
A strange feeling of déjà vu washed over you, and before Love could come at you again, you tried to run. Your feet took off as the woman you called your fiancée came right after you. Love grabbed your shirt as she tried to stop you from turning the doorknob.
On instinct, you jerked your elbow backward, hitting Love in the mouth and sending her crashing to the floor. And then it was as if everything had come to a standstill.
“Fuck, Love.” You crouched down quickly, trying to see the damage you’d just done. “Fuck, holy shit. You’re bleeding! I’ll get a towel.”
“No!” You hadn’t even managed to get up before you were pulled back down to the floor next to Love.
Her mouth was red, and her teeth were stained with blood. You didn’t want to do this; Love knew you didn’t want to do this. But the universe had just given her an opportunity, and she wasn’t going to waste it.
“You can’t leave.” She began, her voice coming out choked and trembling through the blood on her teeth.
You know how they say everything in life has a purpose? Love’s words made you feel like a person at the top of a roller coaster—those seconds of euphoria when you’re at the peak, only to plummet faster than you can see. Being a mother was like one of the greatest achievements you could have in your entire life. Bringing a new person into the world, teaching them how to navigate life, having someone—a little companion—who would love you unconditionally forever.
Love, the woman you’d just discovered was a stalker, held your dream in the palm of her hands. Or rather, inside her.
“I found out a few weeks ago.” She reached for your hand, taking it just to place it on her belly. “I love you, Yn. I did all this because I love you more than anyone could ever love you.” Her eyes shone with love and tenderness, a stark contrast to just minutes ago.
“Our baby will love you just as I love you, infinitely.” Her forehead rested against yours, and the sensation of your breaths mingling made you feel at home. “You just have to stay, my love. Where else would you want to go?” Her lips left a quick kiss on yours.
Love’s eyes scanned your face as she occasionally kissed your lips. Tears rolled down your cheeks as Love smiled tenderly at you.
“Promise me you’ll stay forever, babe.” She whispered in your ear.
You didn’t think twice. It was your child.
“I promise.” The words came out faintly from your mouth, but for Love, it was more than enough.
“We’re going to be the happiest family in the world, my love.” Love’s hands cupped your face, making you look at her. She looked at you with tenderness and passion, and for a second you forgot why everyone had been fighting earlier. “I need to tell you one more thing.”
A single tear fell from your eyes when the song chosen for the bride’s entrance began to play. Unlike tradition, Love didn’t want to walk down the aisle to that same old song—no. The orchestra playing “You Are My Destiny” entered your ears like the sound of a thousand chairs being dragged across the floor, like claws scratching a blackboard, like an axe tearing through your skin.
Love was there, smiling at you. A white dress made perfectly for her, as she walked slowly toward you. Everyone in that audience was oblivious to the conflict in your heart, and to the horror you harbored in your mind. You remember every detail, how she told you, how you helped her hide everything, how you went through hell, just to protect what was most sacred to that woman.
“You can’t marry a murderer, Yn!” Drew’s voice whispered in your ear, almost as if it were a living reminder that you couldn’t fall in love with Love again.
Even though you were practically trapped under her spell. All you had to do was resist.
“Well, it seems she’s my destiny.”
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