Love Contractually

Chapter Seven

"Oh my god you in lace is perfect." Betty exclaims. As I try on the same dress Paris Hilton wore, apparently. She's taken me to a private boutique somewhere in central London, but my mind is elsewhere.

"It's a little... modest." I say, shrugging my shoulders at the highneck. I see Betty press her lips together and I sigh. "Sorry, I know I'm not being that fun, but it's been almost three weeks since the exam and I was told two weeks for results so I'm... stressed."

"It's okay." Betty says, taking me and sitting me down on the sofa. She holds my hands, and we take a deep breath together. "I know, it's stressful. Thomas was a nightmare and his sister even worse. That's why she helped him so much. But this is your wedding, Hannah. You only get to do this once." She says, brushing her fingers through my hair. "You can retake the exam."

"I've never failed at anything before." I tell her. "Not professionally, anyway." I clarify. Thomas and I are good at keeping a distance. We haven't had to speak a word to each other in three days. Just small smiles keep me from getting scared that he secretly regrets ever meeting me.

I try on a few more dresses, letting it distract me. I like strapless, so we focus there. Betty taking pictures at every angle for every dress. Little me keeps me going, enjoying feeling like a princess, Thomas has called me it enough times, but this is the first time I feel it. I feel like a princess.

"No way. This is sacred." Betty says as I come out in a new dress. "Don't you dare come up here." She says, hanging up to take pictures of me instead.

"Who was that?" I ask as I get on the little step to look at myself in the huge mirror.

"Nothing." She says. "I see it in your face, what's wrong with it?" She asks.

"I love the top, it's perfect. But I don't like the skirt. It looks like a triangle. I want more like a bell shape." I say and twist, so I get to twirl a little. It does float out nicely and I smile at the feeling, which makes Betty beam and take even more photos.

"I need to get in there." I hear behind me.

"Thomas?" I ask.

"No. Thomas I said no." Betty says.

"Let him in." I say quickly, knowing it has to be serious if he wants to see me and speak to me. The shopping assistants let him in, and he runs over to me, passing me a letter.

"It's your results." He says. "It looks exactly like mine did."

"Really?" I ask, ripping the letter open. I stare at the folded piece of A4, and I suddenly feel a little faint.

"Hannah, breathe." Thomas says. I nod and take a few breaths. "Hannah you're the smartest person I know. That will show it."

"What if I failed?" I ask him. For the first time in almost three weeks, he looks me in the eye. The spark barely there but trying to break through for me. "Thomas... I really want to pass." I say, telling him with my tone what I mean. I want to marry him.

"I'm here no matter what." He says sincerely. I nod and I look away as I unfold the piece of paper, taking another deep breath before I look at the page and read it. "So?" He asks as I freeze. "How well did you pass?" He asks.

"With distinction." I breathe out, covering my mouth as I jump and cry happy tears.

"Hannah I'm so proud of you." Thomas says, wrapping his arms around me and spinning me off of the step.

"Thank you so much." I say as is sniffle.

"It was all you princess." He says, kissing my forehead. After so long it feels like he's breathing new life into me. "This isn't the dress is it?" He asks, making me laugh and pull back.