The Wrong Bride: Ares and Raven’s Story (The Windsors)

The sound of knocking wakes me, and I blink, disoriented, my gaze dropping to Ares next to me. I didn’t think we’d ever find ourselves in this position… waking up together, married.

Another knock sounds on the door, and I sit up, letting the sheets bunch around my waist. “Ares,” I murmur.

“Hmm?” He blinks lazily and turns toward me, sighing as his eyes flutter open. “Raven,” he whispers dreamily. His eyes leisurely roam over the black lace nightie I’m wearing, lingering on my breasts for a moment. He didn’t come to bed until I fell asleep, and I wasn’t sure he’d be next to me this morning at all. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he spent the night on the sofa. It can’t have been easy for him to have me in his bed when it’s my sister he wants.

“Ares, sweetheart,” Donna calls. “There’s… there’s someone at the entrance.”

I tense and let my eyes fall closed. “Hannah,” I whisper. Guilt hits me hard, followed by intense shame. “What are we going to tell her?” I ask, my voice trembling.

Ares sits up and turns toward me, exposing the blue checkered pajamas he’s wearing. Hannah has matching ones. The mere sight of him makes me feel sick to my stomach. Did he wear them because he misses her, or is she so deeply entrenched in his life that he can’t detangle everything they were?

Ares stares at me for a moment, no doubt noting my anxiety. “What do you want me to say to her?”

I look down at my hands and inhale deeply before speaking. “I want you to tell her what you told me at the altar. You told me you’d give me your all, Ares. I’m asking you to keep that promise. I know how much you love her, but I won’t let you cheat on me — nor will I let you embarrass me. I demand the respect I’m due as your wife, the respect you would’ve shown Hannah if she hadn’t left you at the altar yesterday.”

He looks away and nods sharply. “Understood,” he simply says. I look up in surprise to find him smiling at me reassuringly, as though he can read the fears I try so hard to hide.

“Let’s get ready,” he tells me. “She’ll want to speak to both of us, I’m sure. I’ll leave you to use our ensuite bathroom, and I’ll head over to the bathroom in our gym.”

I nod and slip out of bed, a thousand different worries running through my mind. I don’t want to see them together. Somehow, I’ve been existing in this fictional world that Hannah isn’t part of. I’ve been convincing myself that I could outrun her, and that I’d get away with taking her place.

I knew I couldn’t run forever.

I’m surprised to find Ares sitting on his bed when I walk out of the dressing room, a towel pressed to his wet hair. I thought he’d have gone to speak to Hannah in private, yet here he is, waiting for me.

His eyes roam over the dress I’m wearing, and then he looks away. “Ready?” he asks as he stands up.

I shake my head. “No,” I admit. I know what my sister is like. She’s always been a talented actress, and not even I can withstand her skills. I’m scared that my resolve will crumble once I come eye to eye with her.

Ares smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “It’ll be okay. Let’s go.”

I nod and follow him into the living room, where Hannah is waiting. She jumps up from her seat and rushes up to Ares, throwing herself into his arms. He hugs her tightly, his eyes falling closed as pure torment takes over his expression. It’s obvious how much he’s missed her, and I’ve never felt more like an intruder than I do at this moment.

“Tell me it isn’t true,” she begs, her voice shaking.

“I’m sorry, Hannah.” He sounds as hurt as she does, and it kills me to know I’m all that’s standing between them now.

She pushes away from him as a tear drops down her cheek and glances at me. “Raven, this is some kind of sick joke, right? Please tell me it is.” She laughs humorlessly, the sound carrying a hint of desperation.

I shake my head, remorse washing over me. She loves him. Hannah might be selfish, but her love for Ares has always been one of the most beautiful things about her.

“How could you marry my fiancé?” she asks in disbelief. “How could you possibly agree to marry someone who will never love you? Why would you do this to me, Raven? If you’d just walked away, they’d have postponed the wedding and they wouldn’t have been able to blame Ares for it.”

“Hannah,” I say, my tone defensive. “I called you over a hundred times. I sent you text messages, left you voice notes, and I even emailed you. I tried to contact you in every single way I could think of, but you chose to ignore me. I told you that Dad threatened to pull all funding for my company if I didn’t walk down that aisle, and you still didn’t show up. You were willing to risk your future, but that doesn’t mean I was willing to risk mine.”

She looks between us, her eyes filled with tears. “Ares,” she says, her voice shaky. “How could you? She’s my sister, for God’s sake. This…” She looks between us, insecurity flashing through her eyes. “You two… are you…”

“No,” Ares says instantly. “Never. I’ve never loved anyone but you, Hannah. I never will. How could I possibly want someone other than you?”

My heart twists painfully, but I force myself to keep my expression blank. Part of me is terrified that it’s true, and no matter what I do, he’ll never love me. A larger part of me knows that I’ll always regret it if I don’t try.

“Where does this leave us, Ares? What about us?”

Ares looks at me, but I’m not sure how to answer her question, either. If anything, I’m waiting for his answer as much as she is.

“You know how I feel about marriage, Hannah. You chose to walk away from this, from us.”

She looks at him in disbelief. “You only have to remain married for three years, right?”

He hesitates for a moment, but then he nods.

“I’ll wait. I’ll wait for you, Ares.”

I take in his expression, the spark of hope that lights up his whole face. It hurts. It kills me that he so desperately wants to be with her, even now.

“Three years will fly by,” she says, her tone desperate. “I’ll focus on my career for the next three years, and once you two get a divorce, I’ll retire and marry you. I see it now, Ares. I don’t need my career as much as I need you. I’d never have walked away if I thought they’d make you marry Raven.”

She turns to me then, her eyes filled with sorrow. “I’m so sorry, Rave. This… it’s all my fault. Having to marry your brother-in-law… I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you. I know it’s too late for apologies, but I truly am sorry. I’ll set this right, I swear. I know three years seems like a lot, but you’ll walk away with Mom and Dad’s company.”

Brother-in-law. Part of me wants to snap at her and tell her that he’s my husband now, and her brother-in-law, but I don’t have it in me to hurt her that way. Instead, I nod, unsure how to respond. I might be Ares’s wife, but I have no rights to him. Standing here in front of my sister, the woman he loves and wants to spend his life with… I can’t hurt her any more than she’s already hurting.

Hannah inhales deeply and looks at Ares before turning to me. “I trust both of you,” she says, her gaze drifting between us. She smiles at Ares, her gaze filled with longing. “I know you’ve been put in a difficult situation, but I won’t doubt the love between us, Ares. We’ve been together for five years. In the grand scheme of things, three years is nothing — not compared to the rest of our lives.”

She turns to me then, a pleading look in her eyes. “Had it been anyone else, I’d have been insecure and scared, but I know you’ll never hurt me. You would never betray me in that way, and I know you’ll never see Ares as your husband, no matter what label the world is forcing you two to wear.”

I nod, giving in. This isn’t a battle worth fighting. Besides, Ares might be my husband for now, but he’ll end up being hers in the future. I can see it in his eyes. Even now, it’s her he’s imagining a future with. The promises he made me crumbled the second he laid eyes on her. They always have.

Hannah hesitates, her eyes on mine, and for a moment I wonder if she’s seeing straight through me, if she can sense my reluctance, my heartbreak. “Raven,” she says, her voice tense. My heart starts to race as I force a smile on my face. Just before she’s about to speak again, her phone rings, saving me from questions I might not have an answer to.

Hannah glances at her phone and grimaces. “I need to go,” she says reluctantly. “I’m supposed to be on set today.”

Ares tenses, hearing the words she isn’t saying. If she’s expected to be on set, then she must have known long ago that she wouldn’t be on her honeymoon today. What kind of game is she playing, and how long is Ares going to let her get away with it?

I watch as Hannah walks up to him. She rises to her tiptoes to kiss him, and I grit my teeth, pure venom rushing through my veins. Ares averts his face at the last minute, making her lips brush against his cheek instead.

She narrows her eyes at him, but in the end, she chooses to remain quiet. “I’ll see you later,” she tells him, her voice soft. “Let’s have dinner and talk things through, okay?”

He nods and watches her as she walks away, leaving both of our futures in disarray. The door closes behind her, and Ares inhales deeply as he takes a seat on the sofa, his gaze unfocused.

I should give him space, and I should respect his boundaries, but I won’t. This is war, and I won’t go down without a fight.

My steps are filled with confidence as I walk toward him and place my knee on the sofa between his spread legs, leaning in the way I did yesterday. The regret with which he looks at me has me hesitating, but in the end, hope wins.

I place my hands on his shoulders as I lean against him, towering above him. “My words still stand,” I tell him, my voice soft but firm. “I won’t let you cheat on me. If you want to be with Hannah once our three years are up, then so be it. But until then, I need you to be faithful to me. You might think that you can sneak around and won’t get caught, but that isn’t a risk that’s worth taking. If you cheat on me, I stand to lose as much as you do. I won’t let it happen.”

He wraps his hands around my waist, his gaze filled with emotions I can’t read. He’s never looked at me this way before. “I hear you,” he says, his voice soft. “I won’t break my vows, Raven. I won’t lie to you and tell you that I’m not tempted, because I am. It would be so easy to pretend that you and I aren’t married at all — that we’re just roommates, that you’re still just my fiancee’s little sister. But I won’t.”

I exhale shakily and nod at him, relief washing over me. This is as much as I’ll ask for. So long as he’s faithful to me, I’ve got a chance.

One chance is all I need.