An Engagement To Remember by Izabella Santos

I smiled because I didn’t know what else to do. I just nodded and dismissed the question as if he had never asked it. What was stopping me? He is the perfect guy, an amazing chef, a great listener, loyal, hilarious, fun, but that was it, he’s just a friend, a safe choice. One question, four words, and two possible answers. It was as easy as that, yes or no. His words linger in my head repeating it over and over again as if they were going to change. “Will you marry me?” I had to say yes, saying no would break his heart. I stare out the van window rotating my engagement ring on my finger. The weight of the ring itself is probably a solid five pounds with all the bedazzling diamonds circling around the large square stone. I mean who could say no?

“Sis, you ok? For someone who just got engaged, you look like you’re going to a funeral,” Mark teases.

“Yeah, I’m just thinking if I made the right choice,” I sigh.

“You love him don’t you?”

“I mean don’t get me wrong he’s a great guy. It’s just everything happened so fast, we literally just met three months ago.”

“So you don’t love him…”

I shrug, “I think I do.”

“I don’t know why we have to drive all the way to Oregon to see his family, couldn’t he just have flown us out? He’s loaded from his family’s old money,” Mark complains.

“I know, well, I didn’t want to disturb him. Plus this is the first time I’m seeing his parents, they don’t even know that he proposed, and I don’t want them thinking I’m marrying him for his money,” I reply trying to justify my actions.

“Hah, if only that was true,” Mark says sarcastically.

I roll my eyes. “Looks like it’s about to rain.”

“It’s Oregon, it always rains.”

I lean my head against the window and increase the volume of the radio.

“Kaylee, wake up do you know what their gate code is?” he asks as he shakes me awake.

“We’re here already?”

“Yup, It’s like we’re in the middle of nowhere with all this fog.”

“Did you hit the buzzer?”

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve been doing.”

Suddenly the black tall gates open as if we were entering the gates of hell. The gates have sharp tips which look like it can cut through flesh. We proceed onward to the unknown unsure of what awaits us inside. I can barely see the dark paved road, it looks like it’s covered with a veil of white mist. Minutes pass as we continue to drive straight.

“Did we miss the house?” I ask concerningly.

“I don’t know, the route guidance stopped working ever since we entered the gates.”

We make a turn going through a bridge of over-arching trees.

“How many acres did Mark say his family-owned again?” Mark questions.

“Ummm, apparently a lot. Look how many trees we’re surrounded by. If we get lost no one would find us, there’s no connection,” I say as I flick through my phone.

“Great, how am I going to be able to respond to work emails,” Mark says annoyed.

“I’m sure they have wifi.”

We finally approach a large off- white mansion. With two massive blue doors. Mark pulls up to the curb as a man dressed in a black suit walks towards our car.

“I wonder how long has he been waiting there,” Mark says suspiciously.

“Even the chauffeur is wearing a suit,” I joke. “I should have brought nicer clothes.”

“I know you told me it was going to be a low-key get together.”

The chauffeur walks up and opens the mini van’s passenger car door. I bite my lip in embarrassment, for once in my life I actually feel like a charity case.

“Welcome Miss Lang, I hope you found your way to here easily. If you don’t mind I’ll be the one to park your car, you won’t be needing it for the next few days. I will be the one to drive you if you need to go anywhere,” the guy in the suit informs me with a stone hard face.

“Thank you, and you are?” I ask.

“My name is Richard Seymore.”

“Well thank you, Mr. Richard, I truly appreciate your help,” I tell him gratefully.

“No thanks needed,” he smiles, “It’s part of the job. Do you need some help with the bags?”

“Ummm no thank you, I think Mark’s got it,” I say as I elbow Mark to get the suitcases out of the trunk.

“Well, off you go, just walk straight ahead.”

He hops on the driver’s seat and drives away as Mark and I stand suitcases in hand in front of the two massive doors.

“You think we should have tipped him,” Mark jokes.

“I’m pretty sure he earns more than you’ll ever earn in a year,” I reply back smiling.

We walk down the long high ceiling walls. Oddly there were no pictures or artwork hung as if the family had just moved in. We finally reach a family portrait with Brian, his sister, and his dad. Brian had told me his mother passed away years ago from childbirth. I wonder what she had looked like.

“This painting looks like it’s been up for ages,” Mark says as his voice echoes.

“Tell me about it, I feel like this is the kind of painting that will stare at you wherever you go. Their eyes look so real as if they’re souls were painted in it,” I whisper not wanting to draw attention.

A small voice appears out of nowhere, “You must be Kaylee and Mark. Brian has told me so much about you,” a girl wearing a green silk dress walks up to us followed by her long strawberry red hair and brown eyes.

“And who might you be?” Mark smiles as he eyes her up and down.

I stare at my brother in amazement he can’t go one day without flirting with every girl he meets. He thinks he so hot with his six-pack, nice tan, white teeth, and cute dimples. He’s lucky that he’s tall, while I got the typical Asian genes of 5’4.

The girl smirks, she obviously knows Mark is flirting with her. “I’m Sara, Brian’s younger sister.”

“Well, lucky for me I’m Kaylee’s younger brother,” he grins, he thinks he’s so smooth. “Wait so are you a natural redhead?”

I roll my eyes, Mark will do anything to hold up a conversation with a girl.

“Yeah, the whole family is. Brian’s the only exception when he dyed it brown,” Sara replies.

“Hey Sara,” I butt in, “Do you know if Brian is here yet? I can’t text him because I don’t have service.”

“He should be home around eight, I’ll show you to your rooms first, so you guys can get settled in. Oh, and sorry about the wifi you won’t be able to get service unless you’re in town which is about a twenty-minute drive. But, feel free to use the house phone if you have an emergency. My dad is so old fashioned. He believes the internet is a violation of privacy,” She laughs.

“It’s ok I’ll find other ways to keep me entertained,” Mark smiles at Sara.

“Don’t mind him,” I tell Sara, “He’s just very annoying.”

We walk up the creaky wooden stairs Sara first leads Mark to his own room and then to my own.

“Do you want your own room or do you want to share with Brian?” Sara asks.

“Ummm, I don’t have a preference. I’ll just share with him.”

“Here you are then, this is his old room. Dinner is at eight around the same time Brian gets home.”

“Great thanks,” I say as I check my phone for the time, “Only two more hours to go.”

Sara exits the room closing the door behind her. I set my luggage on top of the bed. On top of the bed lay a heavy quilted blanket. I take out my clothes and open the closet to hang them only to find Brian’s childhood clothes. I guess I’ll just have to wear wrinkled clothes for the rest of the week. It’s so odd to see all Brian’s small twelve-year-old clothes hung. I never took him to be the hoarder type. I sigh as I throw myself to the queen-sized mattress. I roll onto my back and spread myself out like a starfish. The room is pretty small with its gray walls I feel as though the ceilings are closing in on me. I force myself to sit up and look around the room to distract myself. His old wooden trains and horses litter the room. Books upon books take up the left corner, I go to it and run my fingers along the spines of each one. I frown, I thought all of Brian’s belongings would be covered in dust. Instead, it looks as if someone has been living here keeping it in great condition. I close my eyes and pick out a book, I hop back on the bed and flick through the classic novel, Moby Dick. My eyes struggle to stay open as I fall fast asleep.

“I can’t believe you fell asleep to reading one of my favorites,” Brian grins as he shakes me awake.

“You’re home,” I smile.

“Yup, why don’t you freshen up, dinner is going to be ready in about ten minutes. Mark and I are going to hang downstairs.” He kisses me on the forehead and gets up to leave, “By the way, I left you a dress in the bathroom for you to wear.”

I nod at him as I try to wake myself up. The door shuts close and I walk to the bathroom. A long creamy white flowy dress hangs from the bathroom door. I quickly slip the dress on. It really is beautiful, the long v-neckline shows off my collarbones as it sinches at the waist. I tie my long black hair up into a bun revealing the open back of the gown. I walk slowly down the stairs crossing my fingers that I won’t fall down. I frown how can it be so dark outside already? My stomach twists with nervousness, something doesn’t feel right. I slide my hand unto the stair railing to give me a sense of ease. Candles light the dining room giving off ominous shadows. The scent of the air smells like roasted pork and salted greens. Everyone is wearing black and I’m the only one wearing white; I feel ridiculous. I look over to find Mark slumped is in his chair. I start sweating, my mouth goes dry, and fear takes over.

“You look marvelous my dear,” Brian tells me.

“Thanks, I’m just going to check on Mark.”

“I wouldn’t do that Margot,” a foreign voice bellows.

I stop halfway from Mark to see from whose mouth the words came from. He looked like an older version of Brian with auburn hair, green eyes, and a cleanly shaven face. His forehead wrinkled as he frowned. I recognized him from the painting, Brian’s dad.

“I think you have me mistaken for someone else, I’m Kelsey Brian’s fiancee,” I reply with a shaky voice.

“No, you’re Margot, my wife,” he answers.

I shake my head, I run to Mark. His mouth is sewn together with dental floss as blood gushes from his chest. He’s been stabbed three times. Tears crowd my eyes as my white dress stains with my brother’s vibrant red blood.

My hands shake with anger, “Brian what’s going on? Who killed my brother,” I sob.

“I did,” Sara replies gleefully. “He was annoying me, plus he would have been my step-brother. To actually think you were engaged with my brother,” Sara sneers.

“Step-brother? Brian answer me,” I scream.

“That ring was my mother’s, I proposed to you on behalf of my father.”

“Welcome to the family, mom,” Sara says sinfully.

My heart races beating out of my chest and my stomach feels I have just pounded a hammer with it. Tears trickle down my cheeks, and I bolt. I run for my life.