Love is such a useless thing. More often than not, it brings people together for a particular occasion that requires them to dress appropriately but uncomfortably. Women drape themselves in colorful formal dresses with a combination of long flowing skirts and tall thin heels that create numerous tripping hazards, and men are unwillingly trapped in restrictive button-up shirts and suit jackets with ties constricting their necks.

Catherine found herself in a similar position as she pulled at the silk folds of her light gray dress, trying to distract herself from the buzzing chatter of the adults around her. However, her annoyance shifted from the noise to the realization that she was stuck in her dress for the next several hours, possibly until the very end of the day. She crossed her bare arms over her chest in a meek attempt to cover herself when she spotted a boy her age staring in her direction. Despite the warm weather, she wished she kept her thin white sweater with her instead of allowing a Westin Resort employee to take it from her.

Many people would agree that the Sunset Guest Cottages, a southern island of Florida belonging to the Westin Resort, was a lovely location for a fancy and extremely expensive wedding. Catherine believed the clear skies just allowed the sun to beat down unrelentingly on her head, and the ocean breeze coming in from all directions kept blowing dark brown strands of hair in her face.

“Catherine, would you stop squirming so much? You’re embarrassing us.”

The girl glanced at her mother, who was pinning her with a reprimanding glare. She noticed that the groom was standing at the altar, watching the ushers roll out the bridal carpet, signaling that the ceremony was going to begin. She whispered back, “I don’t think anyone will be paying any more attention to me. And besides, do you not see how uncomfortable half the guys here are in their suits?”

Catherine’s mother said no more, but stared at her in warning for a few more seconds for good measure. Catherine ignored it and tried to focus on the ceremony proceedings when the first notes of the song were hit. With an impassive face, she watched as the attendants marched arm in arm down the aisle, smiles wide and backs straight. Growing quickly bored, she shifted her eyes to the groom.

At twenty-two, Simon Barsetti was definitely easy on the eyes, with almost fluffy-looking black hair swept over light blue eyes and brushed nicely around the rest of his head. He had high cheekbones made prominent by his neutral expression. One would think he couldn’t care less about his imminent marriage, but he was known to keep a calm appearance. Catherine scanned the rest of him, nodding in approval at the fitted Armani suit that told of his lean body, but shaking her head at the expense. She would never understand people’s need to flaunt their prosperity.

Simon was the son of one the wealthiest families in Europe and many people present at the wedding were honored to be in attendance. Catherine, on the other hand, met the man once before at a family dinner and deemed him as average as the next person.

“Oh my, doesn’t your cousin look absolutely lovely? Although she could do without the pink.”

Catherine wanted to ignore her mother, but she was curious as to how the bride looked. She turned her head to the other end of the aisle and nearly choked in shock. And it wasn’t from the glaringly bright pink highlights amidst the blonde hair bunched up on the bride’s head.

Catherine leaned towards her mother and hissed, “And you’re embarrassed by me? What in the world is Vanessa wearing? She’s getting married, not going for a swim at the beach!”

“Oh, hush. You’re seventeen and will be getting married any year now. When that time comes, you’ll want to look your best as well.”

Catherine sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, hoping no one assumed she was as bold as her cousin when it came to fashion. “Just because Vanessa is nineteen now doesn’t mean I’m marrying so soon,” she muttered to herself.

…

Slouching forward and placing her chin in her hands, Catherine blew a strand of hair away from her face as she listened to the officiate drone on and on about love and commitment. She had zoned out five minutes into the speech and had no idea how far along in the ceremony they were.

She finally decided to observe the attendants to pass the time. The bridesmaids all looked beautiful—especially since they dressed more conservatively than the bride—and the groomsmen were quite dashing. When Catherine’s eyes roamed to the best man however, she paused.

Whereas many people including the audience stopped smiling some time ago in order to relax their faces, this particular man kept his grin wide and bright. He seemed strained though, as he gazed at the wedding couple. His eyes kept shifting from side to side, as if he wanted to stop watching.

Catherine felt a small amount of pity for him. He was the best man at a wedding between the groom—who she assumed was his best friend—and the girl he probably loved. She read many stories about these things before, where people force themselves through emotional torture such as this for reasons she could not comprehend. It left her curious and wanting to talk with the poor man.

“By the authority vested in me by the State of Florida, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”
As the audience stood from their seats and began to cheer, two people missed the first kiss between the newlyweds. Catherine sat still as she watched the best man turn his head away, smile no longer present.

…

After the sixth boy walked up to her to ask for a dance followed by her sixth refusal that night, Catherine knew some fresh air away from all other human beings would do her some good. She could no longer stand to see the smug look on Vanessa’s face as she danced in her new husband’s arms. If they weren’t dancing, Vanessa kept him by her side as she showed him off to her friends. It was surprising when she let him go off somewhere on his own.

Catherine left the venue and walked past the nearest strip of white sandy beach, wanting to leave all noise of the party behind.

The skies became hues of orange and red as the sun began to sink below the horizon. Walking towards the docks filled with various water motorcycles, bay crafts, and even a yacht, Catherine deemed it was a quiet enough place to sit and relax. That is, until she rounded a corner and almost walked between two men deep in conversation.

Before they could turn their heads and see her, Catherine hurriedly ducked back and crouched behind a small boat. She calmed herself enough to pay attention to the men, who she realized was Simon and his best man. Was this going to end in a clichéd fight over a girl?

"—didn't have to be this way. We could have figured something out," she heard the best man mutter, almost sounding regretful.

Simon retaliated immediately. "I couldn't do that to her. Ever since he passed, she's become too fragile and I can't lose her as well. I'm sorry Allen, but in this situation, she comes before you."

Was Simon speaking of Vanessa? From what Catherine observed throughout the day, it made the most sense. But Simon and the best man, Allen, didn’t seem angry with one another. They probably hadn’t been fighting at all.

A heavy silence permeated the air. Catherine squirmed in discomfort from her heels and mentally urged the men to speak again. She almost sighed in relief when she heard Allen make an odd strangled noise, thinking he was just acting on the awkwardness of the situation. His next words proved her wrong.

"Can you—," his voice cracked. "Can you stop being so selfless for once?"

Catherine's eyebrows furrowed slightly in mild confusion.

"I want to!" Catherine flinched. "God, how I wish I can, Allen." Simon breathed the other man's name, almost like a prayer.

Allen took a step forward, his torso pressed flush against the other man’s. He brought his hands up and cupped Simon’s face to bring their foreheads together. Catherine saw them mouth words to each other that were too soft for her to hear. But she didn’t need to. From this particular behavior, they were probably bittersweet nothings and empty promises.

Almost gasping in realization, Catherine brought both hands up to her mouth as she turned away and fell on her bottom, her legs too exhausted to keep her up for much longer.

Th-the groom! And the best man! They—!

“Miss, are you alright?”

Catherine snapped her head up to the dark-haired woman draped in a satin blue gown wobbling her way towards her. She was supporting herself with an ebony cane, which Catherine found saddening since the woman appeared to be much too young to be using it. She scrambled up from her humiliating position and quickly stuttered out an excuse, making sure to speak extra loudly.

“I-I’m okay! You see, I think I ate little too much of the shrimp and I was starting to feel a little nauseous around all those people! S-so I decided to walk it off b-but then I thought I felt something starting to come up.”

The woman’s face scrunched up in concern and she placed a comforting hand on Catherine’s shoulder. “Oh dear, that sounds absolutely horrible. Maybe you should drink a glass of cool water and then head to your cottage to lie down.”

Catherine nodded in wholehearted agreement before a new voice spoke up from behind her.

“Mother?”

The woman’s eyes brightened. “Ah, Simon, I was just looking for you. There’s something I would like to speak to you about. And Allen! Good thing you’re here. You can escort this lovely young lady to her cottage. She’s feeling unwell.”

The two men looked to each other, their gazes lingering for a few moments before they turned back to the woman and nodded their heads in reluctant agreement. The woman took her son’s arm and led him away, leaving Catherine and Allen on the dock in a heavy silence.

Finally, Allen offered her his arm. “Lead the way.”

Wrapping her arms around his, Catherine did as told. She held no desire to return to the reception.

As eager as Allen seemed to be rid of her, Catherine instead forced them to move at a slow pace. It was several minutes before they left the beaches and passed the reception venue, bright lights illuminating their faces and loud music drumming in their ears.

“You saw.” Allen was desperate to break the silence to distract himself from other unpleasant thoughts.

“I did.”

“Are you disgusted?”

Catherine replied without hesitation. “Yes.”

She felt Allen immediately tense up, but she ignored it and continued. “The existence of this wedding and the people who assume they should be happy about it are what disgust me.”

The nerve wracked man brought his steps to a halt, pulling the girl on his arm back as well. His eyes wide and his mouth slightly open, he exclaimed, “And Simon and I—?”

“I’m disgusted that you let it happen.”

Allen sighed and moved a hand through his hair, messing up blond strands and making them stick up at odd angles. “Listen, Miss—”

“Laurence. Catherine Laurence. But since we’re already casual enough with each other to argue, just call me Catherine.” She crossed her arms petulantly and raised her chin to stare defiantly at the other.

He raised his arms in defense. “No, I don’t intend to argue with you, Catherine. I just need you to understand that everything that has happened today was Simon’s decision. I won’t lie to you now and say he truly is in love with Vanessa, but I know he thinks he is doing the right thing by marrying her.”

Catherine turned her head away and muttered, “Not very likely. Not when it’s Vanessa he’s married to.”

Raising an eyebrow, Allen asked, “What do you have against Vanessa?”

“As painful as it is for me to admit, I may be one of the closest people to Vanessa. I’m her cousin and I’ve known her since we were little children. So listen to me when I tell you this.” Catherine stepped closer, making sure he heard her next words clearly.

“Regardless of how she acts, Vanessa does not and probably will never love Simon for who he is. Right now, I bet you anything that she is only attracted to what he represents. If he one day loses his good name, she’s going to find a clever way to leave while looking like the victim. So why don’t you and Simon reveal to everyone what genuine love actually looks like?

“Before today, I never saw anything like it. My parents never loved each other and are divorced. My grandparents were never in love and separated long ago. In this high class society, I’m hard pressed to find people who aren’t polite and kind for the sake of their reputations. What I saw between you and Simon is nothing like that, and I want to see it live on.”

Allen’s lips were pressed tightly together and his eyes shimmered under the faint light of the lanterns lining the stone path they stood upon. He took a few moments to breathe through his nose before he could reply.

“That’s just it. Simon is willing to live with a facade of happiness. You saw his mother earlier. She’s as fragile as the thinnest glass. She’s been ill for years, and Simon has been afraid to lose her ever since the death of his father. He’d do anything for her, including marrying some girl who is only after his fame. We think his mother suspects our relationship and we know she wouldn’t approve. In fact, they’re probably talking about it right now.”

“So that’s it? You’re both giving up because of the wishes of one old lady who is controlling her son’s love life?”

Allen shook his head. “Please just try to see it in a better light. I’m allowing this for Simon’s sake, and he’s letting it happen for his mother.”

Catherine turned around, her head bowed and her long hair creating a curtain around her face. She spoke quietly, unsure if she wanted Allen to hear. “And that’s why I find love to be useless. It doesn’t help anyone get what their heart really desires.”

“Catherine, we had to hide ourselves since we were teenagers. Our time together was the happiest we’ve ever been, but we knew it would eventually end.”

Raising her head, Catherine spoke loudly, “I can get to my cottage on my own from here. Thanks for walking me this far. Maybe we’ll see each other again someday. But if you aren’t satisfied with how your life turned out at that point, don’t even bother showing your face to me.”

With that, the girl strode away as best she could in her heels, ignoring the other man’s calls behind her. As angry as she outwardly appeared, Catherine was almost heartbroken for the two men whose forbidden love she discovered that day.

…

Months later, Catherine stands in her kitchen as she opens a plain white envelope containing an invitation to a private ceremony. She smiles when she hears her cousin in the living room, bemoaning the abrupt end of her short marriage.