“Wow.”

            That was the only word that came to my mind as I stared into my full-length mirror, peering at the stunning woman in its reflection. It was certainly me; that much I was sure of. The dress though… that was something else. Normally it took me hours upon hours to select a dress that matched both my hair and eyes. This dress, however, was decided in less than five seconds. Mostly due to the fact Chace was the one who bought it for me— at least I think he bought it for me. He might’ve already owned it, but I wasn’t sure. From its appearance, it gave me the impression of being brand new though. There wasn’t a single crinkle, or stain, or tear in its beautiful white fabric.

            My hands ran over my sides, reveling in the firm feel of polyester. The polyester was a relieving sight. It proved the dress couldn’t have cost too much. Thank God it wasn’t silk or velvet. The ruffled hem of the dress just brushed the top of my knees, fluttering with the slightest movement. Around my waist, the material was tight, showing off my slim waist. The tightness continued all the way up to the elaborately ornate halter-top. It was almost as if the dress was designed for me. It fit every contour of mine to a T.

            Paired with a pair of strappy heels, my outfit was complete.

            Nervously I checked my makeup in the mirror again, recoating my upper eyelashes. Chace had made it exceedingly clear that this dinner was extravagant and it was best if I looked my finest. Which was difficult, because I’d never had a reason to doll myself up so much before.

            “Rose? Are you done yet? I have to get in there…”

            “Yeah, Dad, hold on,” I responded, smoothing out my hair one more time before escaping the bathroom. “Chace will be here soon, so see ya—”

            He easily grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop. “Wait a second. Let me see.”

            Embarrassed, I did a little spin. “See, saw, done. Goodbye—”

            “Rose,” he interjected, rolling his eyes. “Wait a second. You look so pretty. It makes me want to take a picture.”

            “Dad,” I protested. “It’s not prom. I’m just going to his dad’s dinner party.”

            “What exactly does his dad do? And when do I get to meet this guy?” he questioned, crossing his arms. “I’ve never heard of him before, and now you suddenly are going to a fancy dinner with him?”

            I sighed lightly. This was the reason why I never mentioned Chace to him. “He didn’t tell me what his dad does. Said it’s a surprise. And Chace is the person I’ve been hanging out with lately. He’s cool. And he’ll be here any second, so goodbye.”

            He pursed his lips at me. “I take it he knows about your eyes?”

            My hesitation gave my answer away.

            “Honey, you should tell at least someone. It’ll be good for you to talk about it.”

            “I’d rather forget about it,” I snapped.

            “I know, but…”

            My shoulders sagged. “No, I know too. I just can’t bring myself to do it. I know I should, but I don’t want to upset anyone.”

            Not wanting to mess up my hair, my dad patted my shoulder. “I’m sure when the time is right you’ll be able to say something. Just don’t wait too long.”

            “Right, right…”

            The doorbell sounded and my heart skipped a beat. My flustered expression caused my dad to laugh. “Well, go get ‘em, tiger.”

            “R-right,” I stuttered, my heart clenching in anticipation.

            Treading carefully on my heels, I hastened down stairs and to the front door. After calming myself for a few moments, I winged open the door, finding a grinning Chace and a handful of roses. In a simple black tux with a white undershirt and black tie, he was exceptionally handsome. “Roses for Rosie,” he greeted, holding the bouquet out to me.

            Now smiling, I took them from him. “Thank you. I never told you this, but I love flowers.”

            “Don’t all girls?” he responded cheekily.

            “Let me go put them in a vase and then we can go,” I told him, gesturing for him to follow me into the kitchen. “Thanks for the dress, by the way. It’s beautiful.”

            “Even more so with the recipient wearing it.”

            Biting my cheek to keep from smiling, I retrieved a vase from one of the lower cabinets and plopped the roses into it before filling it up with water. “Where did you buy it?”

            “I didn’t buy it.”

            I nodded. So it must’ve belonged to someone before me. Maybe his mother? “Well thank you. It’s perfect. I always have trouble picking out a dress.”

            “I’m glad you like it. I wasn’t sure if it was going to fit though,” he confessed. “I didn’t know your measurements.”

            Turning back to him, I grinned. Measurements? Didn’t he mean size? Guys really didn’t know much about dresses. “It fits great.”

            “And matches my suit,” he added with a wink, tugging at the collar of his suit jacket.

            “Which you look very handsome in.”

            He winked at me. “Don’t you know it?”

            “So where is the dinner?” I asked, following him back out to his car. Like a gentleman, he held the door open for me.

            “Log Cabin. We have the room with the view.”

            After settling myself on his leather seat, I adjusted the bottom of my dress and waited until Chace climbed in the driver’s seat before speaking again. “What is your dad’s name?”

            “Jack.”

            “Is there any other important names I should know?”

            Chace shook his head. “Nope. You don’t really need to talk to anyone. I just needed someone to keep me company and occupy me. I usually hate these things.”

            “Usually? Is tonight different?”

            “Yeah, you’re with me this time.”

            My cheeks warmed up at his words. “Well, I had to keep up my end of the deal. Are you going to keep up yours?”

            “Already have… kind of.”

            “Kind of?”

            “I’m going to meet Noah in person Wednesday. I’d rather talk in person than on the phone.”

            Excitement bubbled up in me. “That’s good! Do you think you two can be friends again?”

            He hesitated. “I don’t know…”

            “Why not?”

            “Sorry, no, I think we can be friends again,” Chace said, shaking his head. “I’d like to be friends again. We fought for such a stupid reason.”

            “I’ll say.”

            He rolled his eyes at me. “Thanks for your input.”

            “You’re going to tell me how it went, right?”

            “You’re welcome to come if you want.”

            “I… can’t,” I responded, feeling my heart sink. That was the day I had to go to the doctor’s for a check up.

            Chace frowned slightly. “That’s too bad. Then I’ll call you Wednesday night.”

            “That works!”

            He laughed at me enthusiasm. “Okay, sounds good.”

            We chatted about school and random things of little importance for the rest of the ride to the Log Cabin. When we arrived, I was surprised to see how packed the parking lot was. There was even a few limos waiting near the front. Anxiety started spreading through me. Just what did Chace’s father do?

            “Ready?” he inquired, parking in the first open parking spot.

            “Will there be models here?” I asked, surprised to see how hoarse my voice sounded. Somehow I felt a little undressed.

            He thought about it for a moment. “Yeah. Probably a few.”

            “What does your dad do?”

            Laughing, he ordered me out of the car. “You’ll see!”

            Arm in arm, we headed toward the bustling entrance. Couples and singles milled about the two open doors, chatting and laughing cheerily. As we grew closer, a few of them called out greetings to Chace. I continued to grow self-conscious, clinging onto Chace’s arm as if he was a buoy.

            “Chace!” a young man in a flamboyant pink suit cried upon seeing my escort. “I haven’t seen you in so long!”

            “Uncle Jason,” Chace greeted, holding his hand out to the blonde before us.

            I studied his uncle’s face, recognizing Chace’s eyes. For some reason, it felt a little weird realizing Chace had an uncle. I mean, everyone has one, but it never occurred to me Chace did. He never talked about his family.

            “Is this your wife?” Jason asked, appraising me with his eyes. A kind smile spread across his lips and he offered me his hand. “Hi, I’m your uncle-in-law.”

            My cheeks warmed and I shook his hand. “Ah, I’m not his wife.”

            “She’s my girlfriend, Rose,” Chace told him easily.

            Surprised, I glanced at him. Girlfriend? The expression on his face told me to go along with me. Understanding that, I smiled brightly at his uncle. “Maybe one day you’ll be my uncle-in-law.”

            Jason laughed. “I like you!”

            It felt like a burden was lifted off my shoulders. One person liked me. That was good. Who knew how important Chace’s dad was?

            “Where’s my dad?” Chace asked.

            “He’s inside. You should greet him.”

            “I plan to.”

            Jason gave him an encouraging smile. “Are you okay?”

            “I’m good.” He slipped his hand into mine. “She’s with me tonight.”

            “Good. If you want to talk again, I’ll be at the food stands,” Jason responded with a wink. “See you two later.”

            Now heading inside, I could feel Chace’s palm was just as sweaty as mine. “On a scale of one-to-ten, just how important is your dad in this business dinner?” I whispered.

            “One hundred,” Chace whispered back. “He’s the boss.”

            My heart sunk in my chest. Boss of what? Some sort of mafia? Something on Wall Street? What was it?

            If I thought the entrance was crowded, then the main party room was filled to the seams, ready to burst. There were women in elegant gowns in every direction, many accompanied by handsome escorts. No two women were wearing the same dress. The dresses were incredible, all different and unique, looking like they were specifically for this party. Which made me wonder if they’d been designed for each specific person. Which in turn led me to believe these people were rich. Which just added to my edginess.

            “Chace…”

            “Ah, Father!”

            Following Chace’s gaze, my eyes landed on a middle-aged, yet still handsome, man. Immediately I recognized Chace’s semi-curly hair and chocolate eyes. It seemed brown eyes were the trait for the males. A smooth smile was plastered on Chace’s father’s face as he moved over to us, his eyes trained on me. “Good evening, Chace. I’m glad you decided to show this time.”

            “After you made Rosie such a pretty dress, how could I say no?”

            “Made?” I echoed.

            Chace gestured to his father. “Rosie, this is my dad, Jack. He’s a fashion designer. You’ve heard of Vera Wang, right? Well, he’s like her American counter part for all levels of fashion. He doesn’t limit himself to wedding gowns.”

            “But… I…” My mind raced. Carson? Was that any famous brand I knew?

            His dad smiled warmly at me. “My last name is not Carson, so if you’re thinking of a brand with Carson in it, you won’t find one.”

            “What is it?”

            “Weiss.”

            My jaw dropped. “Weiss? As in, Weiss magazine Weiss?”

            “That’s me.”

            “Oh my God,” I said, my heart pounding in my chest. Standing before me was probably the most famous person I’ve ever met. My friends talked about his designs all the time. And here I was, wearing one of his dresses. Designed for me. “Wow, thank you so much for the dress! It’s amazing!” I finally blurted.

            “I’m happy you like it. Glad to see Chace was accurate on his measurements.”

            I fidgeted with the bottom of the dress. This thing was worth a lot more than I originally figured it did. “I don’t know how I can repay you for it…”

            “Don’t worry about it. It’s no problem. Thanks for accompanying my son. It’s nice that he actually showed up for once. Now it doesn’t seem like he’s the scoundrel most make him out to be.”

            Chace scowled. “No one thinks that.”

            “Ah, there’s my secretary,” Jack said, his eyes going over my shoulder. “She was supposed to let me see the guest list an hour ago. I guess she’s among those people who don’t listen…”

            Chace’s jaw clenched.

            “Chace, please do behave yourself. Don’t cause any trouble for me.”

            “Whatever. Come on, Rosie, I’m hungry,” Chace said, gripping my wrist and tugging me away from his father.

            I stumbled after him, my mind in a jumble. “Your dad is Jack Weiss? Holy crap! Wow! I can’t believe it! Why do you live in Massachusetts then?”

            “To keep from the public eye. I hate the attention.”

            By the tone in Chace’s voice, I knew to tone down my excitement. “Is it weird that I’ve always wanted a Weiss dress and not a Vera one?”

            The corners of Chace’s lips lifted a little bit. “No. It’s good to know you’re a fan of my dad’s.”

            “But you aren’t…?”

            “My dad doesn’t like me. I don’t like him. End of story.”

            “No, not end of story,” I returned, bringing him to a halt. “You can’t throw all that on me and not expect me to just nod and accept it.”

            A frustrated look came onto his face. “Fine. But we aren’t talking about it with everyone around.”

            I narrowed my eyes. “Then we go outside and talk privately.”

            “It’s cold.”

            “Well, someone didn’t tell me to bring a jacket. I’ll be fine.”

            He groaned. “Okay. We can talk. I figured you wanted to. But we there’s going to be people on the lawn, so we’ll go to the roof.”

            “Okay,” I agreed quickly. “Now?”

            Shaking his head, he continued on his path to the food. “No. First, I’m hungry. Second, I have to go around and talk to my dad’s clients and what not. Even if he doesn’t like me, he has to pretend he does today. And I have to pretend I like him.”

            “And I suppose I’m pretending to be your girlfriend?”

            His eyes twinkled. “Pretend? Aren’t we basically dating?”

            “I, uh, well…”

            Laughing, he pulled me closer to his side. “I’m kidding, Rosie. Yeah, sorry, but you’ll have to pretend we’re dating.”

            Inside, my heart skipped a beat. Why did we have to pretend? He was right, technically we were dating. We went out on dates every weekend. We texted all the time. Some nights we spent more than two hours on the phone chatting. And yet he’d never officially asked me to be his girlfriend and I’d never asked him to be my boyfriend. But I wasn’t opposed to it. Over this past month, I realized my feelings for him were growing stronger every day… just as my vision was fading every day.

            Grimacing, I realized that was why we weren’t dating.

            “Rosie?”

            “Huh?” I said, snapping out of my thoughts.

            He half-smiled at me. “You’re doing it again.”

            “Doing what?”

            “That spacing out thing.”

“Sorry,” I apologized sheepishly, dropping my eyes. “I just…”

Placing a hand on my waist, he indicated to the various exotic foods splayed out in front of us. “Never mind. I know you don’t want to talk about it. Instead, let’s eat while we have the chance. A lot of these foods were imported for today.”

“Wow,” I breathed, taking in the delicious smells. “If this doesn’t say money, I don’t know what does…”

            Chace laughed. “My thoughts exactly. My dad doesn’t exactly play things down…”

            “But you do.”

            “I do?”

            “I had no idea you were rich.”

            He raised an eyebrow. “Not even by my house?”

            “I’ve never been in your house. It seems pretty normal on the outside.”

            “That’s good,” he responded, sounding genuinely relieved. “I don’t want anyone knowing I’m rich.”

            I tilted my head to the side. “Why not?”

            “I’d have a of fake friends, I think.”

            “Oh… right… Well, if it counts for anything, I won’t think of you any differently.”

            Chace smiled handsomely at me. “That counts for everything.”

            Very aware of my cheeks warming, I turned my face in the opposite direction so he couldn’t see it. “What should we taste first then?”

            “Let’s start from the right and go left. We’ll take a little of each so we don’t stuff ourselves with the first table.”

            “Okay,” I agreed with a laugh. “Sounds good.”

             ~ * ~ * ~

            “Y-you sure are p-popular,” I stammered, my teeth chattering from the chill that was settling in my bones. Coming to the roof wasn’t exactly the smartest idea.

            Shivering beside me, Chace nodded. “Y-yeah. In their eyes, I’m the perfect son. Half of the girls flirting with me want to marry me for my money.”

            “I think I-I received enough d-d-death glares for three of my lives,” I responded with a nervous chuckle.

            Chace glanced at the door. “You know, I t-think I saw a furry coat by the ladder. I’ll go grab it.”

            Nodding, he disappeared back down the ladder we had to climb in order to get to the roof. Even though it was freezing, the sight was wonderful. Since we were on top of a mountain to begin with, now being higher, the world was spread out below me, seeming endless and vast. The lights from the cities below created a picturesque scene. It almost made me wish I was a painter just so I could create a painting of it.

            A few moments later Chace returned with a wooly coat that appeared to reach to his feet. Grinning sheepishly, he offered it to me. “It’s big, but…”

            “You put it on.”

            “I have more clothes on than you do.”

            I shook my head. “N-no. Just put it on. We’ll share it.”

            His face lit up in comprehension, and he slid his arms through the gaping sleeves before wrapping them around my waist. Fortunately, there was enough room for both are arms, and I put my through as well. Together we folded them over my waist, sharing body heat. I leaned my back against his toned chest with a sigh.

            “Better?” he questioned.”

            “Much,” I agreed quietly. “It’s so pretty out here.”

            He murmured his agreement, entwining his fingers with mine. “Hey, Rosie?”

            “Hmm?”

            “About what I said earlier. About us pretending to date.”

            My heart missed a beat. “Y-yeah?”

            He paused, as if choosing his words carefully. “I’m not… opposed to dating you. Like, dating dating you. In fact, I’d be more than happy to call you my real girlfriend, not pretend.”

            “Does that mean…?”

            “Yeah. You can say no though. I won’t be hurt. But, Rosie, do you want to be my girlfriend?”

            Instantly my heart was thrust into turmoil. My mind was screaming at me to say yes, but my inner voice was telling me to say no. I was going to go blind. As much as I tried to ignore the fact, it was true. There was no way I could put Chace through that. Once he learned I was going to go blind, he wouldn’t want to be with me anymore. If we started dating now, he’d feel bad and just stick it out with me. How could I do that? But then again, he was a nice guy. Maybe he wouldn’t mind. If I just told him about it… No. I couldn’t do that. Not yet.

            But I knew I also couldn’t turn him down.

            I’d have to take things as they came. When it came down to telling him about my disease, I’d let him know it was okay to leave me. He wouldn’t have to put up with me. It was my life. I wasn’t going to let this disease ruin it. The truth of the matter was, I really wanted to be Chace’s girlfriend. And I wasn’t going to say no.

            “Yes,” I finally said, adjust my face so that I could see his. “I’d love to be your girlfriend.”

            A grin broke out across his face. “That’s good. It’s official then.”

            “Good.”

            “But I guess now you want to know about my father?”

            “Yep,” I responded, snuggling back into his chest. “How come you two don’t like each other?”

            Chace spoke quietly. “Well, I guess it started after we moved here from California. Or got worse, rather. My father placed all the blame about my mom on me. Like it was all my fault…”

            “Your fault they got divorced?”

            I felt him nod. “I don’t see how that’s possible though. When we lived in California it was the same as how it was here. He was always at work. He rarely came home for the night. It’s not surprising my mom wanted a divorce.”

            “How come he blamed you?”

            “Since apparently I convinced her staying with him wasn’t good for neither her nor I. Like he would know. Even back then he barely talked to me.”

            I frowned. “I fail to see how it’s your fault…”

            “Whatever. He’s messed up somewhere inside that inflate head of his. I don’t care. I’d rather be alone.”

            Something in Chace’s story didn’t add up, but I couldn’t place my finger on it. It just seemed too unbelievable— no, that wasn’t the word I was looking for. It was definitely believable. But there was something missing. Something he was purposefully leaving out. I didn’t have the slightest clue as to what though.

            “You’ve never talked to him about this?”

            “Nah. He doesn’t listen. And like I said, he’s never home.”

            Chewing on my lip, I gazed out at the city again. “I see…”

            Chace hugged me tightly. “Don’t worry about it, Rosie. That’s just how life is. Like I said, I don’t mind. I find comfort in my privacy.”

            “Do you have to make your own meals?”

            “Only when I don’t order out.”

            “How many times do you order out a week?”

            “Uh, maybe ten times? I don’t know. Usually dinner every day. Lunch on Saturdays.”

            My eyes widened. “That’s really unhealthy!”

            He chuckled, the sound reverberating in his chest. “Not exactly. I order healthy food, you know.”

            “Still! I’m going to come over and make you dinner from now on.”

            “Every day?”

            “No, but how about every other day? You can come to my house sometimes too.”

            He pretended to think about it. “How do I know you’re not a terrible cook?”

            “I won’t say I’m the best, but I can still help you.”

            “I can cook too, you know. I just order out because I’m lazy.”

            “Still.”

            “Okay. How about we take turns cooking? We’ll have dinner every other night and every other dinner we switch house holds?”

            It sounded a little confusing to me, but I got the gist of it. “Deal.”

            “You know, I’m really glad I met you, Rosie.”

            My gaze returned to his face again, and I smiled. The view couldn’t get any better. He caught me staring and grinned. Before I knew it, I was pushing myself onto my tiptoes and pressing my lips against his. The response was immediate. Even in our confined positions in the coat, he managed to slide his arms out of the sleeves and wrap them around my waist while I shifted so I could face him fully.

            His lips were warm on mine, almost as warm as the heat radiating from his body. My whole body seemed to be affected by the soft touch of our lips. I pressed my body closer to his, wanting to be as close as possible. He grinned into the kiss, bringing his hands up to cup my face and hold it still.

            Suddenly, his cell phone went off, breaking the comforting silence.

            Scowling, he pulled away and awkwardly retrieved his phone from his pocket, pressing it to his ear. “What?” The person on the other side of the phone started speaking and Chace’s expression grew more annoyed. “Whatever. I’ll be there for a second.”

            “What’s wrong?” I whispered.

            “My father needs me back to greet some potential clients. Sorry, but I need to go.”

            I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. It’s his dinner after all.”

            Chace kissed me lightly on the lips. “I liked it though.”

            “What?”

            “The fact you kissed me first. I didn’t know if it was too soon or not.”

            Blushing, I untangled myself from him, keeping the jacket over my shoulders. “I liked it too.”

            Laughing, he ushered me toward the ladder. “Be careful climbing down. Your in heels.”

            Rolling my eyes, I placed my feet on the first rung. “Don’t worry, I can handle it.”

            No sooner than the words were out of my mouth, I found I couldn’t see.

            At all.

            It wasn’t like my usual blurriness. This time it was a complete blackout. I didn’t even have time to panic before I felt my body start to fall back as I lost my balance. Chace’s panicked shout met my ears, but my blind hands couldn’t reach anything to steady myself. My feet slipped off the rung, and the next thing I knew I was falling down the fifteen feet to the third level’s cement flooring.

            The last thing I heard before losing consciousness was Chace yelling my name and the sickening thud of my body hitting the ground.

_______________________

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             I know I said this would be up by four, but I guess my dad has a stomach ulcer and I had to run around and do things while he's in the hospital. It's been awhile since I've stayed home alone haha. It's kinda creepy. And he left a dog at my house, which I found out is his girlfriends, so I had to bring the dog back. Then go get dinner. But now I'm back! And uploading!

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