It shouldn't be like this.

Holly laughed again. Maisie’s fiancé was actually funny, and they were getting along really well. Holly had always found him to be nice, but very quiet. He was different now. He had more confidence now, and he was really charming. He also was very handsome. Apparently Maisie had the same taste in men Holly did, because when she flipped the curse around on him, she changed her master into someone that very much fit Holly's type. Holly was very glad that Laney had a guy that morning that put two in her so the curse was behaving nicely. Holly didn’t know if she could handle being around Maisie’s fiancé otherwise.

The next few days were going to be difficult. Holly was the only one in the bridal party that was good with sign language, and that meant she ended up being around him the most. Maisie had kind of pushed them together today, too. She brought Holly along on this trip and then dealt with everything herself. Every stop it ended up Maisie doing the work while Holly talked to Maisie's future husband. Last look at the dress, a final run through of the location, and now the last touches on the flower arrangements. Every location ended up the same. Maisie talked to the people, Holly talked to her man.

Her fiancé seemed fine with Maisie planning everything. Honestly, he seemed like he was just along for the ride. Not just with the wedding either. He deferred to Maisie all the time. He went along with whatever she wanted and rarely had an opinion on anything Maisie asked him. Hell, she’d seen pictures of the groomsmen, one of them was apparently his cousin, but the rest of them were the husbands and boyfriends of Maisie’s friends. He apparently didn't have any friends of his own.

Holly wasn’t confident enough in her ASL to talk to him about it. And she didn’t like the way Maisie and he dealt with bigger conversations. Him writing out his thoughts while Maisie dominated the conversation didn’t sit right with Holly. She loved her sister, but she knew how Maisie could be. She felt bad for the guy.

Or maybe you are just envious.

Holly didn’t like that thought, but she already knew it was true. Holly envied Maisie. Of course she did. How could she not? They were in opposite situations, Maisie in love with a man that was her master but didn't realize he still had power over her. Meanwhile Holly was forever forced to fuck strangers. Maisie’s fiancé was good to her, incredibly so, while any man that was good to Holly just made it harder to move on after a day, two at the most.

It wasn’t fair.

It wasn't just.

It sucked.

To make it all worse, Holly was finding that she really liked Maisie’s fiancé. They hit it off really well. As they sat discussing the wedding flowers, Holly realized she might be envious of Maisie even if the curse wasn’t a thing, even if her success and popularity weren’t a thing. If Maisie was just a normal girl marrying this man Holly might still be envious.

The guy nodded at a comment Holly made, then pulled out his phone. Holly watched as he typed.

Holly saw Maisie look at the phone and immediately turn and walk towards them. Holly thought she caught a strange look in Maisie’s face for just a moment.

“What is it babe?” Maisie asked.

Her fiancé turned to Holly, quickly signing a request to repeat what she had said.

“Oh, I said the one with more green looks better.” Holly told Maisie.

Maisie looked back to her fiancé. “You like that one better?” He nodded.

Maisie leaned forward and kissed him square on his lips, then turned back to the florist. “On second thought, can we go with that one, the one with more green in it.”

Holly watched her leave, thought about what had just happened. The poor sap next to her was none the wiser. He had no clue that he had just commanded Maisie. Maisie’s rapid 180 on the flowers covered nicely for the truth. Maisie didn’t have to agree, she didn’t have to change her choice. She hadn’t had a choice about coming over to listen to Holly’s thoughts on the flowers, though.

“Does she always listen to you like that?” Holly asked him, feeling it out.

“Yes.” He signed back, “Always.”

“Damn,” Holly replied. “She wasn’t like that before.”

He nodded, a sadder nod. “She feels guilty, I think.” He signed to her, then gestured to his throat. Holly just nodded.

Perhaps their relationship wasn't as one-sided as Holly had thought. All this guy had to do was have an opinion and Maisie was going to go with it. Any other course risked him questioning why sometimes she jumped to obey him and other times didn’t. No wonder he didn’t feel the need to be involved. As soon as he offered an opinion Maisie was going to go with it. He thought it was because she felt bad for taking his voice. He didn’t know the truth. Holly checked to see that Maisie wasn't looking their way, then turned to him and signed:

"And it doesn't bother you?"

"Sometimes." Was his reply.

She could see the look in his eyes. Maybe she was reading into things too much, but he didn't look like a man in love at that moment. He looked like a man resigned to his fate.

“I need to take a walk.” Holly said and got up.

It hurt to see the reality of her sister’s “dream life”. As much as Holly envied and sometimes even hated Maisie for being rich and famous with a handsome and devoted husband while Holly lived the way she did, she also wanted to believe that Maisie really had it that good. That Maisie had truly beaten the curse. Holly wanted to know that it could happen. It had been a small comfort as Holly had come to accept more and more that she wasn’t going to win this fight. If Maisie could win, then maybe Holly's daughter could find a way to win, maybe Holly losing her fight against this damned curse didn’t have to mean dooming a little girl to a hellish life.

Holly made it out of the venue and around the corner. She sat down on a metal bench and let the tears come. She’d been crying a lot more recently, for so many reasons. A big part was this feeling of dread, this growing realization that she wasn't going to make it. The curse wasn't changing quickly, but it was changing. Everytime Holly got used to the demands of the curse, and got to a place where she felt like she could really handle the things she had to do, something would change, or go wrong. That night at the club, the guy who drugged her, that was part of it. Her dad the next morning might be an even bigger part. He held her like a dad holds his little girl, and the curse took that and twisted it, ruined it.

Both situations hurt, but the curse twisting the one good relationship with a man she had managed to keep, that hurt her deeply. She was fighting the curse and in return the curse was taking everything it could from her. It took any dreams of a healthy relationship from her, it took her job, her self-respect, any standards she had for men she slept with, it took her family from her. She had seen her mother twice since that day, but it wasn’t the same. Her mother had spent the whole time looking sad and guilty. She blamed herself for Holly’s struggles. It just wasn’t the same. It made everything harder, how alone Holly felt now. Like it was just her facing an unstoppable force determined to destroy her.

Holly felt an arm around her shoulder. She didn’t check who it was, she turned and grabbed ahold. She cried into the chest of whomever had sat with her, the anonymity allowing her a surprising level of comfort. It felt good holding onto this man, letting her feelings go. It felt even better when he held her back. She relaxed, allowing him to hold her, melting into him. She felt the heat of arousal rise in her, but she didn’t care. She needed comfort, she needed a moment of not being on guard.

She kissed his arm, lust was getting involved and she knew she should pull away, but she didn’t. Holly just wanted to be held like this, even if it turned sexual, she’d stretch this moment as long as she could. The warmth and the scent of him filled her, and for a brief moment Holly felt safe.

“Hey Babe.” Maisie’s voice shattered her moment of peace. “Oh, you found Holly.”