The news of my engagement to Wells had spread throughout the Ark like wildfire. The wedding was in two days and the only people that were invited were Council members and Archie. I argued and argued with Jaha until he agreed to let my best friend come. I was marrying his son. The least he could do was invite Archie. 

Plus, I would need Archie there for moral support. The reality that I was going to be married in forty-eight hours was already freaking me out. I hadn't even thought of marriage until Jaha forced me into this. I wasn't even planning on getting married anytime soon, but here I was in the trading center looking for a dress.

Archie was beside me as he held up different white dresses for me to look at. I had said no to tell of them so far, and Archie was complaining about how difficult my style was.

I just wasn't feeling the whole white dress thing. It all seemed too...happy. I wasn't happy. I was devastated. Wearing white didn't seem right.

Then, my eyes landed on a dress that was sitting at a table to my left all my itself. I picked up the silky fabric with a thin smile on my lips.

"Hey, Arch," I turned to Archie and held out the dress. "I think this is the one."

Archie stopped in his tracks with raised eyebrows, "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean it's nice, but doesn't it look more like a funeral dress than a wedding dress?"

"Yep," I answered as I ran my hand over the black material. "That's the point." This would definitely be a wedding no one would forget any time soon.

I spent the rest of the day on guard duty with Dallas. Things were extremely bleak now that Bellamy and Walker were both gone. At the thought of Bellamy, a sudden pang of emptiness hit my chest.

Dallas kept up small talk as we walked down the halls of Mecha Station. I was surprised he hadn't brought up the wedding, but maybe he knew I would prefer not to talk about it. He and Bellamy were best friends, so I figured he knew the whole story. I also finally learned that Dallas's first name was Nick.

After that time seemed to pass unpleasantly fast.  Before I knew it, I was standing in front of my mirror in a long, silky black dress with thin straps. My hair was curled,  and a small amount of makeup covered my face.

My whole body was full of dread, fear, and panic. Not because of Wells. I knew Wells, and I knew he didn't want the marriage either. Maybe he and I could find a way out of it after Jaha quit being Chancellor.

I was afraid because I wasn't ready to let go of Bellamy. I was scared of what letting him go meant. I had finally found someone that I loved, and then they were ripped away from me. I was so close to getting a happy ending, but I guess there was no such thing. Maybe there was in another world where there was no nuclear apocalypse and people lived normal lives, but on the Ark, all endings were the same.

There was a faint knock on my door that jerked me out of my thoughts, "Come in."

The door was pushed open, and my dad stood in the doorway as he looked at my dress with shock on his face, "Harley..."

"I know, but I want Jaha to know how much I hate this," I replied as I turned to my dad. "I want him to know that he's causing me pain."

My dad nodded, "Well, you look beautiful, kiddo." I offered him a small smile. He held out his arm. "Are you ready?"

I took a deep breath before walking over to lace my arm through his, "Ready as I'll ever be."

People stared as my dad and I walked through the halls of Alpha Station. They all knew what was going on and their whispers of gossip radiated throughout the hallways. My heart thumped loudly in my chest as we got closer to the large meeting room where the wedding was going to be held.

I did not want this. I did not want to get married. My mind started to scan through all the possible ways out of it as I saw the door to the meeting room in the distance, but I calmed my mind. Bellamy told me that I needed to do this. He told me that he couldn't stand to see me arrested and then floated when I turned eighteen. His sister was already locked up. His mother was dead. He couldn't handle it if I ended up arrested or dead also.

Besides, maybe in a few years once Jaha lost power, Wells and I could get a divorce, and Bellamy and I could be together again. Then I remembered that we didn't have a few years. We only had one year; one year left before the Ark lost oxygen. Even more panic filled my bones. There wasn't any time. I was all out of time.

My heart ached as I stepped through the door with my dad. Every head in the room turned, and I heard gasps coming from some of the Council members. I held my head high as my dad walked me down the aisle.

Archie gave me a reassuring nod from where he was sitting. Jaha gave me a look of disapproval from where he was standing beside Wells. At the end of the aisle, I turned to my dad and gave him a tight hug.

I clutched onto him, "I'm scared," I whispered.

My dad nodded, "I know, but you'll be alright. You're strong," He pulled away from the hug. "I'm so proud of you, Harley, and your mom would be too."

He gave my hand a comforting squeeze before he went to take a seat beside Abby Griffin. I gathered all my strength once again I stepped up to take my place beside Wells. He looked as nervous and full of dread as I did.

I shot Jaha a look of pure hatred as he began the ceremony, "We gather here today to witness the marriage of my son, Wells Jaha, and our good friend, Harley Winters," Blah, blah, blah shut your face. "It's always a blessing to have a marriage that is rooted in years of friendship. It creates an unbreakable bond and a relationship that can withstand anything."

Jaha went on for a while about friendship. I zoned out for some of it, to be honest. My attention wasn't fully placed until he called for Wells and me to hold hands. I turned to my future husband and took both of his hands in mine. I was shaking slightly, praying that the Chancellor would have a sudden change of heart before the wedding went any further.

As he began the vows, my mind wandered back to the first time Wells and I met.

5 years ago...

I ran through the halls of Mecha Station as fast as my feet would carry me. The sound of guards chasing after me and yelling for me to stop caused me to push myself to run even faster. I had stolen extra rations for my dad and I, and I had been spotted at the last second.

I knew what would happen if I got caught. They would lock me away until I turned eighteen, and then, I would be floated. No one had been let out alive from the Sky Box in years. I knew I wasn't going to be any kind of exception.

The halls of Mecha Station faded away behind me as I turned down the first hall of Alpha Station. My heart pounded in fear as I heard the guards gaining on me. My lungs and my legs burned. I was tired of running, but I was determined not to get caught.

Right when I thought it was all over, I felt someone grab my arm. I let out a startled yelp as I was pulled into a dark room to my left. Someone clamped their hand over my mouth as I heard the sound of the guards running by the room.

"It's ok," The voice belonged to a boy. I turned around as he dropped his hand and was met with a pair of dark, chocolate brown eyes. "They'll give up in about ten minutes."

I felt defensive, unsure if I should trust the boy or not, "Who are you?"

He held out his hand, "I'm Wells."

"Wells Jaha?" I asked as I shook his hand. "Isn't your dad running for Chancellor?"  Wells nodded as I eyed him with suspicion. "If your dad is running for Chancellor, then why did you help a thief?"

He shrugged, "I figured you had a good reason for stealing."

A smile ghosted my lips, "You know, Wells, you aren't like most Alpha Station people."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you don't have a stick up your butt." Wells laughed as I decided that I could trust him. "I'm Harley by the way."

Wells shot me a happy grin, "Harley... I like that name."

"Thanks," I replied. "Yours is alright, I guess."

His eyes rolled at my joking attitude, and we met day after day in that same room as we became close friends. Eventually, he brought a blonde girl named Clarke, and I brought a kid with wild brown hair named Archie into our secret meeting place.

We shared secrets and teamed up to pull pranks on people we didn't like. Eventually, we began meeting at each other's apartments as we got to know each other's families. Before any of us knew it, we had become best friends with an unbreakable bond, and no matter what happened we would always be there for each other.

The memory flashed through my mind as Jaha finished speaking. His head turned towards me, and I knew what was coming next. I glanced at my dad, and then at Archie who offered me a comforting smile.

This was it. This was the end of my freedom.

"Do you, Harley Winters, take Wells Thelonious Jaha to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

My eyes met Wells's, and I knew that he would be with me no matter what I said. A silence fell over the room as people awaited my answer.

"I do."

Jaha smiled as he turned to his son, "And do you, Wells Jaha, take Harley Grace Winters to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

He nodded, his eyes only on me, "I do."

I could feel all of the happiness I thought I would have with Bellamy falling away as my hope was crushed into one million pieces. A single tear cascaded down my cheek as my mind wandered to everything Bellamy and I could've had one day. The pain I felt in that moment was overwhelming. I wanted to run out of the room. I wanted to hide and not face the next few minutes.

I would always love Bellamy. I knew that for a fact. Even if we were separated, he would always be the only one who could fill the giant hole in my heart.

"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you-"

Suddenly, something exploded next to me. I was thrown away from Wells as screams filled my ears. I heard people running around the room and calling for each other. I heard someone coming towards me, but everything else around me was a chaotic blur of black.

Everything faded to a cold nothingness, and my eyes drifted shut.

-----------------------

Well, they didn't get married....