A Bride for a Merger

***Christopher's POV***

The minute Nathan had parked outside of my parents' house earlier when we just got there, I instantly knew that this wasn't just a family dinner. I had my guess that my parents were having a surprise party for me. And by looking at Allison's face, I could tell that she was well aware of it, even though she tried denying it and was playing innocent. For that, I had made sure not to let her out of my sight when I had to be greeting people. I had her stayed by my side as I introduced her to some of my friends that she wasn't officially introduced to before.

Allison was always shy when it came on to socializing with people. I had noticed that much over the months, but after a while, she would get more comfortable around them. She wasn't that extra nervous when I was by her side throughout the socializing though. Allison had been smiling all night with everyone and she was looking absolutely beautiful too. We were talking when I saw Kimberly smiling as she started walking towards us.

I immediately started to dread what was about to happen.

Hey Chris." she said smiling widely as she came up to us.

"Oh Kim," I smiled at her. "Hey."

"Happy birthday Chris. I am sorry that I didn't get the chance to show up a bit earlier." she smiled going in for a hug.

"Thanks," I smiled hugging her. "I am glad that you are here now. Better late than never right?"

"Exactly what I was saying." Kimberly laughed as we pulled away.

"Oh hi Allison. I didn't see you there, forgive me. "Kimberly smiled at Allison when she finally pulled away from me. "It is so nice seeing you again." "Kimberly," Allison responded dryly with a nod. "Wish I could say the same thing."

I could tell that Allison didn't like Kimberly. I really didn't want her to start acting out like that night at the business dinner after she had met Kimberly. "Allison." I said to her with a pleading tone.

"Look, I have to go to the bathroom alright." Allison said to me before walking off.

"Wait, Alli. Allison." I ran behind her and held on to her hand which caused her to stop just as she had reached the guest bathroom door. "There is nothing going on between me and Kimberly okay? I told you already that she is just an old friend from the past."

"Yeah, an old friend that wants you in her bed maybe." Allison responded bitterly.

"Allison come on. It is not like that. "I tried to reason with her.

"It is not? Then why is it that she keeps popping up every now and then in the present if she is the past? You are not very convincing right now Christopher." Allison responded before pulling her hand from me. "Allison it is true." I said to her. "She is the past."

"Did you invite her?" Allison asked accusingly.

"What? No, ofcourse not. How could I? I didn't even know that there was going to be a party remember? So how can you ask me that? And I wouldn't have invited her to a family dinner with you either." I asked incredulously. "You have to trust me Allison. Like I said before, Kimberly is from my past."

"If that were really so, then you wouldn't need to keep telling me that every now and then. You would show me. Look Christopher, I don't want to deal with you or your stupid girlfriend right now okay? I just need to use the restroom." Allison responded before bolting inside then slamming the door in my face.

"Alli! Allison...Allison!" I called and knocked on the door after that rude exchange.

Kimberly was indeed my past and that was just the truth. Kimberly and I used to hook up with each other sure, but then we stopped. However, she still remained my friend ever since. That night when Allison had met Kimberly, she had somehow figured out that we had a thing and it was like she still believed that we are hooking up. I've had to tell her multiple times before that Kimberly and I are just friends, there was nothing going on between us.

As I continued calling Allison, she wasn't answering and kept ignoring me. It was clear that she was really upset about Kimberly. I tried spinning the doorknob to open the door but it was locked. I sighed loudly before giving up and then decided that I should probably go talk to Kimberly. I thought that maybe if Allison heard it from Kimberly that there wasn't anything going on between us anymore, that she would believe once and for all.

I went back to where everyone was looking for Kimberly. I didn't see her anywhere downstairs so I decided to go upstairs to see if she had wondered up there. I heard my mom called out to me when I was on the way up the staircase. "Chris where are you running off to? The party is down here you know." she said to me.

"I'm just running up to my old room for a bit okay? I'll soon be down, don't worry. I'm not going to miss the party Mom. "I told her with a smile.

"Alright then, don't be long. It is almost time for you to cut your cake." mom said.

"Okay, mom just give me a minute or two." I said to her before running up the stairs.

I was just in time to see Kimberly coming from the balcony area as I was about to look there.

"Hey," I said to her. "What are you doing up here? The party is downstairs."

"I know. I just sort of been wondering about." She chuckled walking pass me. "It's a nice party."

"Yeah, thanks. Mom always know how to throw parties." I said to her.

"That she does." Kimberly said walking straight to my old room and opening the door.

"Where are you going?" I said following her.

"Do you remember when you used to sneak us in here?" Kimberly chuckled flipping on the light switch. "Good times."

"Kim, I actually wanted to talk to you about something." I said approaching her.

"What is it?" Kimberly smiled.

"It is about Allison. She seems to think that there is something going on between you and I. I was wondering if you could talk to her, woman to woman you know?" I said to her. "Let her know that she's wrong, that we're just friends." "You are kidding right Chris?" Kimberly laughed.

"No, I'm not. I'm serious Kim." I told her. "I don't want her thinking that we are together. And she is just not believing me. So maybe she would believe it after hearing it from you."

"No Chris. What I mean is that you cannot be serious about her." Kimberly said seriously with disbelief in her voice. "Since when have you ever cared about what a girl thinks about you?"

"What? I asked confused. "She is my wife and I care about her. I don't want her thinking that I don't." I said to her.

"You have got to be kidding me. What about us Christopher? Don't tell me you don't feel that chemistry still between us." Kimberly said to me.

"What!? What chemistry? Kimberly you and I are just friends. I don't feel anything anymore." I said to her looking at her as if she was crazy.

She must be crazy to even think that. We only messed around in the past. We were never even serious or exclusive. So why would she think that we had chemistry?

"You don't?" Kimberly asked in disbelief.

"No," I said to her. "Sorry Kim."

"Well how about now?" Kimberly asked.

Before I could say anything else, she just flung herself onto me and started kissing me.

"What the hell are you doing!?" I asked as I shoved her away furiously.

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"I'm refreshing your memory about us." Kimberly stated like it was the most normal thing. "Surely you can't be serious about this whole marriage and settling down thing. I mean, she's not your type. She isn't the one for you." "And you are?" I asked incredulously.

"Well of course I am. And you know it. We were good together, I even told her that she wasn't suppose to get comfortable with you because we belong together." Kimberly said to me.

"You did what!?" I yelled at her.

I was furious. No wonder Allison didn't like her and was so cold towards her. I was there thinking that Allison was just being jealous and Kimberly was innocent and my friend but Allison had a good reason to be as upset as she was. Kimberly was a total bitch. How had I not noticed that earlier?

"Listen to me Kimberly, you and I were never together. You were never my girlfriend and neither will you never be. There isn't anything between us, because I do not want you. Allison is the one that I am married to. She is the one that I want, not you." I told her.

"Chris, you don't mean that. Do you?" Kimberly said sounding hurt but I couldn't careless right at the moment.

"I do. I meant every word of it. And you better stay away from Allison. If you ever so much as look at her again, I will make your life a living hell. Are we clear!?" I threatened furiously.

Kimberly just nodded with tears running down her face. I didn't know that she was this delusional.

"Chris please, just..." Kimberly said trying to touch me.

"Don't." I said firmly causing her to quickly withdrew her hands. "I think you should leave Kimberly."

Kimberly kept crying and looking at me with disbelief as if she was waiting for me to change my mind.

"Now!" I yelled at her which caused her to jump and hurry out of the room.

I groaned before running my hands through my hair. Everything was such a mess, and it was my fault. I decided that I should probably go find Allison and apologise to her. I went back downstairs searching for her. I looked everywhere but she was no where to be found.

I saw Clint and Tasha and I practically ran over to them.

"Hey guys, have you seen Allison?" I asked them.

"No." they both answered.

"Shit!" I said running my hand through my hair.

"What's wrong man?" Clint asked concerned.

"I think that she left," I said to them. "Just like at the business dinner when I went to talk to Kimberly. She left."

"Did you leave her waiting again to go talk to Kimberly again dude?" Clint asked.

"No, not exactly but I have to go find her." I said walking off and leaving them.

I went to Nathan who was there enjoying the party, and asked him for the keys to the car. I told him that I would be back.

"Chris, where are you going?" I heard my Dad said to me as I reached the door.

"Yeah, the party isn't over. You still have to cut the cake." my mom said to me.

"Yeah I know. I will do all that as soon as I come back but right now I've got to go find Allison. I upset her and I think she left." I said to them.

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"What? But Allison just went upstairs a few minutes ago looking for you. What could you have done so bad in such a short time now?" Mom said to me looking disappointed.

My eyes widened with realization. Allison must have came upstairs when Kimberly and I were in my room talking. She must have heard a part of her conversation or even worst, she probably saw when Kimberly kissed me.

"Oh no," I groaned before opening the door. "Look guys, I really have to go. If I'm not back soon enough, just cut and share the cake for me and continue the party without me. Oh, and give Nathan a ride home."

I didn't wait for them to respond, I just went out closing the door behind me and went straight to the car.

I practically sped all the way to my house. Allison must have called a cab to take her home since she did not take my car this time. The last time she was upset, she had drove away my car leaving me without a ride. She must have been thinking about how I was such a jerk.

First I was a complete ass to her. Then Kimberly told her that she and I belonged together and now, she probably saw her kissing me. None of these had present a good picture at all.

"Allison?" I called out the minute I had entered the house and started jogging up the stairs. "There isn't anything going on between Kimberly and I. You need to let me explain!" "Allison?" I called as I reached her bedroom door that was opened and entered in.

I was met with complete silence. I looked around the room and noticed how it looked like someone had rushed in taking a few things and leaving it messy.

"Allison?" I called going into her bathroom. "Pluto!" I called her dog noticing he wasn't around either.

I even went to look in her walk in closet and that was when I realized why the place was this silent and there was no sign of her or her puppy.

She had left.

I was at Clint and Tasha's apartment. I had been there almost the entire day now. After I had found out that Allison was gone last night, I tried calling her multiple times but her phone went straight to the voicemail.

I even had Tasha tried calling her as well but no luck. I even left multiple messages on her phone but still, there was no respond. We had even tried again this morning to see if I would have better luck but still nothing. I kept hoping that if Tasha called, she would answer her number instead of mine, since she was obviously mad at me.

I was going crazy and worried sick not knowing if something may have happened to her. Tasha and Clint had convinced me to stay a bit longer at their place, hoping that we would soon get a reply. However, hours later there was still no luck in reaching her. I was getting really tired of just being there, sitting around waiting and hoping that Allison would answer her phone or at least called back. I needed to go find her.

"Hey guys, I think that I'm just going to go now." I said getting up from their coach. "I'm sick and tired of just sitting here and waiting."

"Chris, wait please. Just let me just try calling her one more time." Tasha said picking up her phone once more.

"Hey, it's ringing now." Tasha said holding the phone at her ears for a couple seconds before removing it. "It went to voicemail, but just hang on five more minutes okay. Her phone is on now, maybe she just wasn't near it a while ago. I'll call back in a few minutes."

"Isn't it five minutes yet?" I asked impatiently after waiting a few more minutes. I was getting really anxious at this point.

"Yeah, let me try again." Tasha said as she redialled Allison's number.

"Allison?" Tasha asked after a while.

I perked up at that, she finally got a reply.

"Oh, I'm her friend Tasha. Is it possible that I could speak with her? I haven't heard from her all night she just kinda disappeared... Oh okay... Chris is also worried about her, he's been going crazy trying to get to her... Is she okay?... Oh yeah, yeah. Could you tell her to give me a call when she gets back?... Yeah, alright I will... Thanks, you too... Bye." Tasha said on the phone before hanging up.

"So? Did you get to her" I asked anxiously.

"Sort of. That was her cousin Tori, she says that Allison is fine. Her phone died and she had left it at her place. She said she would tell her what I said when she gets back." Tasha said to me.

"She is lying. Allison was there. She probably figured out that you were calling because of me and wasn't answering the phone. Thanks for trying Tash. I know where she is." I sighed. "How do you know?" Clint asked.

"It is obvious Clint. She has gone back home in Chicago." I said to them. "And I'm going for her."