Page 47 of Bound By Longing

Whereas I have to resist the urge to look at Damien as I go.

Chapter

Eleven

MILA

“I’m glad you’re safe,” Dimitri says once we return to Mikhail’s house.

“Me, too.” Of course, it’s all thanks to Damien. If only Damien wanted to marry me …

But no. I push that from my mind. He doesn’t want to commit to me. He’s ok with touching me but nothing else. I can’t stop thinking of the pleasure he showed my body. I already feel addicted, and it only happened once.

But Dimitri has to be my future. He’s willing to commit to me.

“We should start the wedding planning,” Dimitri says. “The sooner we’re married, the better for you.”

“I agree.” The sooner I’m married, the sooner I can forget about Damien and the confusing feelings he’s wringing from my mind and body.

“Wedding dress shopping!” Sofiya announces as she comes down the stairs. Even though she’s heavily pregnant, she doesn’t let it stop her. “Aren’t you excited?”

“Mmm?” I look up from my phone. “Uh. Yes. I am.”

Sofiya frowns. “You sound distracted. Are you ok?”

“I’m fine.” I put my phone away. What was I expecting? That Damien would call to see if I was doing all right after everything I went through? Of course, he wouldn’t call.

Because he doesn’t care about me.

“You’ve been dreaming of your wedding for so long. I thought you’d be happier about this.”

“I am. I’ve just been through a lot.”

“Mila, we don’t have to do this today.”

“No, I want to,” I respond too quickly. “Let’s go.” I hurry to the door so I don’t have to look at Sofiya’s concerned face.

The bridal shop is covered in white from all the wedding dresses. This would have been my dream even just a year ago.

Now, I’m dreading being here. Looking at all these wedding dresses just reminds me I’m going marry a man I have no feelings for …

… while the man I do have feelings for doesn’t want to be with me.

“What about this one?” Sofiya asks, holding up a dress. It’s got a sweetheart neckline and is made of fine lace. It’s beautiful. Something out of the wedding book I made when I was a girl.

Now, it just looks plain and uninteresting.

“It’s nice.”

Vik looks at me with an incredulous expression. “Just nice? The Mila I know would have been jumping up and down for this dress.”

I sigh as I take a seat on one of the plush couches. “My head just isn’t in it.”

Sofiya sits down beside me. “Do you not want to marry Dimitri?”

“I don’t even know Dimitri.”

“Mila, if you don’t want to marry him, you don’t have to,” Vik tells me. “No one will make you.”

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