Page 37 of Perfectly Wrong

I laughed, unable to take him seriously. John was great at reading people, but he also loved to stir the pot. The song ended, and we made our way back to the table, his hand resting on my lower back. As we sat down, I glanced over at Sam, who was now seated at the piano. He caught my eye, and I smiled, but he just turned away, starting to play Compassion.

He kept sneaking glances at me during the song, his gaze intense and full of something I couldn’t quite decipher. John noticed too, and I could feel his tension rising.

“I am everything I have / that is why I’m asking for / a little compassion.”

Sam’s voice was raw, his eyes locked on mine, and John muttered a curse under his breath. Sam tried to play it cool, looking around the room, but it was obvious. He was singing to me, baring his soul in front of everyone.

“Take my heart, break me down to bits / I’ll do anything you want, give you everything / I’m all yours, proudly and fearlessly.”

“That’s enough,” John growled beside me. “Let’s get out of here.”

He was serious, protective, and I knew he was right. We couldn’t afford to be reckless. So I followed him out of the party, holding his hand as Sam’s voice pleaded for compassion. I didn’t look back.

The gala had finally arrived. I couldn’t wait to see Elena all dressed up. I tried to get her to send me a photo of her outfit, just to admire her for a bit, but she wouldn’t budge. She was firm about keeping it a surprise. Tania, my stylist, suggested I wear something different, but I stuck with a classic look. I didn’t want to risk not matching Elena’s style.

During the drive to the Four Seasons, I scrolled through social media, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. But she wasn’t the type to pose at the entrance for photos. She probably darted straight inside, avoiding the cameras.

When the car stopped, I got out, smiling at the flashes hitting me from all directions. Blinded by the lights, I made my way into the ballroom with Alex, my manager, by my side. My eyes swept across the room until I spotted her—stunning in a long black sequin dress. The front was modest, with a high neckline and long sleeves, just as I’d expected. Elena was reserved and discreet; she would never wear anything with a plunging neckline. Or at least, that's what I thought.

I approached her team and began greeting them one by one. Just as I was about to talk to her, a petite woman called her name. Elena turned around, and I lost my footing. Her dress, modest in the front, was completely open in the back, leaving her flawless skin on full display for others to see. The cut of the dress stopped just above her ass, and all I wanted was to tear her out of that damned outfit and devour her until morning. Elena looked so beautiful, sexy, and irresistible that I had to hold my breath when she turned back to me. Her wide smile was painted with a natural shade of lipstick, while her eyes were highlighted with mascara and other makeup I couldn’t even begin to name.

When we hugged, her citrusy perfume hit me hard. I was one lucky bastard to have that woman in my life.

“What the hell is this?” I growled. “Are you trying to kill me?”

I knew she was. Elena wanted to see me at her feet, crawling for her. That had to be the reason she chose that dress. And even though I knew she was wearing it for herself, I couldn’t help but dream it was for me. I could hardly wait to drag her to my room and have her all to myself.

Alex pulled me over to our table, and I quickly reached into my pocket, grabbing my phone to send Elena a message.

You look stunning. Definitely the most beautiful woman here.

She didn’t reply. In fact, I hadn’t seen her with her phone at all. And I knew she hadn’t even glanced at it, because I hadn’t taken my eyes off her. I was completely captivated by Elena and her sparkling dress. A stupid grin spread across my face when I noticed she was wearing the earrings I had given her. Yes, I was her date, even if from a distance.

After some time, a guy approached, and Elena stood up, hugging him with more affection than I would’ve liked. Her lips said his name with admiration: John. Damn it, he was the one who had invited my girl to accompany him to the party. He spun her around, taking in the sight of her. I noticed he complimented her, and Elena smiled sweetly. That smile should have been mine, not his.

I grabbed my phone again and sent another message. Maybe if her phone vibrated on the table, someone would let her know.

Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?

Nothing. Elena was completely absorbed in him, not once taking her eyes off that perfectly chiseled face. I clenched my fists and locked my feet around the legs of my chair. I wanted to get up and pull him away from her. The guy was like a vulture, circling around her, not letting anyone else get close. Even when Jeremy came over to talk to her, he pulled her by the waist, pressing his body against hers. I gritted my teeth and looked away. The smile she was giving him was making me sick.

She had said I’d love to meet her friend. In that moment, I couldn’t think of anyone I hated more than him. Who was this guy, anyway? What was so special about him? Sure, he was handsome, I couldn’t deny that. But what did he have that made Elena so fixated on him, ignoring everyone else? Not even glancing at me?

I felt like a discarded toy, tossed aside when she found someone better to hang out with. Ugh, don’t think like that, Martin. Don’t let your mind go there, imagining Elena and John in bed. I sent another message.

Elena, can we talk?

But she still didn’t reply. My girl had eyes only for that damned John, and she only stopped talking to him when someone interrupted them. Minutes later, the event organizer came to tell me my show was up next, and I stood up. My legs were shaking, but I knew going over there would only make things worse, so I headed straight to the stage. I was tuning my guitar when I noticed they were sitting very close. The bastard looked at me. With a smug grin, he said something to Elena, who scolded him. John didn’t care and kissed the corner of her mouth. My blood boiled, and I fiddled with the microphone, making it screech. What I really wanted was to punch him right in the face and knock out all those perfectly straight, white teeth!

The show was a disaster. Every song annoyed me, and I was furious. Not even the gorgeous women showing off in front of the stage could distract me from Elena. When John led her to the dance floor and they started moving together, a painful lump formed in my throat. He glanced at me again, rubbing her back—the same back I loved kissing while she rested after we’d made love. The most beautiful back I’d ever seen, and it looked magnificent in that dress.

John twirled her around, and Elena didn’t seem to care. This wasn’t my stubborn girl who only did what she wanted. Did he put something in her drink?

The piano was placed in front of me, and I got ready to play. She finally looked at me and smiled, but I didn’t smile back. My head was pounding, and all I wanted was to understand why. What had I done to deserve such humiliation?

Compassion was a beautiful song, one I loved, but right then, it felt like a plea to Elena. I just wanted her to stop stomping on my heart like that. We had been fine, spent days together, and even laughed over that incident with my mom. And now, my girl was in another man’s arms, completely ignoring my feelings. It wasn’t fair!

The song was almost over, and I sang as loudly as I could, pushing my lungs and vocal cords to their limits in a desperate attempt to make Elena stop. But John seemed irritated, whispering something to her, though she didn’t respond. Well, she spoke with her eyes, eyes I couldn’t see because they were fixed on his damn face.

---