Page 36 of Obsession

“I’m not snooping.”

“Yeah?” As he gets closer, I can see the way his dark eyes sparkle in the warm lighting. “You’re in my office, looking through my stuff. How is thatnotsnooping, princess?” One eyebrow quirks as he props his hip against his desk. Between him the desk and the bookshelf, I find myself caged into the corner of his office.

“It’s not snooping if it’s my house,” I argue. “We’re married now, aren’t we?” I tilt my head and feign sweetness.

“You’re right.” Adrian smiles with a chuckle, showcasing his perfect pearly white teeth. Something about the way he’s looking at me makes my stomach flip. “What’s mine is yours and all that,” he tells me with a wave of his hand. He looks handsome, even now after a day at the office.

Staring down at me, his lips are so close, I can feel his warm breath on my cheek. For a second, I think he might lean in and kiss me. What would I do? Would I stop him? I’m not sure I would.

And then, right as I think he’s going to, he pulls away, running a hand over his jaw.

“I’ll go see what’s for dinner.”

And then he’s gone. His footsteps echoing on the stairs and my lips still tingling in anticipation.

NINETEEN

Madi

“Madi Ricci.” A smile stretches across my friend Elijah’s lips when he sees me. My name catches Sadie’s attention, and she leaps from the bar stool she’s sitting on.

“Madi!” she screeches. “Get over here! You have to tell me all about married life!”

“Married life?” Elijah’s smile twists into a look of shock. “When did you get married?”

I didn’t anticipate how awkward post-wedding conversations would be with all my friends I didn’t invite to the wedding. On the other side of Elijah sits Mathias and Eric, both sharing the same surprised look.

I lift my left hand, flashing the stupidly large diamond and gold band.

“Don’t get weird.” Sadie waves her hand at them. “She didn’t invite anyone; it was just family.”

“A Costello party and she didn’t invite us? Sheesh,” Mathias tries to joke, but the tension still hangs in the air. Elijah’s dark eyes hold mine, waiting for a reason for not telling them.

Elijah and the guys have been part of my life for years now, probably since Nonno bought me the studio and I started hanging out in the French Quarter. I met them the first time I saw them perform in Jackson Square. Every day at 1:00 p.m., the crowd gathers in front of the church, and they put on a show. Flaunting their best moves while Elijah makes jokes over the speaker and hypes up the crowd.

I was in awe watching them that first time. Still, after watching hundreds of performances, I can’t help but to be amazed. Mathias does a trick where he jumps over a line of men crouched on a blanket while the crowd cheers loudly. Their ability to bring a group of people from all over the place together for twenty minutes never fails to make me smile.

After my grandfather died, I needed those moments more than ever. I made sure to be in Jackson Square every day to watch them. And eventually, they invited me to go to Ginos, a local dive bar, with them afterwards.

And from there, a beautiful friendship blossomed.

On wobbly bars stools and sticky vinyl booths, I became a version of myself that wasn’t a mafia princess or Crazy Al’s daughter. They weren’t naive. It didn’t take long for them to realize I was a member of the Costello family, but they didn’t bring it up or press for details. Nor did they shame me for the actions of a family I couldn’t control.

I appreciated that. And in exchange, I like to think I give them great dating advice that they couldn’t live without. The success of Sadie and Eric’s relationship was my greatest brag. I introduced them in this very bar.

Eric wraps his arm around Sadie’s waist and drags her back into him. “I’m sure she had a good reason for lying to us,” Eric says, and Sadie jabs him in the ribs. “So what is it, Mads?”

I imagine these guys are what a real brother/sister relationship would be. The kind I never got with Marcus. Theytease me and laugh at my mishaps, but they also call me on my shit.

Fidgeting with the strap of my purse, I sort through my brain for an excuse that’s not a total lie. But I also can’t tell them the truth.I was actually forced to marry a man I hate, and now he’s making me live in his super nice house, but I’m really hoping when my cousin gets out of prison, he’ll let me divorce him. Sorry I didn’t tell you.

“I’m sorry,” I finally say. “I should have told you guys, I just…didn’t know how.”

Elijah must sense the pain that lingers in my words because he stands up, asking the bartender for vodka soda with lemon, my normal drink, and ushering our group to a booth.

I pull my vibrating phone from my pocket to see Adrian’s name on the screen with a new text message.

Adrian:

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