Page 3 of Falling for You

My sister smiles at the man who pushed her against the wall in the far back corner of the bar we’re in about thirty minutes ago, not caring that she’s wearing a ‘bride’ sash and that the man is not her future husband.

My sister, my sweet, caring sister, is only two years younger than me and yet is about to be married, though you wouldn’t think it right now as she looks at the tall man before her like he’s a piece of meat she wants to conquer.

Her dark red hair, like mine and our mother's, is straightened down her back, unlike mine, which is curly and half up in a twist. Her blue eyes, like our father’s, shine with lust before the guy leans down and presses his lips against hers, and of course, she kisses him back.

Ah, crap...

I clear my throat and look around the club, making sure no one can see the darkened corner they are in, knowing full well she’s about to lose her virginity that our parents have ensured she’s kept intact just so her husband-to-be won’t get it.

Now, normally, I’m the one who rebels; I mean, I haven’t lost my virginity yet, but I’ve done everything opposite to what my parents want for me, including making sure they don’t try and use money against me.

I’ve been working as a waitress in the local café down Main since I was sixteen, starting as a pot washer and then working my way up while working my ass off at public school, something I pushed for, again so they couldn’t use it against me, unlike my sister who has had the best of the best education.

Whereas my parents paid for her to attend law school—something she didn’t want to do but agreed to go anyway—I got a full scholarship to college and just finished my undergraduate nursing degree. Next week, I’ll be starting at Havens Medical Centre children’s department in Brooklyn as a registered nurse.

My parents wanted me to follow in their footsteps, just like my sister has within the law firm they own, representing murderers and rapists, while I want to help people.

I notice the guy pull back from my sister before he drags her out the fire exit door. She grins, willingly following him without a care, and I sigh.

We’re here to celebrate, and I use that word loosely, her soon-to-be nuptials. Heck, even Harry’s cousin is here, for Christ’s sake, though she looks to be busy making out with some blonde girl on the dance floor, so hopefully, she won’t notice the bride is gone.

I swallow hard and turn but nearly bump into a couple dancing very erotically and wince before quickly going around them, my eyes catching the guy the girl is grinding on.

My pulse races as I take in his black hair, long on top and short on the back and sides, and the way his large muscular body moves, his tattoos over his bare arms looking extremely hot, is making me itch to grab him from her.

What the hell?

Shaking my head, I move around the couple, berating myself for being attracted to a man who is clearly very taken.

I can feel my heart pound, and jealousy fills me like no other, which is ridiculous.

I shake my head again. I have always stayed away from men; I mean, I’ve kissed and fooled around but never got that physical reaction from them, so I tried to kiss a girl once when I was seventeen, wondering if that was my problem, but it just felt wrong.

That man is the first to make me feel anything and I don’t know how to take it.

For as long as I can remember, my strict parents have ingrained in my sister and me that we will be married to a man of their choosing and my sister instead of saying ‘go to hell’ she’s basically rolled over and agreed.

Harry Calvins was chosen by my parents for my sister. He’s thirty-five, a woman beater and head of the Branches Law Firm, and the marriage is supposed to bring both firms together, whereas, for me, they want me to marry their best friend’s son Zayne who is the biggest walking STD, which my parents are aware of, but they don’t care. As far as my parents are concerned, Zane’s family paid a lot into the firm and I’m collateral.

The man is a perv, and it’s never going to happen as far as I’m concerned.

I have always gone against everything my parents wanted of me, including wearing posh fancy dresses and doing ballet. They’ve tried to micromanage my life and that of my sister’s growing up, and at first, I was all for it, wanting to keep my parents happy. However, when I took up street dancing, they demanded I quit and actually took everything out of my room except my bed until I listened. In their minds, they bought it so they could take it away, but the final straw was overhearing my dad on the phone. I saw a different light and realized I didn’t want to be what they were, and I rebelled whereas my sister, despite going off with some tall man, has agreed to everything because she has had everything handed to her on a silver platter.

She has no dreams of her own and relies heavily on my parent’s money.

I get to the bar and try to flag down the bartender, needing a drink. My sister is gone and most likely for the night, so I need to drink; I need to get drunk and pretend that she’s gone home early and be the rebellious daughter everyone knows me to be and hopefully make enough of a scene that I’ll be the talk of the party instead of the missing bride.

She knows if Harry finds out about this, he’ll hurt her; it is widely known he’s a woman beater.

“What can I get you?” the bartender asks.

“Double vodka and coke, please.”

He nods and quickly takes my order before placing it in front of me. I grab my small purse to pay, but a large, tattooed arm leans over, and a deep voice says, “Put it on my tab, Tom.”

The bartender, Tom, nods, and I blink in shock. Leaving the drink on the bar, I turn only to meet a chest, a very large chest covered with a black shirt showcasing muscles.

I swallow hard as I slowly look up before meeting the darkest blue eyes I’ve ever seen, and my mouth goes dry.

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