Page 21 of Sworn to My Heart
Right now, I don’t belong with any man, but it seems my body keeps disagreeing with me when it comes to him.
“Okay, let’s leave it. We need to get ready for the aquarium,” she announces, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between us.
“Looks like I’ll have to raid your closet today because, as you can see, I came in pajamas,” I say, and she laughs, opening the large sliding closet in her room, not at all concerned by my declaration.
It seems she spends too much time and money on shopping; there are so many clothes that still have tags on them just hanging there.
I approach the hanging clothes and flip through them until my eyes catch a short, floral summer romper.
“You know you’re not getting this back, right?” I say as I take the romper off the hanger, look at myself in the mirror with it,and approve my choice.
“You know I won’t ask for it back, right?” she replies with a smile, already having changed into a light blue summer dress.
I glance back at her and quickly put on the romper. It fits me just as I expected, and my mood immediately improves.
The power of clothes. Something I didn’t have the chance to feel in the ocean.
I brush my hair with my fingers, apply a bit of gloss I grabbed from Cora, and we head down together to the first floor, all ready to go.
I grab her hand excitedly, but before we can leave the apartment, Cora turns to Mariano, whispering god only knows what in his ear. Luca stands next to him, his gaze burns into my shoulder, as I try to avoid his eyes.
I dare to quickly glance back at him, now meeting his scheming glance that quickly brought my fire back to life. It seems two can play this game as I manage to get his hungry look back when I bite my lip slightly. Now he’s walking toward me.
What am I doing? I caught the crazy. I grab Cora’s hand quickly before he could get close to me and pull her toward the door, separating her from Mariano’s hold.
“Everything’s set for today, right?” I suddenly hear Luca ask behind us, sending a shiver down my spine. He’s planning something, Mariano nods.
“Then a fun day with your wife won’t hurt, Mariano. We’ll join them,” Luca declares, sounding too comfortable. Damn.
I’m starting to realize I’m not going to enjoy the rest of this day. No matter how much the little fish tries to escape the shark, it’ll get caught eventually.
“I’m sure important and wealthy businessmen like you can’t just take time off in the middle of the week. Cora and I will gowith Graham, it’s fine,” I still try my luck and politely decline, but now it seems even Cora is betraying me as I see her grinning from ear to ear at the prospect of her husband joining us.
“We haven’t gone out together in so long, please, Mariano. PLEASE!” she pleads, wrapping her arms around his neck in a desperate hug.
Thanks, Cora. I am seriously reconsidering our friendship right now, I sigh, hoping by some miracle she could hear my thoughts.
I envy my aunt, Avi-El, who has the power of telepathy. How useful that would be right now.
“Okay, it’s actually not a bad idea. We could leave Pedro here to handle business if any problems arise,” Mariano finally agrees, smiling warmly at Cora—a soft sweet glance I hadn’t seen before.
It seems that no matter what happens, Luca always gets what he wants, perhaps because he’s the oldest brother.
I give Luca a fake sweet glance, making sure he knows he’s going to regret this decision.
Two can play this game.
Alin
We are on our way to Brooklyn’s aquarium, Luca’s driving. He seems to be engrossed in an important conversation with Mariano about some kind of exchange. They always speak in codes, as if they’re working in a secret organization.
Behind us, Graham rides on his motorcycle, while Cora is busy on her phone, and I stare out the window, hoping someone out there could save me from this day, but in vain.
Cora places a hand on my leg, her eyes apologetic, as if she just realized what she had done. I shoot her a scathing look, making it clear she owes me big time, but as she starts to laugh the tension in the back of the car begins to dissipate, and I join in her laughter.
This situation is a joke in itself: a mermaid, in a car with two arrogant rich men, on her way to an aquarium.
It seems like someone up there decided to pop some popcorn and watch the comedy that iscalled‘Alin Grey’s life’.
