Page 27 of Innocent Union
“Here you go,” he said, handing me my vanilla ice cream cone.
I licked and smiled up at my dad. “It’s super yummy.”
“I bet,” a man said behind me.
Startled, I turned around to see a man who looked to be around my father’s age. He eyed me over in a way that made me uncomfortable. I didn’t know how to explain why. It just did.
“I’d like to see you lick more than that ice cream,” he added.
I didn’t understand. Not at the time. But my father did, and he made sure to let that man know he didn’t approve of what he was saying.
“What did you say to my daughter?” Dad asked, walking right up to the man.
The other man gulped. “I didn’t say anything.”
“No, no. I heard you.” He leaned in closer to him. “If you ever even so much as look at my daughter again, I will slit your throat from one side of your jaw to the other. Is that clear?”
“Yes.” The man looked like he was sweating.
“Good.” Dad patted him on the shoulder, making the man jump. “Now, go.”
The man hurried away, not looking back once.
Dad crouched beside me. “Are you ok?” Even then, he was starting to look sick, but he still made the effort for me.
“I’m ok. Dad, I don’t understand.”
He ran his hand over my hair. “Good. But when you’re older, you will. Just know I’ll always be here to protect you.” He pulled me into a hug, and everything felt right all over again.
He would die just a couple months later, and my world would be forever changed for the worse.
Now, I blink at my reflection in the mirror. I had an amazing man in my life like my dad. How can Killian even compare? No one could keep me save the way my father did. But he’s been gone for twelve years. Franco pretended to be a father figure for much longer than my dad was in my life. The thought saddens me.
Someone knocks on the door to the changing room. “Mia? It’s Gemma.”
I open the door, letting her in. I can’t even look her in the eye, given my embarrassment.
“How are you doing in here?” she asks, looking around at all the other dresses I still have to try on.
“It’s hopeless, Gemma.”
“Why is it hopeless? And before you say anything, just know I’m not very good when it comes to advice.”
I chuckle.
She points at me. “See? I can still make you laugh.” She sits beside me, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. Everything. Nothing. It’s all … not how I imagined getting married would go.”
“You imagined you’d be in love, didn’t you.”
“Yeah.” I rest my head on her shoulder. “Yeah.”
“And Cecilia married someone she loves. You’re jealous. Plain and simple.”
My face grows hot. “Am I really that obvious?”
“Yeah, you are. But here’s the thing, when I married Viktor, I didn’t love him. Emilia didn’t love Marco when she marriedhim. Francesca didn’t love Leo when she married him. And remember, Cecilia was going to have to marry an eighty-year-old until Theo stepped in to save her. You’re getting a sweet deal by marrying Killian. He’s hot. He’s charming. He’s sweet. Did I mention he’s hot?”
