Page 22 of Sold to the Bratva
“You’ve been weird all morning. You’re snappier than usual, and you actually looked like you were trying not to cry when that woman asked if you wanted to try on the beaded gown.”
I look away, swiping at the traitorous tears. Evie’s posture softens immediately.
“Oh, sweetie,” she murmurs, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Talk to me.”
“I just…” I exhale and admit, “I wish my mom could see me. I wish she were here to tell me what to do. If she were, maybe I’d have had a fighting chance of turning down this wedding.”
Evie stays silent for a full minute, then pulls me closer and squeezes hard.
“I think she’d be proud of you,” she says quietly. “Even if you did turn down the sparkly one.”
I let out a shaky laugh that catches in my throat. “You really think that?”
“I know that. All things considered, you’ve handled this with a lot of grace. You could’ve treated Isaac much worse than you have.”
I close my eyes and lean into her. It’s the first moment all day I can breathe. Eventually Evie pulls back and gives me a look.
“So, are you ready to admit you kind of want to marry Isaac?”
I freeze. “What?”
“Don’t play dumb,” she says. “I see it.”
“See what exactly?”
“You blushed earlier when you were talking about him. You like him!”
I roll my eyes. “You’re way off-base,” I say. “He’s as insufferable as ever. That hasn’t changed.”
“Maybe you like insufferable,” she says thoughtfully. “Or maybe you’re just searching for a reason to hate him because your dad is forcing this, but secretly you have a huge lady-boner for Isaac.”
I press my lips together and say nothing at all, which only causes her to grin like the cat who ate the canary.
“I knew it,” she crows, victorious. “You so want him.”
I cross my arms. “So what? That doesn’t mean I like him.”
She shrugs. “That’s fair. I don’t like a lot of the guys I sleep with. But you’re stuck with him unless he decides otherwise. In sickness and in health, till death do you part. So what’s the plan?”
I hesitate. “I’ll keep pushing, finding ways to make this difficult. Annoying him didn’t work, but everyone has a line you shouldn’t cross. I’ll find his and cross it until he breaks.”
“And exactly how sure are you about this plan?” she asks, eyes narrowed.
“Not very,” I admit.
She cocks a brow, smirking. “Did something happen between you two?”
I shift on the cushion, suddenly cold. I’ve never told her about the night he slipped into my room and how intimate and intense it felt. I woke up ashamed for yielding to him, but now I see how effortless his presence is, and that’s far scarier than simple lust.
“Not that I’m aware of,” I lie, looking down at my hands.
She tsks. “You’re a terrible liar. And you’re blushing again.”
“Shut up, I am not!” I protest, sneaking a glance at the nearest full-length mirror.
“Like you said, Isaac has a button you can push, you just have to find it. Maybe you should use every tool at your disposal.”
She wiggles her brows, clearly plotting something extra-suggestive. Knowing Evie, she’s already scripting half a dozen psychological games to keep Isaac on his toes. The thought excites me, though I’d never confess it. To everyone else, the idea of sex with Isaac still repulses me.
