Page 62 of London's Calling: Part 1
I turn and face him, forcing a smile that quickly morphs into a real one when I see how handsome he looks in his tux. I’ve seen him in a tux before, but I didn’t see him then. My eyes were deceived by a blanket of hate. I still hate him, but not for the same reasons. I hate him for making me care, for stealing my heart while I was busy looking for a way to break him. Now I have it, I don’t want it anymore.
“Look at you,” I say, straightening and smoothing the lapels of his jacket and running my hands down the front of him.
“Oh no, Ice Queen, look at you. You look fucking ravishing.” He steps forward and cups my face, staring intently into my eyes.
It takes everything to hold his stare. To not look away in shame and guilt, but when his lips meet mine in a kiss so perfect and sweet and gentle, the first ventricle of my heart floods with sorrow. I can’t hold back the tear that slips slowly down my cheek, rolling over his thumb as he holds my face in his hands.
He pulls back, taking in my face again. “Hey”—he swipes the tear away—“what’s with the tears?”
I grip his wrists, his hands still cupping my face gently, willing my next words to come out strong. “Happy tears…silly,” I manage, pulling his hands away to hug him, burying my face in the crook of his neck. I breathe him in, locking his unique scent in my memory bank. I kiss the side of his neck, each one an apology he’ll never understand.
“Damn, Roni!” he whispers into my hair, kissing my temple. “I need to tell you something. I have to say it now. I—” His words cut off sharply as my phone rings in the small pocket I had sown into my dress.
I release him, stepping back and pull my phone free. “Shit, I have to go.” I shove the phone back in my pocket without answering it, and a second later it chimes with a message. I don’t need to look to know what it says. I look up at him, and I know he’s desperate to speak, but I get there first.
“You don’t need to say it. I know.” I can’t bring myself to say the words, so I kiss him. I kiss him for the final time knowing after this, whatever happens, he’ll never forgive me, then I rush from the room.
Chapter Forty-Four
Mickey
That went well. I shake my head and laugh as I exit the room and head back to the ballroom, assuming it must be cake cutting time or something. But as I enter it’s clear something else is going on.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you for coming to celebrate my daughter’s birthday…”
Franklin Hart is on the stage with Roni beside him on one side and Clayton on the other.
“But this isn’t just a birthday celebration. As some of you know, my beautiful daughter and Clayton are set to marry next week. However, they decided tonight would be the perfect opportunity for them to tie the knot and kill two birds with one stone…”
I can’t hear him any longer as I look to Roni, finding her already looking at me. She dips her head, breaking our gaze, before lifting it again and looking out to the crowd, straightening her spine and pushing her shoulders back.
“Reverend Turner, please join us.” Everyone turns to watch the reverend climb the stage steps as Roni and Clayton shift positions, turning slightly from the crowd when Reverend Turner takes position in front of them.
Clayton takes Roni’s hands, and I spot the rock on her finger as the light catches it.
“What the fuck is going on, man?” Fletch whispers as he and Priest appear at my side.
“You want me to fucking spell it out for you?” I snap, and my hissed words are met with more than a few glares from people around us.
“But I thought?—”
“Shut the fuck up, Fletch!” Priest says, knocking shoulders with him. “You okay, man?” Priest asks, looking to me.
“Yeah, not like I didn’t know about her and Clayton, and besides, like I told you before, we were just fucking around.” I ignore the look that passes between Priest and Fletch as the reverend begins speaking. “Let’s get the fuck out of here,” I tell the guys, moving toward the exit.
But when we reach it, the doors are closed and blocked by the two doormen from the front entrance. I keep going only to have one of them stop me with a hand on my shoulder.
“You need to remain in the room during the ceremony, sir.”
“I don’t think so, now move,” I demand, and tack on a “please” for good measure.
“Sorry, sir, but we’ve been instructed not to let anyone leave until after the ceremony.”
I’m about to move the prick myself, but Priest stops me. “Forget it, you don’t want to cause a scene.” He tugs on my arm, pulling me away from the doors. “I get it, but you know he’d love to see you lose your shit and get kicked out.”
I hear him, spotting Franklin standing by the side of the stage and smirking this way. I know Priest’s right, but I need to get the fuck out of here. I can’t stand by and watch as she marries that cunt.
How could she do this? I had a plan, to get her away from him, so we could be together.
