Page 102 of Violent Attraction

Once and for fucking all.

28

Night Before

The music is playing loudly, people are interacting, and I want no part of it.

It’s like a sense of Deja vu. Actually no, it’s like reliving the past, because I’ve been here before. When I graduated from high school.

Except now it’s a rehearsal dinner for the big wedding tomorrow.

After months of not wanting this day to come, it’s finally here, and it looks like tomorrow at noon I will become Mrs. Emilio Castro.

Fucking perfect.

The one bright side of tonight is that Camila and Serena haven’t left my side. If they weren’t here next to me, I would probably be on the floor curled up in a ball, crying my eyes out, sobbing for my father to put a stop to this.

“Do you think that if I take a bottle of tequila from the bartender and we head inside to watch a movie, that anyone would notice?”

Camila asks, looking at the bar that is at the edge of the courtyard, a few people deep.

I can’t help but laugh a little. She knows that I’m miserable right now and she is trying everything in her power to make me feel better.

“She’s the bride, I’m sure if she left someone would notice. Maybe not the fucker, but possibly your dad or brother for sure.” Serena answers her with a sigh. I’m sure she wants to leave this party as much as we do.

“Did you just say ‘fucker’?” Camila looks at our sister-in-law, a giggle escaping from her as she asks the question.

Serena looks at her a little confused. “Yeah?”

“You’re a second-grade teacher. I didn’t know you had it in you.” Camila gives her a smile.

“I may be a second-grade teacher but I can curse, I can be fun. Hell, I married a cartel drug lord in Vegas after a weekend of drinking.” Serena defends herself and that only causes Camila to laugh.

“I think it’s badass,” she says giving Serena another smile.

Camila leaves me and Serena as she goes and hunts down a waiter that is going around with champagne flutes.

“She called me badass,” Serena muses when it’s just the two of us.

“She’s nineteen, she thinks that everyone that is older than her is badass,” it’s true. I think I heard her say the same thing to Arturo last week.

The expression he gave her though was priceless.

I look around the courtyard again, and this time as I do my visual sweep, I realize even more that I really don’t want to be here.

But Serena’s right, I’m the stupid bride. Not a lot of people would notice me being gone, but the key people would. I can’t go anywhere.

Just because I can’t go hide in my room though, doesn't mean that I can’t escape to the restroom for a few minutes.

“I’ll be right back,” I say to Serena, and walk away before she can even give a response.

The second I step foot inside of the house and away from all the music and the people, I feel like I’m able to breathe again.

I don’t even know half the people that are currently congregating in the courtyard. They are mostly people that the Castro family knows or acquaintances of my father. The only people that I know by name are my sibling and Serena.

You could have known someone else.

Santos.

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