Page 192 of Love in the Dark

June.

My eyelid twitches violently as I watch Nera twirl about the dancefloor in the arms of some teenage boy. His hand is on her hip and she’s laughing at something he says as he twirls her around the room.

My lip curls in disgust and my fists clench.

She’s been dutifully ignoring me ever since she pushed me away in the chapel and announced that I hadn’t suffered enough yet for what I’d done. It shouldn’t have been hot as fuck seeing her vindictive side, especially since now I have to stand here and take it, but it was.

A woman in a blue cocktail dress sidles up to me, giving me a coy, flirtatious smile. I watch her approach out of the corner of my eye, my gaze still pinned on Nera.

“Hi,” the woman purrs, throatily. “I’m Cecily.”

“I have a girlfriend,” I bark disinterestedly and dismissively, moving to another high top closer to the dancefloor.

The tightness in my jaw morphs from a dull ache to actual pain watching Nera. Something comes dangerously loose in my chest staring at her being twirled in arms that aren’t mine.

I told her that she could make me suffer, that I could take it, and I’m starting to get concerned that I accidentally told her another lie. If this is how she intends to make me pay, I won’t last much fucking longer.

“Relax,” a bored voice calls from beside me. “If you make a scene at my wedding and upset my wife, I’m going to have to kill you,” Phoenix adds drolly. “I really don’t want to have to do that, I’ve come to quite enjoy you and your dramatic little stunts.”

“You’re one to talk about dramatic stunts,” I throw at him. “Aren’t we standing on the grounds of the house you bought when you were trying to get Sixtine back?”

He stares at Six with an infatuated and deeply possessive look on his face. “If you fuck up, you do what it takes to get your girl back,” he says, blinking and looking back at me. “And then you never fuck up again.”

“Believe me, I never will.”

He gives me an assessing look. “Four months without her,” he says, giving me a pitying look. “I wouldn’t have made it that long. After a month, I’d have locked her up somewhere and forced her to forgive me.”

“Believe me, I think about doing just that multiple times a day,” I say, gritting and adding, “especially when I have to watch this shit and say nothing.” I point to where Nera is still dancing.

“Then why haven’t you done it?”

“Because she’s spent her entire life being bullied and belittled into doing what other people wanted her to do. I won’t be another person who imposes themselves over her wishes, no matter how much I want to. I’m fighting against my better instincts here, but she has to decide to come back to me herself.”

He tips his chin in her direction. “And what are you going to do about that?”

“Look at her,” I say, sighing.

“What am I looking at?” he asks, cocking his head to the side, puzzled.

“You shouldn’t be looking in her direction at all,” I growl territorially, slanting a glare at him. “But for the next five or so more hours,I’mgoing to be looking at her. I’m going to take advantage of the fact that, for the first time in four months, I’m in the same room as her for an extended period of time and I’m going to look at her. I’m going to stare at her face. I’m going to watch her smile and laugh. I’m going to bask in how fucking beautiful she is. I’m going to resist punching that bloke in the face and kissing the fuck out of her and I’mjust. going. to. stare.”

She looks like a fucking dream today, too. Her hair is parted down the middle and styled in a sleek wet look. She’s wearing a black, floor length gown with a sweetheart neckline and gold detailing on the corset. She looks happy and healthy and I can feel my heart palpitating just looking at her, the organ overwhelmed by an urgent need for her.

The pit in my stomach is momentarily soothed by looking at her, even in the arms of someone else. It’s more than I’ve really had in months.

“Excuse me,” Phoenix calls out, flagging down a passing waiter. “I need you to refill his drink anytime you see it’s hovering near empty. I don’t want him to ever see the bottom of his glass, understood? ” he says, pointing at me. “He’s going to need it.”

“It’s just seltzer and lime,” I say, and Phoenix raises a curious brow at me. “I haven’t had a drink in months,” I explain.

He nods once, understanding.

“Good for you.”

“Will do, sir,” the waiter replies, nodding and walking away.

Once he’s gone, Phoenix claps me on the shoulder.

“Good luck with your staring plan,” he says, eyes sliding possessively back to Sixtine. “I’m going to go find and defile my new bride.”

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