Page 89 of Venomous Vows

Adrian

Hot tears build in my eyes because it’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Doubt seeps through my veins, but I drown it as quickly as it comes because I want to enjoy this moment if it’s real. If this is where everything changes for us. Where Adrian and I can truly build a full life together.

A happy one.

One that isn’t forced or manipulated.

“Oh, Elena,” my sister coos, encasing me in a hug. “Who would’ve thought, right?”

God, no shit.

If you had told me over a decade ago that I would be marrying Adrian Bernardi, I’d tell you to go get your head checked. That there would be no universe where he and I would ever belong together.

But here we are.

Less than an hour away from devoting ourselves to each other, and I’m nervous and slightly excited.

“Dad wanted to come,” Marcella mutters, pulling away from me. “But Adrian and I didn’t think it’d be a good idea.”

It’s not.

Adrian did say he moved Dad to the house for protection, but before I got home, Marcella asked him to be taken somewhere else. Zane made the arrangements and I know it’s something I need to face sooner or later, but I just can’t confront him rightnow. Not when my whole life is changing and Adrian is on his best behavior and the whole reason I’m here is because of him.

And that might not be a bad thing, but it could’ve been so much worse. Adrian may have not been able to get Marcella in time and then what would’ve happened? My father is selfish and only serves his best interests, no matter the cost to anyone else, and I won’t deal with him right now.

Not until I feel ready and Adrian and I are settled.

He doesn’t deserve the recognition right now and needs to focus on what he’s done. He’s lucky that Marcella is even speaking to him when she was the one living in constant fear and in the clutches of a gang.

My sister has always been a better person than me. Forgiving in her nature and always looking to form better relationships.

“Thanks,” I mutter. “I’ll…eventually need to get to that.”

“Take all the time you need,” Marcella says with a weak smile. “You’ve been through a lot.”

“Not as much as you.”

“I was just locked in a space,” she retorts with a shrug. “Nothing happened.”

I must be more paranoid than I thought I was because my sister has told me that a million times. I just don’t believe her.

However, nothing on her face speaks any different and maybe I’m used to the movie side of things where it’s a million times worse. But something rings that she went through so much more.

“Is he doing okay?”

“He’s fine. Upset that you haven’t spoken to him yet, but I told him he needs to understand what he put us through. The danger he caused.” I bob my head. “He isn’t thrilled about you marrying Adrian.”

I scoff. “Do I look like I care about what he thinks or?—”

“No.” I realize then that I got loud for no reason and relax the tension from my shoulders. “Enjoy today, Elena. You deserve it. Adrian seems crazy about you.” I avert my eyes because it seems like it. I’m just having a somewhat of a hard time swallowing it. “You have to admit it eventually, sister. I know it’s hard, given the circumstances.”

“I don’t know if it’s real,” I admit, fidgeting a bit with my fingers. “Adrian and I have a very long and aggravating past.”

“And sometimes those feelings change.”

They can.

That seems to be the case here.

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