Contrition (Twisted Tours #1)

Prologue

prologue

ESTRELLA

“A re you ready to go get married, hija ?” my mother all but proclaimed from behind me. I stared at myself in the mirror and quickly turned my gaze towards hers. Twisting around to face her, my lip wobbled slightly as I noticed tears lining her eyes—yet, I had the sneaking suspicion they were of nothing but joyous belonging, even as her next set of words brought giggles out of my nervous frame. “Like, really? Because we can make a run for it. You know, I almost ran out on your papá . I wouldn’t judge you in the slightest.”

I looked down at the wedges that paired beautifully with the equally white, innocent, and yet untraditional styled tea-length dress that adorned my frame.

Untraditional and unique. Just like us.

I was gonna be sick.

“No, Mamá . I’m okay. I…just want to throw up a little bit.”

“Not on your dress, you won’t! All of your pictures would be horrendous. We have enough pictures of you being sick at those loud concerts. Consider it forbidden on your wedding day.”

A chuckle sounded from behind the spitfire of a woman I called my mother, followed by a brooding voice that had haunted me daily for months—nearly as much as Zack’s husky one that I would know anywhere. My head snapped up and I tensed marginally as he spoke. “Oh, c’mon, Mrs. Flores. You know you’d have the time of your life at one of those concerts if you came along. We could make you a roadie and everything.”

My mother turned to look at me with a raised brow before turning it directly back on Theo. “A ‘roadie’? What on Earth is that?”

Theo only continued with a wink. “Oh, they’re pretty things like yourself who help out with the… needs of musicians on tour. If you catch my drift.”

My mouth popped open as I blushed furiously. My mother turned back towards me with a horror-stricken face. “ Hija ! Are you a ‘roadie’? Does Zackary know? What are you going to tell him?”

“No, Mamá . I am not a roadie,” I paused, turning to talk to Theo directly. I glared fiercely as I found him nearly bent over with silent laughter. “And you leave my poor, innocent mother alone! She doesn’t know any of these terms. You’re going to give her heart failure.”

Laughter marred his voice as he spoke again. “I know. That’s what makes it so funny. I can tell her anything, and she’ll think you’re a devil. I could absolutely use this to my advantage, you know.”

I growled as my mother cut in. “I am standing right here!”

Finally containing his humor, Theo prowled forward. I gulped as he stood directly before me, only to turn, bend down, and place a kiss on my mother’s hand. “You are, indeed. And you look absolutely beautiful, if I do say so myself. A band mate would be honored to consider you a roadie.”

I really was gonna be sick.

It was my mother’s turn to blush. “ Oh mi . hija , are you sure you don’t want to marry this brother instead? I think I may like him more.”

If my eyes could have rolled to the back of my head, given the horrendous timing and situation that my mother was clueless of, they absolutely would have. My teeth ground down as I responded, “I am absolutely positive.”

Theo straightened and turned towards me again. “Ouch.”

“Get over yourself.”

My mother swatted at my arm. “ Modales .”

I rubbed the spot on my arm with a pout. “Sorry, Mamá .”

Theo smiled sadly as he looked at me, then turned back towards my mother. “Do you mind if I have a minute with your daughter alone? I promise—no roadie behavior. Just a little, private best man talk. May as well bash my brother one more time, right?”

My mother, ignoring my all but pleading look, nodded and walked towards the room exit. “Of course! I need to go find her papá , anyway. It’s almost time, Estrella. Do your last-minute touches!”

And with that, she left me to fend against the wolves. Or—well—wolf.

Dear God.

I turned back towards the mirror to hide my nervousness at Theo’s close proximity, only to catch my own brown eyes and heavily painted reflection once more. My face held more makeup than I had likely ever worn in my entire life, with my hair being pinned in a cascade of braids and waves that made me appear nearly ethereal.

I was getting married. To my best friend. To my soulmate.

I finally felt the courage to smile at my own reflection as I spoke. Even if it was a tid-bit forced, given how I had loved avoiding the man behind me for three months now. “What’s up?”

He stared at my reflection with me, sadness in his gaze, before he said, “I told him.”

Dread immediately pulled in my stomach as my head whipped to face him directly. Today was not the day for him to pull a stunt, and if it was the stunt that I thought he pulled, I would be out for blood in the next six seconds. “Who? You told who, what? ”

“Zack. I told him about that night.”

My words came out slow and filled with malice. “What night?”

Six…five…four…

“Oh, you’re going to make me spell it out for you? I told him about the night I got shit-faced-drunk and kissed you. And then tried to convince you to leave him for me. Do you feel better now? Should I shout it for all of your guests next?”

And skip a few numbers to one .

I blinked once.

Then twice.

“You’re such a fucking dick !” The words flew out of me with no caution, and I was unbelievably grateful that my mother wasn’t in the room to chastise me. Those were words to have a sandal thrown directly at my head. Even if it was my wedding day.

Theo swallowed roughly. “He deserved to know.”

“Oh, fuck you. Is my husband-to-be still here after you told him that one? You know, while our friends and family sit just downstairs, ready to watch us say our vows ?”

“Of course he is. Do you really think Zack would leave you on your wedding day? I’m the asshole here—not him. But I couldn’t let him get married without knowing, anyways. He’s still my brother.”

“You kissed me!” I nearly shouted the words. “I didn’t do anything wrong. You made a move on me . Do not get it twisted. Do not even phrase it as anything differently. Do not paint me as the bad guy here, like you’re ‘saving’ your brother from being married to a puta !”

His blue eyes narrowed into a squint as he crossed his arms. His toned, heavily tattooed arms that bulged way too nicely underneath the black dress-shirt. “I didn’t.”

That made the alarm bells in my head dim slightly. “You…you didn’t?”

“No. I only told him my actions and feelings. You never told me yours, and therefore I did not place words in your mouth. Though, I would appreciate it if you would stop doing things like gawking at my arms while this conversation, of all topics, is happening. It only makes me want you more, princess.”

Princess .

If only murder wasn’t a crime punishable for years upon years.

Would a court side in my favor in the case of a man overstepping on a day that was meant to be the best of your life? That should have been in a handbook somewhere.

My words landed with an exasperated chuckle. “I am marrying your brother in ten minutes. Your brother is the love of my life. Zack is my best friend. You were drunk. Maybe you’re drunk right now! Whatever the hell it was—is—drop it. Capeesh?”

Theo took one step toward me. And then another one, until he stood directly above me.

I gulped.

He didn’t stop there, though. He placed his hands on either side of my head, effectively trapping me against the mirror. I refused to look down or away from him—refused to show him any sign of nervousness—and instead forced our gazes to clash. “I can assure you, princess, that I am not drunk. And I say this with my whole chest now before I probably won’t have the chance to do so again. Are you listening?”

I only glared.

The motherfucker had some nerve.

He laughed. “Such a brat . Just listen closely, okay? I am in love with you. I love my brother more than life itself, and I’m filled with nothing but joy over the career we’re leading ourselves to, but I would love nothing more than to kick his ass at the altar if it meant I got to keep you for myself. If you were mine. I would turn him black and blue for the chance. Capeesh? ”

A scoff marred my words. “You don’t even know me like that, estúpido .”

“Oh? I don’t?”

“No, you don’t.”

“ Reaallllly? I think I know just about as much as my darling brother does. The only thing he has a one-up on me is how to make you shiver, squirm, and moan.”

A gasp caught in my throat as he lowered his head even more. The sharp point of his nose scraped the side of my neck, and I inhaled deeply at the intimacy, only to be nearly drugged against the woodsy cologne that filled my senses. “This…this is inappropriate. You need to leave.”

“One kiss.”

“No.”

“Estrella.” He picked his head up, pleading now, and I watched as his tongue swiped out against his bottom lip. The bottom lip that had nearly consumed me months ago. The bottom lip I had moaned into—because some deranged, fucked up part of me liked it. Liked his touch on me. “I will get on my knees and beg for you. One more kiss.”

I shook my head. “We can’t. I’m not going to hurt Zack like that. He’s never hurt me. You were drunk, and I should have shoved you off of me. That’s the end of it. No more, no less.”

“But what if there is more?”

My heart nearly broke as I had to equally spell out the words for him. I had no idea why rejecting him pained me as much as it did, but it somehow felt like I was closing out a chapter that hadn’t even begun. “That won’t happen. We won’t happen. I’ve never even told you if I’m interested in you. Zack is my future. Not you.”

I watched as his blue eyes went nearly blank at my words, only for him to stand up straight and nod. He looked at me intensely, eyes sweeping from the crown of my head to the French-tip painted toenails in my wedges. He turned swiftly towards the exit, right as my papá entered. “You’re a beautiful bride, princess. He’s a lucky son-of-a-bitch.”

And as my papá turned to me with a raised brow, I only shook my head as music began to play.

It was time.

And Theo was right.

Zack would never hurt or embarrass me by leaving me at the altar. But he sure as hell did months later, once I had started believing everything was perfect.

Even with his vow of never letting me go—no matter what.