Chapter Ten #4
When I step into the lounge, I find Ronin at the bar with Danny, a glass in his hand.
The room is nearly empty, most of our guests already in the ballroom waiting for us.
I can’t tear my eyes away from him as he laughs at something Danny says and takes a drink.
He looks exactly the same as he did when he left me in the lobby, the same man who stood beside me at the altar and promised to love me for the rest of our lives.
A few more tears fall. I don’t understand how anything that woman said could be true.
Ronin looks up, a smile still on his face.
When he sees me, I watch it slowly fade as concern takes its place.
He sets his glass down and comes toward me.
The closer he gets, the harder it is to look at him.
When he reaches me, I lower my eyes. “They’re ready to announce us.
” I force the words out, then turn to leave.
His hand closes over my shoulder before I can get away. “Why are you crying?” he asks. “What happened?”
I wipe the tears from my cheeks, not even caring if I ruin my makeup, then take a deep breath and try to pull myself together. There’s still a whole night ahead of me. Dear God, how am I supposed to get through it?
“Lana,” he says. When I make no move to face him, he steps around in front of me. I keep my eyes on the delicate white orchid I chose for him, still pinned to his lapel, refusing to look any higher. His voice softens. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
Something inside me cracks at the gentleness in his voice, and I finally look up at him. “I met Kitty,” I whisper.
His face drains of colour. “What?” The word is barely audible.
“Your friend Kitty,” I say, then immediately correct myself.
“Kathleen, I mean. I met her. She told me she wanted us to get along.” I can hear myself rambling, the words coming too fast. “She said… she said since we were both going to be with you—” My voice breaks, and I search his face, desperate for him to tell me she lied and terrified he won’t. “Why?” It comes out small and pleading.
Ronin stares at me, stunned. I watch the shock in his eyes give way first to guilt, then to something that looks painfully like heartbreak.
His mouth opens, but before he can speak, a scoff sounds just behind me.
His gaze flicks past me, and I turn to find Danny a few feet away.
Danny meets Ronin’s eyes, his upper lip curling as he slowly shakes his head, then walks past us and out of the lounge.
I watch Danny go, then look back at Ronin, startled by the change in him.
His jaw is clenched now, his face reddening, and the heartbreak I saw in his eyes is gone, replaced by fury.
His hand tightens on my shoulder, and he gives me a sharp shake, hard enough to make my teeth click. “Who do you think you are?” he hisses.
“Wha—”
“Don’t be so goddamn na?ve, Alannah.” Not Lana. Not doll. “I married you, and this is what I get?” He shakes me again. “I could have married anyone. You know that.”
There’s a high, thin ringing in my ears.
“So she was telling the truth.” My voice wobbles before I can stop it.
He lets out a short, incredulous laugh. “You can’t be serious. You thought marrying me meant you’d be the only one?”
The words knock the air from my lungs. I stare at him through my tears, unable to speak, as the last hope that Kathleen was lying falls away.
“You’re my wife now,” he continues, his voice low and tight. “And you don’t get to make a scene.” His hand shoots out and closes around my wrist. I try to wrench free, desperate to get away from him, but his grip only tightens.
“We’re going to deal with this right now,” he says as he starts down the hall toward the ballroom in long, quick strides, pulling me after him.
I try to keep up, but he’s moving too fast. When I fall behind, he yanks me forward so hard I barely stay on my feet, then keeps going without slowing or looking back.
With every step, the music grows louder, each beat pounding through my chest.
The doors swing open, and a spotlight snaps on as he marches me into the ballroom. The glare makes me blink, and when I open my eyes, I’m met with a sea of faces turned our way. The bandleader’s voice rises over the music.
“Mr. and Mrs. Byrne—”
Applause erupts. Cheers. Someone whistles.
Ronin drags me to the bandstand, releasing my wrist only to band an arm tightly around my waist and pull me against his side, pinning me there in front of everyone.
It hurts. My gaze drops to his hand at my hip, his fingers dug in hard enough to bruise.
I don’t remember it ever being like this between us.
I can’t make any of this fit with the man I thought I knew.
I stop trying to wipe the tears as they spill down my cheeks. Everything feels distant, unreal, like this can’t possibly be happening.
Around us, the applause falters and voices begin to die away. Even the band trails off until the whole room falls quiet.
“Everyone,” Ronin calls out, “if I can get your attention—”