Chapter 37
“You haven’t said a single word since your husband kissed the hell out of you in front of us.” Liliana points out.
“What?”
“Just like how you haven’t stopped tracing over your lips as if that’s your first kiss and you’re back in high school staring at him…waiting for more?”
This stops my movements and I notice that I am touching my lips but it’s not because I liked the kiss but rather because none of this makes any sense.
Why did he feel he needed to kiss me like that to prove to my siblings that we’re together?
I wouldn’t have asked them for help, I simply would’ve waited it out and figured something else out.
It’s fine that he doesn’t trust me because I don’t trust him either, how could I? He isn’t someone that’s done anything good or nice for me.
Alaric Crowne isn’t a nice man and I don’t expect him to ever get there but this night doesn’t change a single thing though.
My frantic heart proves that’s a lie as I spot Alaric coming back into the gala after spending a long while outside. I didn’t follow him because I knew if I went outside it wasn't going to be a good conversation, especially because he was upset.
That’s the problem now, I know when he’s too upset to rationalize.
I also know what his facial features look like when he is angry.
It doesn’t really show much but there’s a way he lifts his right brow.
It’s ever so slightly high but not too high.
The squaring of his shoulders, the hand in his pocket and his stride.
They’re not too fast but not too slow, they are of equal parting when he’s walking towards something like he needs to kill it.
That’s how I know right now, he isn’t that angry as he strides over to where I am with my sister.
We decided to pick a table that was hidden so no one would bother with us while we could spot everyone out.
I guess it didn’t really work since those damned devilish eyes didn’t search long before landing on mine.
I blink and look away after realizing I’m staring too long.
“Do you want me to leave?” Liliana asks.
My eyes fall on hers with a frown.
“No, why would I want that? I haven’t seen you in so long. I feel like I’ve missed everything. I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.” She smiles at me. “I don’t care if you’ve missed some stuff, I’ll just fill you in. That’s what sisters are for, right?”
“Right.”
Before I can let go of Liliana, I feel a dark presence behind me and I know it’s my husband.
“You looked away from me, sweetheart.” He says with his body right behind me, so damn close that I know his scent.
Pinewood, cedar wood, vanilla, and something else.
That’s what I smell on him. I don’t know if it’s cologne or something else.
My eyes close for a moment then I catch myself, I clear my throat moving away from Alaric as I let my sister go out of what is probably becoming a death trap rather than a hug.
“Mmm…” Alaric lets out some sound as his arm snakes around my waist and pulls me back to him. “Don’t do that shit again.”
There’s a difference in his tone from his earlier threats but there’s no time to decipher it as my body reacts without my knowledge, I elbow him in the gut and he lets out a low oomph.
“Oh!” I turn to face him with eyes wide open. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.”
Alaric chuckles as he straightens.
“You did mean it. Own it.”
I glare at him.
“I didn’t mean it, it was reflexes.” Then I step closer to him invading his space as he zeroes in on our proximity. Grabbing the lapel of his suit, I maneuver him to lean closer to me as I whisper. “You’d know if I meant it. It wouldn’t be your well-toned gut either.”
“I’d love to see you try to mean it, my wife. I’d fold you into a fucking pretzel, you wouldn’t know how to get out.”
“What does that mean?”
Alaric opens his mouth to talk but a small clearing of the throat gets our attention.
“My Ana, I’ll be right back. Gotta go, umm, do something.” Liliana says and before I can stop her, she’s off.
The feel of Alaric’s fingertips on my jaw makes me hyper aware that I’m not looking his way as he turns my head to face him.
“My Ana, huh? That’s cute.” He says.
“You can’t call me that. That’s for my family only.”
“Look around, my Ana, I am your family. Now, let’s go mingle…together this time. Be a good wife and relax, you’re so tense, darling.”
I didn’t want to do it but there was something about the way he was looking at me and touching me, of course polar opposite of each other but I don’t want him to confuse me. He can’t. I won’t let him.
“No, please, Alaric.” I say as he leads me in the direction of where my parents are talking to the mayor. I don’t want to be anywhere near them, they haven’t liked me for a very long time and I don’t know where I stand with them. They’re my parents but I don’t know… I just can’t.
“Oh, baby, yes.” His words drip out like the sweet taste of honey when it drops on your tongue. The rich and authentic kind.
“Alaric, please.”
“Although someone else may enjoy the way you beg, my Ana, I do not. Now, toughen your firm yet delectable ass up and let’s say hi to my in-laws. Where are your manners, darling?”
“I hate you.” I grit as we’re a couple steps in front of them.
“I loathe you too, my love,” in the same breath, he begins his hellos with my shocked parents. “Mr and Mrs Hart, I’m so sorry that it took us this long to come and greet you. We’ve been wanting to come and see you, formally, of course.”
“Formally?” Both my parents mirror each other’s expressions.
“Yes, I mean, I am your son-in-law and who wouldn’t want to meet someone like me? Let us know when you’re free. Darling, don’t be rude, say hi to your parents.”
My eyes cut to him and I know he can see the anger and hate seeping out of me but Alaric looks at me endearingly.
It makes me angrier because I know he’s acting.
I don’t really understand why I’m upset but I am, I’ll figure that out later but for now, I’m going to focus on pretending like my parents haven’t ignored me for a really long time.
“Hi mom and dad, we didn’t really get a chance to talk earlier.”
Dad is the first to break as he gives me a small smile after his hi but mom, cold as ever, says hi and goes back to talking to the mayor.
Without another word, I swallow my anger and walk off not caring about whether Alaric is going to make me pay for it or not.
I don’t know where I’m going but I just go and before I can step outside where the paparazzis are, an arm stops me.
I turn, ready to push Alaric off but it’s Cassius. I blink a couple times and take a step back. I don’t know who I’m more afraid of but right now, I don’t want to know.
“Are you okay?” He asks.
Which puzzles me even more. “I’m sorry?”
“Are you okay?” He repeats again and this time, there is a softness to his tone which is the opposite of what I’ve been hearing for awhile now.
“I, I-, ugh, umm… yes.”
“Okay, good.” He hands me a handkerchief and I hesitate before taking it. “For your eyes.” he says, making me realize that I’m crying. “You don’t want them seeing you.”
I know who they are, the paparazzi. I stand there, completely thrown wondering what’s his game? Is he being nice so that he can kill me after what happened to Carmen? I open my mouth to ask but we’re interrupted.
“Just fuck her and get it out of your system.” Alaric says and it feels like someone has slapped me in the face.
“Excuse me?” I glare at him while he’s leaning against a pillar, looking as menacing as the day I first met him.
“You’re itching for a fight, Ric and I’m not going to give it to you.” Cassius says as he looks at Alaric.
Alaric straightens and walks over to Cassius, right in his face.
“Then don’t do shit no one asked you to do.”
“I’m not doing anything. She’s fucking crying, should I ignore her?”
“You’re right, next time, just take her to the car and make her feel better that way.”
“What’s your fucking issue?”
“What’s yours, Cas, she killed your sister, you don’t care about that, anymore?”
“And she killed your wife. You don’t care about that anymore while you’re sticking your tongue down her throat?”
There’s a slight movement of Alaric’s right brow and he tilts his head while running his tongue over the top set of his teeth.
A move I’ve never seen before so I don’t know what he’ll do.
I can’t anticipate it. He smirks a minute later and reaches out, fixing Cassius’s lapel and wipes away invisible dirt.
“You’re right. She’s not fucking worth it.”
The words feel like the dose of cold water I needed dropped on me.
Without thinking, I walk away from all the testosterone filling up the air and face the paparazzi.
I don’t even hear what they say to me as I continue my power walk towards the parking area where they aren’t allowed to follow me.
I should stop but really, I don’t know where I’m walking but I’m going to keep going as long as these damn heels allow.
A hand tugs at my wrist and spins me around.
“Don’t ever leave these types of places alone, Juliana. You wait for me.” Alaric says.
Without bothering to check my emotions or myself, I push at his chest.
“Don’t worry about me. Leave me alone!” I yell out for no one to hear.
“What’s crawled up your ass?”
“My ass? Are you kidding me, Alaric? You kiss me like you’ve lost your mind and you’re in my space. Invading everything and you think you have the right to tell me I’m not fucking worth it?” I push at him again, catching him off guard so he stumbles back a couple steps.
“What the fuck? What did I say that was wrong? You think you’re worth me forgetting you killed my wife and kids?”
I have nothing left in me to say to him right now. I’m not worth living my life anymore. Am I?
“What? Now, you’re silent?” He asks in a hushed tone.
“You should’ve left me in that cell. You should have let me rot and die in there. You shouldn’t have told the doctors to revive me when I tried to end my life, I know you did it. You should have let me die, Alaric.” I take a deep breath and let another one out, wiping harshly at my tears.
“Shut up.” Alaric spews his anger my way then cups my face in his hands and kisses me again.
He doesn’t give me a second to breathe as he takes that too. My fingers find his arms as they grip and sink into him. I don’t care if he’s hurting as I kiss him back just as passionate as he kisses me. My breath is gone. He took that too.
I pull away and try to breathe. “You should’ve never done that to me.” I whisper in the empty garage.
“Shut up, Juliana.” Alaric whispers back as he kisses me again. Deeply, this time.