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“How about dinner then?” Papà narrows his eyes at me. “I need to get out of this house. I’m beginning to feel claustrophobic. I have no phone, no dance, no friends.Please,Papà.”
He sighs, the sound bouncing off the walls from how loud it is. “Fine, Camilla. Just this once. What would you like to eat?”
I smile. “A big steak.”
“No pasta?”
“No.” I grin.
He laughs. “You’re no daughter of mine.”
“Ha ha,” I mock, then get up from my chair and head to the door, opening it. I look back, “Thank you.”
He nods once in dismissal and that’s the last of our conversation.
I go back to my room, heading up the narrow staircase by the kitchen since there’s multiple stairways in this house that lead to the second floor, and down a hallway. The black door opens silently and I shut it behind me. I can’t believe I’m here in the first place, kidnapped by Leo.
Speak of the devil, he’s been visiting me every day in hopes torekindleour romance. He must be delusional if he believes I’d cheat on Nik. Thankfully, he finally went back to Florida yesterday because he couldn’t miss any more classes, according to him. I guess being in Chicago has one perk—being away from him.
Now I’m trapped in this room that’s nothing like me, at least not anymore. It’s too bright, the curtains too light, unlike my room at the Florida house, which had dark gray walls and shelves lined up with my poetry books on them. This one feels… stale. Too formal and decorated for a princess. Well, regardless of what Nik says, I’m no princess.
The only thing that makes me slightly nostalgic is the jewelry box on the dresser. I open it to find my favorite pieces, which I’ll make sure to take home with me once Nik gets me out of here. Gold necklaces that my grandmother got me when I was a child, earrings my father and mother got for me as well, and my engagement ring from Leo. I want to take everything except that.
Once upon a time, I was excited to marry him before I saw the kind of person he was underneath the surface and realized the predicament I found myself in. Not only would he never be faithful to me, but my autonomy was being yanked from my grasp. In fact, it never even existed, and I yearned for it. Now I think I would rather die than marry him.
Leonardo is the kind of man who would never give me even an ounce of independence. I would be destined to depend solely on him for everything. Every aspect of my life would be predetermined by him, and I would be miserable. No more dance, no more friends, no moreanything. I would live in a massive house inside an ivory tower that not even long hair would get me out of.
He has said he loves me, but I know he doesn’t. He loves the idea of us, the one where we get married and I say and do what he wants. I give him children, and in return, he takes care of my every need, lavishing me with material things and money that he can stuff up his ass for all I care. He doesn’t love the real me. The one where I try to drown myself over the pain in my heart—and actually succeed. The one who loves to dance until my feet bleed because it brings me joy and makes me feel whole. Even the one who loves reading, painting, and hanging out with my friends. He doesn’t actually knowme; he just used to fuck me occasionally.
Okay—a lot.
Never mind all of that, though; it’s different now. Everything has been since I met Nikolai. It’s been a damn rollercoaster—my life—yet I wouldn’t have it any other way.Heknows me, the deepest, darkest parts of me, and I’ve willingly given them to him. Mostly. Other times, he’s taken them by force, and that’s okay, too. At least now I think so.
However brief it’s been, being his wife has already been a life-changing experience. I don’t think Leo is capable of treating me the way Nik does. I’m under no delusion that Nik is a better person, but goddamn, does he take care of me. He said he would worship me, and I feel it in my bones that he already does. The way he took me on an impromptu honeymoon just to make our marriage feel more normal, the way he got me a storage room to put all my belongings in but actually made it into a closet, and also how he moved me into the apartment with barely any room because that’s where I want to live.
I want to be where the beach is.
That’s our place.
A few hours and a tight bodycon dress later, I’m sitting at the restaurant with my parents. It’s just the three of us in one of the fanciest places in the city, and barely anyone to witness if shit goes sideways with Nik.
I don’t have a good feeling about this at all. The more I think about it, the more I believe that this was a terrible idea. I fidget with my fingers under the table to try to mask the shaking of my hands, but it does nothing for it.
How does he plan on coming here and sitting with us? Does he even know where we are, or have I wasted my time? Will he actually show up, or did he lose his nerve? Does he love me enough to stand up to my father? I know I do.
Now, as I sit here and feel the heat of my father’s stare on the side of my face, I’m beginning to think I’ve made a mistake. I’m not sure what made me believe Nikolai would show up here and be my knight in shining armor, sweeping me off my feet in his rescue. But I did, and now I’m going to look really stupid as I come down from my little lovesick cloud. I need to wipe the fog from my eyes and get it the hell together.
My father’s fist descends on the table, shaking it so hard my glass of wine threatens to flip over. The moment I look up at him, he has a scowl on his face as he stares right… behind me. My mother has a hold of his arm, squeezing for dear life, and the look on his face turns so scary I cringe.
Nik pulls out the chair next to mine and nods at my father and mother. “Mr. and Mrs. DeLuca, it’s a pleasure to see you both tonight.”Liar. “I’m sorry to show up unannounced, but as you probably know, I miss my wife, and we have much to discuss.”
“She’s not your fucking wife,” my father growls low in his throat.
I hate to do it, but yes I am. “Yes,” I breathe, lifting my hand and all but shoving it in my father’s face, showing him my ring. “I am his wife. Nothing you say or do can change that. We married on neutral ground, and I’ll be fucking damned if I get an annulment.”
“You will not cuss at me, don’t be disrespectful.” That same calm voice has caused me more pain in my life than the harshest of screams. My spine straightens immediately. “And if I say you will get an annulment, then you fucking will.”
Our eyes meet at the last word. “No.”
