AllFreeNovel
Share Us
With the tray still in my hands, my eyes lock on Rosa.
“I’ll meet you guys in there,” Eva says before rushing after Frankie.
“Rosa, are you okay?”My chest hurts to see her. It takes everything in me to not pull her into my arms.
She pulls her lower lip between her teeth and stares pensively at the glasses between us. “I’m fine.”
The nights we would spend staying up all night just talking and watching movies. Well, and fucking. Now all I have is one-word answers, and she can barely look me in the eye.
“You promise?”Every day since she left, I’ve kept an eye on her from afar. I know how much she struggles, how much she hides until she can’t take it anymore. I have to know she’s okay, that I didn’t break her. It would kill me.
“Yes, Luca. I promise. I don’t think I’ll ever truly be okay. Not anymore. I’ll live.” She casts her eyes to the floor.
The feeling stirring around in my chest makes me feel like I’m about to have a heart attack. I can’t take this.There aren’t words that will fix this ache, and taking her into my arms isn’t an option.
“Come on, let’s go meet the others.” I gesture towards the reserved area where everyone is gathering.
She lifts her eyes to mine and gives me a sad smile. Which basically is a knife through the heart. The last person on the planet I’d want her to meet is Maria.
I follow her lead. My eyes are pinned to her pert ass as we head towards the rest of the group. Maddie is now cuddled into Grayson’s side, and Sienna has a protective Keller behind her with his hands firmly around her waist.
Both women watch me warily as I put the tray of drinks down on the table.
“Ladies.” I smile at them both.
They give methatlook. They’ve told me I’m an idiot for doing this. Their husbands clearly have no filter because both women are now strongly on team Rosa.
“Fiancé.” Maria waltzes towards me.If she sticks her chest out any farther, she’s going to tip over.
Maddie and Sienna both scoff and look away. Maria snakes her arms around my neck, her intensely sweet perfume is nearly suffocating as it burns my nose.
I go stiff as she brings her mouth to my ear.
“Introduce me to my new friends,” she hisses with venom in her tone.
Turning, I whisper back in her ear, “Get your fucking hands off me.”
This was never part of the deal. Marriage on paper, nothing else.
She fake laughs and removes herself, tapping me on the chest with a purposeful stare. I clench my jaw in response.
I glance up to see Rosa looking at me with the shine of tears in her eyes. Her lips are a pale, quivering line. When she catches my gaze, she quickly turns away.
“Rosa, Eva, Frankie, this is my fiancé, Maria.” Bile rises up my throat at the words. Rosa flinches in response. Her sister wraps a hand around her arm, squeezing her closer.
Running a hand over my face, I dig out the pack of cigarettes in my suit jacket.I’m itching to get away from this.
“So lovely to meet you all. Would you like some champagne?” Maria asks.
Rosa’s eyes snap to mine as Frankie and Eva reply ‘yes’ at the same time Rosa blurts out ‘no’.
Maria’s eyebrow flies up as she looks Rosa up and down.
“You don’t drink? What are you, pregnant? Or just boring?”
Clenching my fists, I open my mouth to tell her to stop, but Rosa beats me to it.
“Maybe I just don’t need a drink to have a personality anymore. Unlike some, clearly,” she spits back.
