AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He turned and stormed from the room, slamming my bedroom door shut behind him. I was so angry and upset, I don’t even remember showering, washing my hair or doing my makeup. It was only when I shimmied into my emerald-green, floor-length lace dress and stood in front of the mirror that I focused my mind. How dare Finn judge me? He had no idea what I’d been through. What I was still going through. Daring to believe a single word of the voicemail would mean hope. Hope was too hard to handle right now. I meant what I said. This was the only way I knew how to survive. How to keep breathing and carrying on. So, tonight I would put on a brave face for my family, I would raise my champagne in the air when they toast to my future with Enzo and I would hide my pain. Because that is survival.
Lost Without You
I placed my empty champagne flute on the passing tray and picked up a new one. That warm, fuzzy feeling was starting to loosen me up and I no longer felt like I was wound so tightly like a coil. I smiled as I saw Sephie pushing her way through the crowds of people towards me at the bar. I didn’t have a clue who half these people were. I guess a lot of them were invited by Enzo and Gio. So, it was nice to see a familiar face amongst them.
“Seph!” I wrapped my arms around her neck as she laughed when I stumbled into her. “You look beautiful!”
“So do you! I see you are enjoying yourself,” she smiled.
“Trying to,” I scoffed, taking another sip of champagne. Each sip dulled the pain just that little bit more.
“Well, I have to say, you haven’t done badly. Enzo is looking smoking,” she wriggled her eyebrows at me as I cast my gaze over at my fiancé talking to Gio. Fiancé. It sounded ridiculous. Just a few days ago, Alessio was my fiancé. That felt right. No. No, it wasn’t real. Just an act.
“Yeah, he’s gorgeous,” I nodded, moving my gaze back to hers and taking another sip of my drink as she narrowed her eyes.
“I am a little confused though, Elle. You were so against dating him before and I really thought you and that guy might have turned into something.”
“What guy?” I frowned.
“Panther? The one you gave a lap dance to at the club. Don’t worry I didn’t tell anyone about that,” she whispered as I raised my eyebrows.
“What a good friend you are!” I laughed loudly and she hit my arm.
“No, I just meant because I knew you had been texting and calling that Panther guy and you really liked him. So, I thought that maybe you would try and pick that up again, not marry Enzo.”
“Panther was Alessio, Seph,” I groaned, shaking my head. Why was everyone refusing to let me forget about him today? I was trying my damn best to move on and everyone around me kept bringing him up!
“What! Are you kidding me? And he kidnapped you? And he’s mafia? I am so confused; doesn’t that mean you two are actually perfect for each other?”
“It was wrong from that very start,” I shrugged my shoulders. “Seph, I love you, but this is my engagement party to Enzo. Let’s focus on that.”
She pouted her lips at me as I took another swig of my drink. Enzo and Gio walked over to us and I plastered on my brightest smile.
“Elle,” Gio looked down at the champagne in my hand with disapproval. “How many glasses have you had?”
“Not enough,” I gave him a sarcastic smirk, which caused his jaw to tick. I felt a hand wrap around mine and remove the flute swiftly, placing it on the bar. I frowned up at Enzo for daring to take away the only thing that was making me happy right now.
“I think you should slow down, Elle,” he said firmly, his blue eyes boring into mine.
I swayed onto one hip with an attitude, “Oh really? That’s how this marriage is going to be? You side with my brother over everything? If I want to have a drink at my engagement party, I will have a fucking drink.”
I brushed past his arm and snatched the flute off the bar again as Sephie rolled her eyes, looking slightly embarrassed to be witnessing this interaction.
“Elle, you are making a fool of yourself,” Gio growled under his breath. “Enzo is only looking out for you.”
“Of course, because that’s his job now, right? You are handing over your overbearing parenting duties to my soon-to-be husband?” I snapped before downing the champagne.
I turned my back on them to obviously ignore them and focus all my attention on Sephie. I knew I was acting like a child, but I didn’t care. I may have to marry Enzo, but I wasn’t about to let him think he could control me. My eyes drifted over Sephie’s shoulder and towards the large glass windows at the front of the building. I froze. There was a figure across the road, leaning against a tree. They had a coat on with a hood up so I couldn’t see their face as they spoke on the phone. But my body reacted. My skin burned and tingled at the same time. My heart flipped. I knew that build. That stance. It was him.
“Elle?” Sephie shook my shoulder as my eyes snapped to hers. “Where did you go?”
“Huh?”
I quickly looked back at the window, but the figure had gone. As if it was never there in the first place. I raised my hand to my forehead suddenly feeling light-headed and hot. The champagne was making me see things. Even if someone was there it wasn’t him. It couldn’t be him.
“You don’t look so good,” Sephie said, studying me with worry.
“Yeah. I- um- I just need to go to the bathroom,” I stuttered, shaking my head. “I’m fine. It’s just the bubbles have gone to my head all of a sudden. I need to freshen up.”
