Page 49 of Bared Betrayal
Gabriel doesn’t flinch, but his stare cuts from Sebastian to me, his eyes lingering on me for a second too long, causing me to shift from one leg to the other.
He clears his throat, slipping one hand in his pants pocket as he looks at Sebastian again. “I’ll stay out of your way. But just know, you can expect to see more of me, as I will be accepting each and every invitation I get.”
“Lucky me,” Sebastian sneers, and Gabriel simply smirks.
“Indeed.” His gaze moves to me. “Lucky you.”
He turns and walks off into the crowd, and I let out a breath, not realizing I’ve been holding it the entire time.
“You okay?” I ask, placing my hand on Sebastian’s back.
“I’m fine. But I’ll have to speak to my grandmother about the goddamn guestlist.” He rakes a hand through his hair and turns to face me. “I’m going to mingle. You good?”
“I am.”Not.
His arm snakes around my waist, pulling me up against him, and kisses me deeply, his tongue breaking past the barrier of my lips. With everything in me I try to lose myself in his embrace, to relish his taste, but it’s bland compared the passion that bursts with his father’s mouth.
His hand drops to my ass, and he squeezes it lightly at he breaks our kiss. “Tonight,” he whispers with promise, and my insides twist into a thousand knots. The idea of having sex with my fiancé should excite me, but instead I’m nothing but ice-cold nerves.
Someone calls his name, and he kisses my cheek before walking off into the crowd of guests. I stare after him, feeling lost and abandoned.Jesus, Kallie. You’re not a little child. Pull your shit together.
Everything is happening too fast. It’s too much, and I can’t stop any of it. How did everything change so much? I was in love with Sebastian, or at least I thought I was. Now, looking at him in a three-piece suit, his hair perfectly styled, standing with other men in expensive suits, I realize I don’t recognize him anymore. Maybe I never knew him to begin with. The real him. Maybe both of us have been playing this game of pretend.
A sense of awareness trickles down my spine. I’m being watched, and it’s like a warm touch ghosting against my skin. I look over my shoulder and, sure enough, Gabriel is there, talking to someone I don’t know, but his eyes are on me, and they speak of dark promises and sin. All it takes is one glance, and he entrances me. From across the room his presence wraps around me, and I have to force myself to remember we’re not alone. This grand hall is not Club Myth, and I am not his to take. To punish. To fuck.
“There you are.” Elenor appears out of nowhere. “Why do I constantly find myself searching for you? Come.” She pulls me along. “You have to engage with the guests as much as possible.”
“Can I at least get drunk first?”
“Excuse me?”
“I said can I at least get a drink first.”
Her eyes narrow into two slits of distrust, but I simply smile her way before she starts parading me around like I’m cattle up for auction. I’m being introduced to people whose names I’ll never remember while trying to ignore this pull I have toward Gabriel, who is openly watching me. Even when he isn’t in my line of sight, I can feel his eyes on me.
The way he stares at me makes me feel like prey that’s about to be hunted. I hate how the thought excites me, and how having him in the same room makes it easier to deal with Elenor and her bullshit.
While I’m being led around with an invisible rope around my neck, I’m trying my best to fade away into the background. When the paparazzi sneak in to grab photos, I hide my face with a glass or turn my head away from the flashing lights.
“Kallie, you need to let them get a good look at you,” Elenor mutters close to my ear while continuing to smile. “Sebastian’s fans want to see his bride.”
“No,” I say a little too firmly, and the people around us turn to look.
“Oh, she is just a little camera shy,” Elenor says with a laugh, dispelling the sudden tension. As the others laugh along, she leans in close. “The sooner you realize this isn’t about you, the better. It’s about my grandson, and you better start playing your part and stop being a spoiled little girl.” She stands straight again, a fake smile plastered on her face as she waves to someone else and disappears into the crowd.
Tears prickle behind my eyes as I start to feel dizzy. Anxiety is clawing at my chest, causing a cold sweat to break out over my skin as it becomes harder to breathe.
I need a moment to myself, just a moment to gather my thoughts and get control again. The panic will stop. I know I can make it stop. I just need a minute alone to breathe.
There’s a staircase off to the side of the entrance. As quickly as I can, without drawing attention, I head toward it and go upstairs, hoping to find a quiet room to hide in, but instead it leads me to an empty balcony draped in darkness. Clearly, there’s no intent of having guests up here tonight, and that now makes this the perfect place for me to gather myself.
The cool night air washes over me, calming my senses and slowing my breathing. The moon is full tonight, its glow touching the highest trees in the distance. I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the fresh air that slowly melts away the panic.
The laughter and chatter of guests below seem distant, as if I’m observing them from behind a glass wall. With my hands braced on the rail, I close my eyes, trying to clear my thoughts as I do the breathing exercises my therapist swears by.
Breathe in…one, two, three.
Breathe out…four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.
