Page 79 of Heartstruck at Dawn
More people arrived, all wearing tuxes and beautiful evening gowns. I couldn’t wait to see Nathan all dressed up too. He was going to look so handsome.
Box twenty-six.
Aaron inspected it before I went inside. It was empty. I was the first one to arrive. The view from our box was incredible. I took a seat and decided to text Nathan since it was almost 8:00 p.m.
Me:Hey, you! Are you on your way?
The lights went out, and the orchestra began playing the overture. I just hoped Nathan had been able to get off work. I didn’t want to sit there alone. He was hopefully on his way to meet me.
The door opened behind me, and I saw a silhouette stepping inside and walking my way.
“Hej, älskling,” William whispered, taking a seat beside me. He kissed my cheeks slowly. “You look breathtaking. I knew that dress would fit you perfectly.”
William,you son of a…
My phone buzzed in my hand.
Nathan:Murph, I’m on a conference call. Can’t pick up. I’ll call you later.
Fuck.
WHAT’S A STRONGER WORDfor furious? Enraged? Yes. I could feel the rage and the indignation snaking through my veins, filling every cell inside my body. Boiling me up. I should’ve known better. Nathan’s suggestion of a surprise made me assume he was the one who sent the green box.
Falling into William’s trap made me feel so stupid and naive.
I looked down at the beautiful dress, took a deep breath, and stood up to leave. William held my hand and said, “Stay.”
“No.” I walked toward the door, but he gently held my arm before I could grab the doorknob.
“You’re here. It’s already started. You look beautiful, by the way.” He smiled and kept scanning me from head to toe, analyzing the dresshe’dchosen for me. Not Nathan.
“Nathan’s going to be pissed.I’mpissed. Why would you do this?”
I hadn’t had the opportunity to mention how ridiculously handsome William looked. In-freaking-sane. That tux … That smell … That face.
Lock me up in a tower and toss away the key. I didn’t deserve to come out in years. I was too stupid to live in the real world.
“Because you love this opera, and it’s your first time coming here. That’s why I did it.” The orchestra playing in the background made the situation feel more dramatic than it already was. “I’m sure Nathan would want you to stay. He should know how much you wanted to see it. Come on, let’s take a seat,” he insisted.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head with disbelief. I didn’t want to leave! But I felt deceived. No. Iwasdeceived.
“I thought you didn’t want to be friends with me.” I met his gaze.
He laughed and said, “You just don’t get it, do you? I’m beingfriendly. That’s different.”
Caleb opened the door. “Is everything okay, Miss Murphy?” he asked with a death-stare that had William’s name on it.
I’m not okay!I don’t know what to do.“Um, yes. I—” I broke off.
“Do you want to leave, Miss Murphy?” Caleb’s stare was fixed on me. He knew what was going on. I could see it in his eyes. Both William and Caleb refused to take their eyes off me—waiting for my response.Yes or no?Staying or leaving?
The orchestra carried on with “Quanto è Bella.”
“Fuck,” I said in barely a breath, mostly to myself—feeling defeated. I looked at the floor and brushed my forehead while I kept thinking about what to do. I took a few steps forward and saw Rolando Villazón coming onto the stage.Fuck, indeed.I couldn’t leave now. Nope.
“She’s staying,” William replied, placing his hands on my shoulders, guiding me to our seats. “Thank you, Caleb.”
“Miss Murphy.” Caleb insisted on my confirmation.
