Page 16 of Eternal

“Someday, maybe. But never mind.” I brush him off. “Will you put the necklace on for me?” I ask meekly, unsure what to say other than thank you.

A part of me wants to decline the gifts. He barely knows me, and yet he’s buying me diamonds. But I can’t find the words to reject them. They’re so beautiful, and it’s a nice gesture.

Soren reaches for the necklace on my lap, his fingers grazing the outside of my upper thigh. I feel my body come alive.I hope that feeling stays forever.He clasps the necklace, and I turn back to face him. It’s taut against my neck, like a goddamn collar.How fitting.Soren examines me with the jewelry on before freezing.

“Oh. I can return them. Let me return them.” Soren stammers, “I didn’t mean it to be ownership of you, Freya. You are your own person, mind, and soul.”

I bite my lip to bite back my laugh, “You forgot body.”

Soren leans in, “I know, because one day, I hope to own it.”

My smile is immediately wiped off my face as I process his words. Yeah, maybe one day. No one has ever gotten me a just-because gift. Well, no one except for Serena. Here goes the awkward side of me again. Do I hug him? Kiss him? My brain ceases to function around him. I hope one day, it won’t be like that. He looks deep into my eyes, then at my lips.

I do the same to him and start to lean in.

“Are we ready to go-- oh shit. My bad.” Serena appears in the hallway, seeing Soren and I almost kissing. She turns right back around, dragging Abe back in, whispering at him as he starts to protest.

I let out a breathy laugh. “I need to put away my other jewelry, then we can go.”

I stand to go to my room, Soren follows me. I allow him as he is probably just curious about the room’s appearance. It’s boring, with gray-stained hardwood flooring, white walls, and a light gray upholstered bed that holds a king-size bed, with two nightstands on either side. A bench with a TV on the wall is at the foot of the bed. Soren examines my room as I go to the closet where the jewelry cabinet is.

I suddenly feel Soren looming over me, my back to his chest. His hands runs down my waist as he hums. I continue my task, then turn toward him. He brushes my hair away, running a hand along the strap of my dress that rests on my bicep. I breathe in sharply, as his left hand reaches up into my hair, pulling me closer to him. My hands rest on his chest. He leans in, and I do too. When we finally kiss, it feels like he was made for me. Starting as a soft kiss, Soren’s hand twists in my hair a little harder, pulling me in with more desire. His other hand gripped my waist with the intent of trying to compose himself. He pulls away and rests his forehead on mine. Our eyes were still closed, relishing in each other’s touch, breathing out breaths of passion. He pulls away from me and releases his vice grip on me, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

Will he want other lovers when our bodies are like magnets, calling to each other?

Taking a step back, he starts to smirk. “Hope I didn’t mess your hair up.”

I turn around and look in the mirror next to the cabinet. I smiled at him. “No, you didn’t mess it up. The jewelry fits my dress perfectly too. Thank you again, Soren.”

I kiss the corner of his mouth, then turn to walk out the door. He pauses for a moment before following me. For someone so beautiful, you’d think he wouldn’t be so shocked, almost shy of my affection. He must be the kind of guy that makes sure everything is on his terms, in his way. What’s that called again?A dominant.

“I suppose we should get going to the gala. We are probably already late.” Soren reaches for his phone in his pocket.

I nod, then gather my clutch, “Serena, are you ready to go?” Silence. “Serena?” Silence. “Abe?” Silence. I let out a breath, “Well then, it’s just you and me. You lead the way.” I gesture for the door.

I grab an extra key in case Serena comes home before I do. Who knows what the fuck will happen tonight. Soren reaches for my hand, which I oblige. He intertwined his fingers with mine, and we are on our way to the gala. We arrive to his car , and a driver awaits outside of it. The driver opens the door with a slight bow, to which Soren scowls at him, gesturing for me to get in first. Soren climbs in beside me in the back of his Rolls Royce. He still hasn’t let go of my hand. My hands start to shake a little bit, and he notices. He kisses the top of my hand, looking at me.

“My darling,” My heart falters at his pet name for a moment.My darling.How precious. “It’ll be okay. You’ll have me by your side all night. Serena is already here. You’ll be okay.” He strokes my cheek with his other hand.

I want to believe what he says, but I struggle with it. We just found out about our arrangement last night. He told me we would just fake everything for people in public, but right now, we are alone with just the driver, and he makes it all feel… real. He won’t make this easy on me if he is so doting.

We arrive at the front of the house, where a white carpet leads to the front door. A butler comes to Soren’s side, opening the door. Soren releases my hand to get out of the car. He turns around and holds his hand out for me to grab. I do, and he doesn’t release me as we walk up the white carpet. I take everything in, the lawn is perfectly manicured, and the sound of the fountain soothes my nerves only a tiny bit. Soren looks down at me as we approach the front door. I look up at him and nod, taking a deep breath. The door opens, and we are face to face with Laura, Soren’s mother, and my mother standing at her elbow, both waiting expectantly.

“My sweet, you look so beautiful. The color suits you.” She turns her attention to Soren, “Soren, honey, how are you tonight?” She reaches out for a hug from each of us.

Soren stiffens, and his grip on my hand tightens as she hugs him momentarily. He’s uncomfortable with all this. The light chatter of people catches my attention, and behind Soren and my mother, a small crowd is forming. This is all an act. My stomach falls. She’s doing this to paint the portrait that we’ve been together for a while. I feel like we are two caged animals at a zoo, and people are watching to see if we do something.

“My loves, please join Laura and I in my office for a moment.” She gestures down the hall.

Soren and I stay connected as we move down the hall with Laura and my mother. She leads us into a small room with a desk, chair, couch, and a bar cart. My mother can be a bit of a lush, at the least to say. She typically uses this room for when she spies on my father or plans a hit on one of my father’s mistresses he takes too much of a liking to. She’s a bit spiteful like that. She and Laura glide into the room, and Laura shuts the door behind us. Soren still hasn’t released my hand.

My mother faces us. “Laura and I were entrusted with ensuring your stories and our stories were reflective. The eight of us there last night were the only ones who know the circumstances of your marriage. No one else can or will know. You both have been in a relationship for a long time but wanted to keep things separate given your history, Freya.”

Soren glances over at me, but I can’t help but grimace at the mention of my history.

My mother continues, “You both are to use this event as an opportunity to announce your engagement. It will not only pique the interest of family members but also help get more donations. Many people are excited to hear about your relationship, so you both need to be sure to continue that excitement until your wedding. Are we understood?” My mother looks at Soren and me expectantly.

The same look clouds both our features, cold and angry. His mother stands in the corner near the bar cart, watching the two of us. I almost roll my eyes at their further intrusion into our relationship. I’d like to make some decisions on my own too.

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