Page 36 of Fractured
My stomach clenches as I watch Robert lead Sophia into thewaltz. He is clumsy and steps hard. He has no grace and Sophia looks stiff at every turn. The anger gurgles up and I want to go out there and choke the fucker on the dance floor for all to see.
It is our turn to dance with the bridal party. I retrieve Anna from Danny’s arms, and I lift my eyebrow at him as if to say, ‘when did this happen?’ He gives me a cocky grin and pats her ass as I take her to the floor. I expected her to lip off at me, give me shit, and tell me to be nice. But she doesn’t say a word.
The song ends and we switch. Rebekah comes over and we dance. She’s as smooth as her sister, only she feels too light in my arms. There’s nothing solid under my hand, just hipbones and knuckles so I lighten my grip on her palm, scared I’m crushing it.
Sweeping her in a turn, I’m facing Sebastian and Isabella for the next few steps. They smile and chat as they dance, then her face changes. He turns her and now he is facing me.
His face is pinched in apprehension. They turn again, and Isabella says something. I lead Rebekah through a few more steps, and Sebastian’s face looks miserable. His eyes are shining, and they stop dancing.
They look at each other as if their world has crashed, and he bows to her and walks off, leaving her at the side of the dance floor.
Anna runs over to Isabella, and she turns to Anna, crying again. Sebastian is storming out the door.
What the fuck?
Very few people catch their intense exchange as I walk Rebekah over to Christopher. He takes out her chair and pushes it in as she sits.
“What the hell was that all about?” Christopher asks close to my ear.
I can guess, as jealousy tightens in my stomach and my chestaches. I rub it again, and I say nothing. What good would it do? He has affection for her. She may very well feel the same, not that she would ever tell me.
But she’s mine now.
The need to know what the hell that was all about urges me toward her but I stop mid-step as Anna drags Isabella over to the far corner table and they sit down. I stop and watch them for a few minutes; she needs Anna more than me right now because the possessiveness rising in my chest will only lead to me saying something to upset her.
I walk a few feet and sit down in my chair, watching the girls. After a few minutes, Isabella is laughing with Anna now and I blindly reach for my wine. A heavy hand lands on mine and I look up. My father set a glass of water in front of me.
Christ, I’m not a teenager.
He winks at me and walks on. I take the water and have a drink. Carlos pulls out Isabella’s chair and sits beside me. Taking my full glass of wine off the table, he spreads his knees wide, leans back, and takes a sip.
“Prick, you saw that?” I stay watching Isabella.
“Yep, good call too.” He chuckles into his glass.
I say sarcastically, “Enjoy.”
We just watch the girls, and then Anna drags Isabella to the snack table and starts to pile the plate like she’s feeding an army.
“That’s a shit ton of food for Mighty Mouse,” His laugh echoes around the rim of the wine glass as he takes a sip.
“I don’t think it’s just for her, look.” I point.
Anna drags Isabella away from the table, one hand in Isabella’s, the other carrying the enormous plate of food. She comes to a door and hip-bumps it. They slip through and they are gone. Itry to get up, but Carlos grabs my arm.
“Give them a minute. From what I saw, she needs it, brother.”
Carlos chuckles at me, tipping MY wine at me. “I’ve seen you silence a room with your fists, a gun, sometimes even words... but never with a song.”
I clap my hands behind my neck and look up at the ceiling. I fucked it up again.
Carlos slaps my back and says, “It was a good choice. Even if the entire room thinks you’re a heartless dick, I know what you were trying to say.”
I snort and give him a blank stare. “Well, someone told me she needed to be loved. I can’t do that, but I can shelter her and keep her safe. That’s all I know how to do.”
He clinks my wine glass against my water, waggles his eyebrows, and finishes the glass in two huge swallows.
“You’re such a dick sometimes.” Taking a sip of my water.
