“Jared, she’s just no good for you. She isn’t who you think she is.” No matter the reason, the look on Jared’s face tells me he’s not buying it. There’s no way to make him understand and protect myself, Dorian, and even Aurora at the same time. But I have to try. “You may think she feels the same about you but you’re wrong. She can’t be trusted.”
“And you know this, how?” he says, his brow furrowed in frustration. “Look, Gabs, I get that you and her have problems. But don’t sit here and try to say she doesn’t care about me. That’s really low. Even for you, Gabs.”
What’s that supposed to mean?
“I’m sure she cares about you,” I say with a huff. “But there are things you don’t know about her, about who she is. And I don’t want you getting caught up in her lies.” I gaze down at the little blue box and am suddenly repulsed by the sight of it. I try a different angle, hoping to tap into Jared’s rationality. “Not to mention that you are no way ready for marriage. You’re only 20, for crying out loud! And you haven’t even finished school!”
“I’m not saying that we’d get married right away, Gabriella. But Aurora is a few years older than me, and women like her aren’t single for long. I need to show her that I’m in this for the long haul. I mean, who wouldn’t want to marry her?”
Ouch. “Jared, if she really loved you, she’d wait until the time is right. It’s only been like what, 5 or 6 months? Give it time. You have your whole life ahead of you.”
Jared exhales noisily. “Don’t you think I know that? I’m not stupid.” He grabs the velvet box and stuffs it back into his pocket. “But after the summer I had, I can’t afford not to live every day to the fullest. Playing it safe is no longer an option for me.”
I nod, hoping that my show of understanding will soften Jared’s annoyed expression. “I know. And maybe one day, you’ll both be ready for such a monumental step. But I have to say, I don’t think that time is now.” Or ever.
“So you mean to tell me, if Dorian popped the question you’d turn him down?” Jared questions with a raised eyebrow.
I look down at my knotted fingers, trying to force down the swell of agony rising in my chest. I feel my bottom lip begin to quiver and I bite down on it to keep my emotions at bay. Why the hell does this subject keep coming up?
“That will never happen,” I whisper. “Dorian will never ask me.”
“Humph,” I hear Jared snort. “Well, looks like Aurora was right about him. But just because your boyfriend has serious commitment issues, you shouldn’t try to bring everyone else down too. Our happiness isn’t always based on you, you know.”
Hold up. I know Jared is not going there with me. “And what the hell is that supposed to mean?” I snap, unable to hide my agitation.
Jared runs a hand through his messily styled auburn locks. “It means that misery loves company. Your outlook on love, relationships, life in general…you’re so fucking pessimistic. All because you are unhappy. So we all feel guilty for wanting what we want and try to downplay our happiness to accommodate you. But you know what? Shit, I’m tired of watching The Gabriella Show. I’m tired of rushing to your aide every time you’ve got another shit storm coming your way. I want a life. Not an obligation.”
I gaze at Jared blankly, unable to process the razor-sharp words that have just fallen from his lips. How can he say these things to me? How dare he! All this time I thought that the friendship Jared and I shared was based off of mutual trust, respect, and even affection for each other. And now he’s telling me he felt obligated to stick around throughout the train wreck that is my life?
Before I know it, I’m on my feet, my chair screeching against the floor, causing nearby diners to cringe. I am only just aware that I am rummaging through my purse to retrieve my wallet where I grab a twenty to slap down on the table. It is a feat considering the violent shudders rolling through my body. My hands are shaking fiercely and I know that if I don’t get out of there, Jared will very easily become the target of my unpredictable rage.
“Oh, so you’re leaving? You finally hear the truth and you’re running? Instead of staying and talking this out? I thought you never backed down from a challenge, Gabs,” he snorts, playing a dangerous game at provoking me.
My eyes snap up to his, icy tingles stabbing my eyelids. “Go fuck yourself,” I spew between gritted teeth.
I turn on my heel and stiffly make my way towards the exit of the restaurant, only too aware of the heat radiating from my fingertips. Shudders of white hot anger encapsulate my frame while a deep, agonizing ache grips my chest, causing me to struggle for every breath. I need air, but I can’t seem to make it to the door fast enough.
As I approach the refuge of the double doors, a cold gust of air rips through me, blowing them wide open and startling a group of patrons waiting to be seated. I’m too angry and hurt to even question it. I just will my legs to keep walking until I reach the solitude of my little car.
I slide robotically into the car and start it up as the tremors finally begin to subside. What the fuck just happened here? How could Jared, of all people, take it there with me? And he really feels that way; he sees me as a liability. The pain plaguing my chest grows in intensity with every unanswered question. I’ve loved him for years, only to play second to all his dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks girlfriends and fuck buddies, yet he feels that I’m the one who’s got issues? That I have been too selfish and wrapped up in my own bullshit to be happy for him or anybody else? This is ridiculous. Utterly fucking ridiculous.
Beyond his heinous insults, I try to shake the most staggering occurrence this evening. Jared had a ring. A ring that caused my breath to hitch and my heart to swell at the sight of it. And though it kills me to admit, for one fleeting second, I thought that ring was for me.
What would I have said if it was? I am undoubtedly in love with Dorian but neither one of us could say what the future holds. And he’s made it brutally clear that he has no intention of ever making me his wife. It had never been important to me before but I guess knowing that it could never be a possibility for us has made me somewhat crave matrimony. Plus he said that he wanted me to try to achieve a normal life, a life that didn’t include him one day. What does that mean? That his promise of forever means absolutely nothing? Why doesn’t he understand that there is no me without him?
Not quite ready to go home and face Morgan’s questioning glare, I decide to head to the Broadmoor. Dorian had said that he would be in later and would call me when he got in. Right now, more than ever, I need his comfort, his reassurance. His validation. He is the only person that makes me feel like I am more than just a floundering, pathetic girl with no real goals or aspirations. He makes me feel strong and resilient. I need him right now, and not merely for his encouragement. I need to feel him. I need to feel his skin on mine, pushing away the dreary clouds darkening my fragile heart. He’s the only one who sees just how delicate and broken that I really am. Even through the tough exterior, he knows I am just a little girl. His little girl. Frightened and lonely in a world that rejects what I am. That dispels my entire existence.
As I approach the elaborate double doors of Dorian’s suite, removing my key card from my purse, I get an overwhelming feeling of unease. Dread sweeps over me, causing the hairs in the back of my neck to stand at attention and my stomach to churn the tiny bits of food I was able to eat at dinner. I put some pep in my step and book it to doors, anxious to surround myself in Dorian’s space until he returns.
“What the hell?” I sputter as I enter the living room. I don’t even realize that I’ve lost the grip on the strap of my purse until it tumbles to the ground, splaying its contents on the beige carpet. My heart races at an immeasurable pace yet I feel like I’m in a slow motion sequence of a really horrible movie. And this would be the climax when shit gets real.
“What are you doing here? And you…what the hell is going on?” I ask looking between Dorian and Aurora, each of them wearing a mix of shock and horror. It’s
evident that I walked in on a very heated, intimate conversation. “Um, hello? Somebody better start talking. NOW!”
Aurora puts a hand on her very narrow hip and walks over to me, donning a curve-hugging sheath dress and her signature ridiculously high heels. “Oh relax, Gabriella. We were just talking. It figures you’d be the first to congratulate us.”
I look to Dorian, who still is wearing his alarmed expression. He’s dressed in a dark suit, white shirt without a tie, the top few buttons unfastened to expose a small patch of smooth, hard chest. His hand grips the crystal glass of scotch he’s holding and I’m afraid he’ll shatter it any second now.
“Dorian? What the hell is going on? I’m not going to ask again.” He licks his lips nervously, the pinkness of his tongue catching my eye and almost distracting me. Oh hell no! That shit is not working today!
Aurora steps into my line of vision, holding out her perfectly manicured left hand. On it lies the biggest diamond I have ever seen, gleaming brightly on her ring finger. “Gorgeous, isn’t it?” she beams.
I look back to Dorian, still clutching the glass at his side. “Explain. Now.”
He lets out a ragged breath, his broad shoulders falling with resignation. “Something happened. Something out of my control. I’m so sorry, Gabriella, but-”
“We’re engaged!” Aurora interjects, wriggling her fingers in my face. “We’re getting married!”
I stagger backwards, the air exiting my chest so quickly that it leaves me completely breathless. I can sense movement in front of me, but my clouded eyes are unable to focus. Muffled voices and the jingle of feminine laughter echo in the distance. I’m sinking, falling away from this hell.
Snap the fuck out of it, Gabs.
“What did you just say?” I say snapping back to the here and now. There’s no way I heard that right. First Jared and now Dorian? My Dorian? Un-fucking-believable!
“I said Dorian and I are engaged. Beautiful ring, isn’t it?” Aurora snickers.
My head jerks to Dorian, who is wound so tight, he looks like he’s about to have an aneurism. “You bought it yourself, Aurora. Stop acting like a child,” he grumbles. Tentatively, he closes the distance between us, his eyes cautiously searching. “Gabriella, have a seat so we can talk.” He motions with his hands but makes no attempt to touch me.
“I don’t want to sit. I want you to tell me what the fuck she’s talking about. You’re…engaged?” I quell all feelings of sorrow and let my rage take the reins.
“It’s not what you think.” Dorian looks back at a smiling Aurora and a frustrated growl quakes his chest before turning back to me. “She made a deal. It was the only way to keep you and your family safe.”
“What do you mean, ‘she made a deal’? What kind of deal? And since when has my safety been guaranteed?” I take a step forward into the room, eager to get to the bottom of this.
“Aurora deceived me. She deceived all of us,” he grits, trying to ignore Aurora’s wind-chime laughter behind him. “And the only reason why she is even allowed to fucking breathe is because I would do anything to keep you safe, my love. I had to. Your life was threatened and I had to.”
“Threatened by whom?” I ask placing an attitude-fueled fist on my hip more forcefully than I intend.
Dorian lets out an exasperated sigh. “Everyone.”
“Everyone? Who the hell is everyone?”
He shakes his head. “I didn’t know…there have been changes. The Light, the Dark…relations have been less than cordial. And once the Light caught wind of our relationship, they grew worried. They thought we- that I- would influence you. That I would fill you with so much of myself that you would have no other choice but to choose the Dark. These tensions have threatened certain agreements between Light and Dark forces. And some of the Dark families are worried that you could make things difficult for them.”
“But that’s not my fault!” I shout, feeling the makings of fresh tears. I blink them away. Hell no, I refuse to cry.
“I know that. We know that. Then Aurora came up with the asinine idea that if she and I were to marry, that it would be enough to placate the Light. My father agreed. Plus he saw this as a good opportunity to join houses; to create a new elite breed of our kind by joining the Skotos and the Órexes.”
I cringe, understanding exactly what Dorian means. Join houses, create a new breed…The Dark King wants them to have children. To spawn a new type of power. I swallow down the quickly rising bile, rejecting the urge to vomit. I will not give that bitch the satisfaction of seeing me sick and depleted.
“Don’t do it,” I croak, shaking my head. “Please. I won’t let you do it.”
Aurora sashays towards us, a disgustingly pleased look on her face. “It’s already done. The deal has been made. And there’s no going back now. Plus, I’ve already started shopping for dresses!”
“Why are you so fucking spiteful?” I snarl, taking a step forward. The room suddenly begins to hum, the floor vibrating under our feet. “You did this purposely to tear us apart! You are so miserable with your own existence, so…pathetic that Dorian doesn’t want you anymore that you had to go pull some backdoor shit like this!”
“Me? Miserable?” Aurora scoffs, holding her left hand to her chest, the gleam of the massive diamond catching in the light. “Why would I be miserable, Gabriella? Dorian is marrying me, not you. He chose me!”
“But you know he doesn’t love you!” I scream.
“Oh really? Well, guess what?” she smiles.
“Aurora! Enough!” Dorian barks.
“He doesn’t love you, either, sweetie.” She pauses for reaction, letting her sickly sweet smile spread even wider, making her look like the Joker in drag. “Aw, don’t look so surprised. It’s not in his nature. You can’t change him, Gabriella.”
“I said enough, Aurora! Shut the fuck up and sit down or I swear I will rip you to shreds!” Dorian commands, his voice taking on its ancient, guttural timbre.
Aurora shrugs and goes to sit on the couch, crossing her legs with an air of satisfaction. Dorian looks back to me with apologetic eyes.
“What is she talking about, Dorian? What is she saying?”
Dorian opens his mouth as if he is trying desperately to relay something, anguish plaguing his beautiful face. An internal battle brews behind his crystal blue eyes.
Aurora sighs from behind him. “His curse,” she calls out.
I walk past him and stalk towards her. “What curse?”
Aurora admires her ring, her eyes never meeting mine. “He was spelled to love you. His father wanted him to know what it felt like to have to kill the woman he loves. Loving you is merely a facet of his punishment,” she giggles. “I mean, really. Why else would he want someone like you? You can’t be that dim.”
I whip back around to Dorian, hoping, praying, for him to dismiss her claims. He just stands there, tortured and defeated.
“I am so sorry, Gabriella. I do love you. I know I do. Don’t listen to her. It isn’t true,” he mutters in a low voice.
“You were spelled to love me? All this,” I wave around the room, “is a lie? A fucking joke?”
Dorian shakes his head, walking towards me and cupping my face. I want to pull away from him so damn bad but his touch feels so good. I crave his contact.
“I don’t believe it; I never have. I know what I feel. No one can tell me differently.” His glossy eyes burn into mine, eagerly trying to make me understand. “I love you. I want only you. And I know that is real.”
“So this is it. You’re getting married.” I break his hold on my face and spin around to jab a finger just inches from Aurora’s perfectly pink pout. “To her!”
“Oh, gag. Get over it,” she says with a wave of her hand. “It’s not like you two could’ve stayed together anyway. He would have never married you even if I didn’t suggest the arrangement. Besides, you could never give him an heir.”
Fury explodes in my veins, my chest heaving out pure wrath with every
breath. My hands ball into tight, hot fists while trembles wrack my frame with a vengeance. Icy cold prickles assault the rims of my eyes before spilling into my irises. The vibrations evolve into a full on quake, every light in the suite flickering violently. Everything not nailed down rattles and shakes causing glasses and knick knacks to fall to the ground.
“Get up! Get the fuck up so I can knock you on your ass! Now! Get up!” I scream taking a step back to give myself more space. She’s right; I could never give Dorian an heir, but it’s none of her damn business.
She giggles again and stands, swinging her dark locks over shoulder. “Is that so? I’d love to see that.” Her hands are suddenly engulfed with a dark red haze at her sides, though her stupid grin doesn’t falter.
“Aurora, step away,” Dorian commands, standing between us. He places his hands on my shoulders in an attempt to soothe me but instantly cringes and recoils as if he’s been shocked with an unseen current. “Gabriella, calm down. Please calm down, little girl,” he coos.
“Get out of my way, Dorian,” I mutter through clenched teeth. The violent shudders coursing through my body make it an almost impossible feat.
“Oh, please! What did you expect?” Aurora chortles from behind him. “Dorian is a prince. He could never truly be with you. And you…you are an abomination. An inbreed. Your own father wasn’t even a pure blood royal. You aren’t worthy of him!”
Glass and mirrors shatter as bright auburn flames ignite from my fingertips, engulfing my hands and forearms. And though my eyes are locked tight on Aurora, looking past Dorian’s blinding beauty, I know they are there. I can feel them. I can feel the power blazing bright and hot surrounding me. And it feels amazing.