Wildly, I looked around. Matteo straightened, a look of disbelief on his face.
“Sophia is my only daughter, so we needed to make sure the match was someone who would treasure her as much as we do, and I think we have found someone.” My father took a theatrical pause. “A young man we have known for many years. Someone who is a dear friend to us.”
I held my breath. He was talking about Matteo. He had to be. He was the only man who fit the bill.
Across the ballroom, our eyes clashed.
“So I am honoured to welcome Kaleb…”
Kaleb? No. No way.
“To our family, as our newest son.”
A blonde, gangly figure stepped out of the crowd, a wide smile on his face as he wandered toward us. Hands were shaken, congratulations were shared, and all I could do was stand there in complete and utter shock.
“I hope.” Finally, he stepped in front of me. “We can have a happy and…” Kaleb’s hands wrapped themselves around my waist, and his face lowered to mine.
Oh, hell no.
I would not let him kiss me in front of everyone.
Turning my head at the last moment, I felt his wet mouth land on my cheek.
Matteo’s eyes flashed and his lips twisted. There was pain in his eyes, but more than anything, there was anger. He walked away without another look in my direction.
“I’m sure you will.” Sliding between us, my father’s arm came around my shoulders, but he was speaking to Kaleb. “And I look forward to welcoming you to the family. In fact…” Heads together, they began to talk business, which was typical.
Women like me were just there to look pretty and give them babies. Our actual thoughts and feelings never came into it.
Usually, I hated it, but today, it gave me a chance to sneak away unnoticed.
Keeping my head down, I went after Matteo.
“Matteo?” I called out in a shaky voice, and a shadow detached itself from the high wall.
“You shouldn’t be out here, Sophia. Not now that you are engaged.” In the half-light spilling from the windows , he looked like a wild animal. His hands were clenching and unclenching. “Not with me.”
“I didn’t know.” I took a shaky step toward him, and he stepped back with a shake of his head.
“Don’t, Sophia.” Holding a hand out like he didn’t want me to come any closer, he shook his head. “I know you didn’t know, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are going to be married.”
Married. My whole life, I had known that my parents would choose my husband, but part of me, a massive part, had always thought they would choose Matteo.
He was the obvious choice.
He would be my choice.
Not that it mattered what I wanted.
“I don’t want to marry him.” Tears made my voice thick. “I want to be with you.”
For the space of ten agonized seconds, we stared at each other in silence.
“We need to stop seeing each other, Sophia.”
I started. “What? No.” Desperately, I tried to reach for him, and again he stepped away. “I don’t want that, Matteo, I…”
“I don’t want to see you anymore.”
