“It’s your wedding dress. It’s time, Gianna.”
The floor beneath me feels like it’s going to crack open and swallow me whole.
“It’s… time?” she asks.
“We’re to be married today.”
“But… don’t you need a plan in place? I thought you needed more time.”
“Now is the time. It’s the perfect time. You’re going to be mine today and don’t even think about running or I’ll stop you. Now, go put on your wedding dress. I’m taking you to the church where we’ll be married.”
Chapter Eleven
Gianna
The wedding dress isn’t perfect like my last one was. This one is too poofy and the neckline doesn’t sit right and the waist is a little too big. I guess Marco didn’t know my dress size. Unlike Will who guessed it perfectly when he bought me new clothes.
The only good thing about this is dress is that there’s no buttons at the back, making it easy to get it on. But that will only mean it will be easy for Marco to take it off me.
I shudder at the thought. Will’s kiss is haunting my mind. Why did he kiss me at all? And why was it so passionate that it left me breathless?
And why did I kiss him back?
I’ve never been kissed before. Francesca and Enzo protected me so much, they never let me live. But now that I’ve been kissed, I want to experience it again.
And I want it to be Will who does the kissing. It was magical. It was electric. It made me feel alive for the first time in my entire life.
But now I have to marry Marco and I’ll never get my life back. I’ll never be happy again – not that I would have been happy with Will. But at least I got to make the choice to kiss him back. With Marco, I’m not sure I’ll ever get a choice in anything anymore.
I leave the bedroom to find Will and Marco standing in the foyer, waiting for me. Both men look tense, though I’m sure for different reasons. Will wouldn’t have kissed me if he didn’t care for me a little.
Unless he hates me that much that he kissed me, gave me hope, and is going to take it away from me again.
Marco looks nervous because he knows there’s a chance my brother could find him again and stop the wedding from happening once more. God, I hope that happens. I need Enzo to save me.
Except, if my brother does find me, he’ll only marry me to Nico and I don’t want that either.
“The dress isn’t perfect,” Marco comments. “But it will have to do. Come along. Will, you too.”
Will only nods without a word. He’s more like a statue than an actual human being. Of course Will isn’t a human. If he were, he would have let me go by now.
Marco takes my arm and leads me out of the house. I only feel numb. There’s no way out of this. No way I’m making it back to my family. No way I’m ever finding my own freedom. This has been my destiny since the beginning: to be controlled by a man. I have to come to terms with it. Everything will be easier if I do.
Will drives us to the church where Marco is going to marry me. Marco sits right beside me in the back seat, almost like he’s afraid I’ll jump from the car and he’s doing everything in his power to prevent that from happening.
The car ride is quiet. Will keeps flicking his eyes to mine in the rearview mirror but every time he does it, I look away. He doesn’t get to kiss me and then hand me over to Marco. I will not be played with.
The last thing I can be feeling right now is a wanting desire for Will.
We arrive at the church. Marco is the only one smiling. I feel like I am going to die a little inside.
The church is empty except for a priest at the end of the aisle. It’s the same one from before, I realize. Marco must have paid him off to marry us without any questions. Unfortunately, this isn’t the same church as before and I’m not sure Enzo is going to get to me in time.
“Do you have a witness?” the priest asks.
Marco nods at Will, who stands still and silent with his jaw clenched. I turn away from Will. He is not worth my time.
Marco tucks my arm under his. “It’s time, Father. Get on with the ceremony.”
