He grips me under my arms so I don’t collapse. I think I’m blinking. My vision goes white.
“You okay?” he whispers, like he actually cares. “I got you. Hang on to me.”
As if he’s talking straight to my subconscious, it’s all I can do. I cling to the man beside me, hoping that I don’t fall. Hoping I don’t fall in love. Hoping I can escape.
With my dignity, but mainly, my life.
twenty-one
“My wife.”A tiny whisper leaves her parted lips.
She’s stolen my air straight from my lungs. Just being this close to such a gorgeous creature has my pulse pounding everywhere.Everywhere.
When the ushers opened the doors at the back of the cathedral, I thought a piece of me died as she floated down the aisle. The part of me that looked out for myself…it goes quiet. There’s only one focus left now.
Us.
“Yeah?” I manage to ask, cutting into my steak. The food is good. Everything here is good. Too good. The president’s reception feels like something I wandered into by accident.
They’ve put us up in a fancy hotel in downtown Northview for the night, too.
“You said, ‘my wife.’” She chokes on a gulp of wine, and I blink back a worried stare.
If she’s drunk, we can’t do what we need to do tonight.
Her hand shakes as she pours anotherglass, and I place mine over hers. Not as a warning, but just to soothe her. She looks at me like she’s deciding whether to bite. I help by pouring a splash into her cup and a little into my own.
“Because that’s what you are now. Is the word offensive to you?”
“I-I’m just not used to hearing it. It’s weird.”
I inhale a steely deep breath. When her eyes are on me, I can’t concentrate. The blue is too deep. It’s as if she sees every flaw I have and is about to make fun of it in some way. If I didn’t feel like I was enough before, sitting beside her as herhusbandcertainly makes me feel inept.
Before she can pick up her glass again, I grab her knees and swivel her to the side, so her legs are perched between mine.
“I know this is weird. And that you’re scared.” It’s unsettling to look at her. Especially as she gazes at me with a mixture of something like contempt and fear. “You don’t know me that well yet. But I’ll tell you right now, Scout, I’ll take care of you. I’ll work hard at this marriage. I will. I don’t do things on whims or make spontaneous decisions. The tests said we’re a good match, and I believe them.”
She shakes her head, dropping her gaze to her lap. I tilt her chin up.
“They didn’t give me a list.” I continue. “They didn’t ask who I wanted. They just told me who I’d protect.”
Her eyes crystallize in front of me. “I’m notscared. I’mterrified.And I don’tneedyou to take care of me. I can do that myself. I’m known for it. I also don’t make decisions on whims. I don’t even remember taking some personality profile for them to use against me.” Narrowing her gaze, shewhispers harshly, “And they put a fuckingtrackeron my wrist.”
I glance at the silver band flashing her heart rate. It’s going faster and higher. “I don’t think it’s tracking your movements. Just yourhealth.”
“If you believe that, then you’re naive andnotsomeone who cantake care of me.”
She faces the room with reddened cheeks and forks a bite of salad as if she’s stabbing someone in the back.
I study everyone filling the president’s hall. My parents and brothers and sisters-in-law. Nephews, nieces. The university staff and my friends.Deltas. They look happy. In a jovial mood. Even herOmegasisters seem entertained.
But not her parents.
Her oldest brother keeps throwing me daggers as if he’s already slit my throat a thousand times in his head. Fortunately, her youngest brother looks calm. Maybe freakishly so, but it’s better than the rage igniting Landon Turner’s eyes.
“We’re mainly on campus anyway, so I don’t think it quite matters if theyweretracking your location?—”
Her chest rises rapidly as she slowly turns to confront me. “Are you serious?”
