Page 56 of Florian's Bride
And isn’t it humiliating how readily I accept his scraps when my parents raised me to accept nothing but a feast?
The thought serves akin to cold water pouring on me from above and I jerk in his hold, scooting backward as he frowns. “What are you doing, Elena? Come back here.” My middle name sounds odd on his lips, almost as if he’s mocking it, but I don’t have time to dwell on it much.
I have to get out of here.
I quickly grab my dress from the floor and put it on, ignoring the ripped panties, and slip into my heels. “Thank you for this,” I say, zipping up. “But this was a mistake. It won’t ever happen again.”
He gets up as well, adjusting his pants and shirt while his eyes blaze with fury. “And why is that?”
“Because it was a one-time thing. A temporary insanity and nothing more.” I hop on my one leg, trying to put my heels on properly when my wig falls to the floor, freezing everything around me.
Our gazes connect and he moves closer to me while I stand still, too scared to make a move because he knows the truth know.
He reaches me in three short strides and rips my mask away, leaving me with no armor to protect myself from his fury. “Jimena.”
The traitorous part in me…is happy he knows it’s me and not some random woman. He might have rejected me all this time, but he found pleasure with me. He can never take that away from me.
We stare at one another for what seems like forever and it finally becomes too much for me because I spin around and run away from him.
My whole life, everyone told me about my parents’ love story.
How my dad fell in love with my mom from the first glance and chased her all over New York until he brought her to Chicago and she finally accepted him. He made it his life’s mission to be with her and broke through all her walls.
She once said that no matter how many times she ran away or tried to control her feelings, she couldn’t do it because Dad was right there, bulldozing through all her protests.
Florian doesn’t chase me, though.
He doesn’t call my name.
He does nothing to stop me.
And this breaks my heart more than I could have imagined.
CHAPTER TEN
“Unrequited love is a weapon.
I just never expected him to use it against me.
How foolish.
For monsters feed on your pain.
As it sustains their dark and cruel souls.”
Jimena
From Jimena’s emails to Florian…
Hi Florian!
I’m fifteen years old, and it’s been almost a year since I joined the boarding school.
I love everything about it even though I miss home like crazy, but still.
To have this freedom while experiencing the best education in the world?
Nothing compares to it.