Page 15 of Deceptive Union
“You have to. This is Nina’s big day. Now, come on.” She grabs Anna’s hand before Anna can bolt back to her room, and together, we leave the condo. The moment the door shuts behind me, I know my life is about to change. I’ll be marrying a man who’s still a stranger in so many ways. The only consolation is that Antonio seems genuinely kind.
And yet, he’s working with my father. How kind of a man can he really be if he’s getting into bed with the devil?
Anna sulks the entire way to the church. We’re seated in the backseat of the town car. My father insists we have a driver take us everywhere because it’s not proper for women to drive. Or so he believes.
“Nina?” Mom says in a quiet voice. She glances over at Anna, who sighs and rests her head against the window, trying to ignore us. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Yes?”
“You do know what’s going to happen tonight, don’t you?”
I frown. “The wedding?”
Her cheeks flush as she ducks her head. “No. I mean …tonight.”
“Oh.” It dawns on me then what she’s really trying to get at. I give her hand a squeeze. “It’s ok, Mom. They taught us all about that in school.” When my father found out, though, he was livid. He doesn’t believe in sex education at an all-girl’s school. “I know the basics.”
She relaxes a little bit. “Good, good. I just want you to be prepared. On my wedding night with your father …” She shakes her head, turning her head away from me. “It wasn’t what I expected. So, if your husband is … rough with you … that’s just how men show their affection.”
“Rough?” Sex education at my school didn’t cover that. I was never allowed to look up porn or read erotica. My father would have killed me. I know enough about sex but not everything. “It’s supposed to be rough?”
“It will hurt,” she says bluntly. “You probably won’t enjoy it. Be prepared for that. But it’s your duty, and you need to perform your duty.”
“What duty?” Anna asks. “What will hurt?”
“Anna, shush,” Mom says. “This conversation isn’t for you. Go back to looking out the window.” Anna sighs but does what she’s told. Mom turns back to me. “Do you understand, Nina?”
“I understand,” I whisper. “I’ll do my duty even if …” Even if it hurts.
We arrive at the church, now with me even more nervous than I was before. Mom gets out behind me and reaches into her purse. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her pop something into her mouth. More of her pills.
I don’t say anything. If I did, it would just be the same thing I’ve said to her a million times before.
Father is waiting on the top step outside the church, towering over us.
He looks me over and nods as if I’ve passed his unspoken test. “You look like a bride. Antonio is waiting inside. Shall we?” He holds out his arm to me, and I take it.
Anna is walking up the steps when she trips, landing hard on her knee. I start to move toward her when Father stops me.
“Anna!” he scolds, walking over to her and yanking her up. She lets out a small cry. “Learn how to walk like a lady.” He lets her go with a scoff before turning back to me. “Come on.”
Anna’s knee is now bleeding. Mom doesn’t seem to notice; her eyes are already glazing over. Her medicine works fast.
I try again to walk toward Anna, but Father grabs my hand and whisks me inside the church. “But Anna—”
“Will be fine,” he finishes. “It’s time for you to get married.”
The church is practically empty. There’s no one in the pews. The only people in the church are the priest and Antonio standing on the dais. My mom and sister are behind me, and my father is next to me. I wonder why Antonio’s family couldn’t be here. I know a little—that he wants to regain control of his family business. That his uncle is the one with all the power. But that doesn’t explain why his family couldn’t be here. Does his uncle have that much power over them that they couldn’t come? Or do they just not care about Antonio?
My sympathy for Antonio grows. If he’s alone—and I know what it feels like to be alone—then maybe he really will treat me right. I hope we’re compatible. It would make this marriage easier.
Antonio smiles as I walk down the aisle. My father’s hand is tight on my arm, and I have to resist the urge to grimace. I can’t help but smile back as Antonio looks at me the way he does—like I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid eyes on.
Once I reach the end, my father hands me over to Antonio and takes his seat in the pew with my mom and sister. My footsteps echo on the wood as I take my place before Antonio.
“We are gathered here today …” the priest begins.
Antonio takes up my entire field of vision. He’s handsome personified in his suit, his sandy hair slicked back, showing off his strong jaw and cheekbones. His eyes are warm, and his touch on my hand is a comfort. When I look into his eyes, all I can feel is safety. How can a man who seems so sweet work with my father? I don’t understand it, but it’s not my job, as a woman or a wife, to understand it. My father instilled that in me.