ARAWN
“You cannot hide forever.”
I tsk as Elinor storms into one of the separate sitting rooms of the venue, catching me sipping an expensive brandy. “Watch me!”
“Ah, Mr. Rodberg!” She scolds me as she scurries through the room, ripping open the curtains to open a window. “You shouldn’t act so childishly and disappear from your own party. It doesn’t behoove a man of your status.”
Scoffing, I spread my arms theatrically. “And you shouldn’t go around disrupting conversations. And yet here we are.”
The feeble light of the lanterns outside streams into the room, pulling it out of its darkness.
“Man of my status,” I add in a murmur, taking another sip.
“Yeah, yeah.” She says, moving to clear the table in front of me, putting my brandy away under my protest. “You can go on acting like a spoilt, sulking child, but someone had to do something. You will end up losing her to that sunny boy. Do you know what he works with?”
I groan as she stops to stand before me, lifting her finger, reprimanding me. “Diamonds.”
“Diamonds!” She repeats in a high-pitched voice before putting her hands against her waist. “Every girl’s best friend.”
Passing the low table, she slaps my legs, making me take my feet off it. “You are already behind in so many things compared to that young man, but the moment one of his diamond necklaces touches her slender neck, it is over for you. Over.”
I snort, emptying my glass in one go. “I can’t lose her. I have never possessed her, and she has no interest in being my possession. And I don’t see why I should care. I have no interest in that woman whatsoever.”
“Ah, fiddlesticks. You can lie to me, but not to yourself. Move your ass out of your seat before it’s too late.”
Erupting into laughter, I finally get her to smile. “Okay. Okay. I’ll move, but seriously. She made it very clear that she wants to be left alone, so let’s grant her this wish.”
“Ha! Would be the first time you respect anyone’s wishes.” Her giggle reaches me, even if she is already out of the door. “I didn’t realize she was that special.”
***
Nerthus is the first thing my gaze falls on as I enter the hall.
I don’t know if I did it voluntarily or not, but I’m surely having a hard time keeping myself from clenching my jaw as I watch Owen and her talking with each other while leaning close.
They seem to be in such an effortless harmony with each other that it actually makes my chest squeeze.
She even has her hand on his chest, constantly playing with his shirt or lapel, and it takes me everything not to walk up to him and take him out.
I shake my head instinctively as the thought of her never having acted so comfortably around me passes my mind.
You wanted her to be your whore, and she acted like it.
My negative thought gets replaced by the picture of her laughing while pressing her glass of champagne to her lips.
Right, there was that night.
I’m such an idiot.
It takes me forever to reach my table as I have to talk to an insane number of guests.
I hate those kind of gatherings, but Elinor is right, someone of my status has to host them once in a while.
Also, I should have the most beautiful woman sitting next to me, but life is rarely fair.
Sitting down between two of my oldest business partners, I look past the waiter filling my glass, finding Nerthus sitting perfectly in my line of sight.
This must be Elinor’s doing.
Just as I am about to feel rage because of Owen playing with the strap of her dress, sliding onto her back with his fingers along it, I see them jerk up.
I have to push down my barking laugh as Harvey sits down next to her with Emily, involving them in a lively conversation immediately.
Making a mental note to myself about giving Elinor a well-deserved raise, I take a sip of my wine, making sure to remember something else.
I’ll punish her for letting him touch her this much.
***
Time seems to move at a snail’s pace as I get through the evening by pushing down the urge to bang the head against the table of everyone who gets me to move my gaze off her by trying to engage in a conversation.
Nerthus must be feeling my eyes on her as she seems to do everything to avoid looking back at me.
But luckily, she fails often.
Even if all I get is a glare, I feel some malicious joy at her harmonic flirting being interrupted.
Before the dinner started being served, I had written her a text, making sure she saw me on the phone.
‘Did you fuck him already?’
She must have seen me and perceived the incoming text on her phone as she shook her head slightly while gracing me with yet another death glare.
Laughing, I enjoy seeing her touch her little purse every other second, her subconscious wanting to take out the phone to check my message.
But she keeps her phone in her handbag and her eyes on Owen, making my rage grow.
As Owen finally gets involved in a conversation with a guy who neared him to talk to him, she finally takes out her phone.
Her shoulders slump before she moves her hair behind her ear and starts typing.
My heart accelerates until the point where I finally get her text, making it stop.
‘Who is this?’
I grin widely as I look up to find her staring at me defiantly. Shaking my head, I decide not to write anything back to see if she will answer my question.
It takes a bit, but she finally gives in, also because she must be fearing Owen’s return soon, as she keeps staring up at him talking to his friend.
Fortunately, he is a man of many words.
She sends the text and puts her phone back into her purse before leaning her head onto her hand to listen to Harvey and Emily, who just got her attention back on them.
Checking my phone, I see a text I would never have thought I would get. My mood drops rapidly, as I get the confirmation not to stop fighting to get her back.
And makes me feel like an even bigger idiot.
‘Why didn’t you ask me to accompany you to this if you wanted me back to work for you?’
As if stung by an adder, I turn my phone onto its screen, my thoughts running wildly.
Fuck.
This is the moment from which every conversation just becomes useless. I can’t seem to be able to hold onto a reasonable thought as I try to follow the conversations at my table.
“Paris is just lovely every time of the year.” My head counsel gushes, and her husband agrees with her.
Paris. Right, she had just been there over Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving.
Does this mean she would have stood up Owen to be with me?
“Ah, I honestly don’t fancy France as much. I prefer Italy way more for a swift hop to Europe.” The man on my left says, getting me to raise my eyes to him. “Don’t you have family in Italy, Arawn?”
Would she have rejected all this lovey-dovey to have another fight with me?
I jerk up as I remember having heard my name. “Huh? Ah, yeah. Sicily.”
Cause all we do is fuck and fight.
And every time we part ways, she looks like I just made her go through a new low.
It makes me sick.
“Oh, Sicily is just one of the most beautiful places. I will ask you for travel tips soon.” Another man says, getting the others to chuckle.
But my brain is fogged with a dark cloud, and as I finally look at her table, I see that Emily and Harvey have changed places. The two women are talking with each other with their gazes lowered to something Nerthus seems to be braiding.
And Owen is gone.
Getting up, I get the people sitting at my table looking at me curiously. I throw my napkin onto the chair and murmur, “Sure, be my guest.”
I leave the hall with fast steps, looking for the bastard.
Checking the washrooms, I find him already about to wash his hands.
Thank God, that would have been a little awkward otherwise.
“Oh, hey, Arawn. Are you alright?” He asks me as he takes a tissue out of the dispenser.
Ah, right. He is of the attentive kind.
Dumbass.
I take a quick look around to make sure that we are alone as I clear my throat. “Listen, can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure,” he answers while drying his hands. “Is it about business?”
He laughs as I shake my head. “Ah, I could have guessed.”
“Come on. I’ll offer you an exquisite drop of brandy.” I say, opening the door.