As I stood, hiding, in the kitchen, orders from different chefs and cooks flooded my mind.
I didn’t really want to hide in my room. Mom would be pissed if I did that. It’s my sisters wedding after all.
So I stayed in the kitchen, acting like I was helping, when in reality I didn’t know how to cook for shit.
I stood out of everyones way. Sometimes I had to occasionally step aside, but I chose my spot wisely after looking where everyone goes the least.
Watching all of the servers head in and out of the kitchen, I spot Arina walking in. She gave a satisfied smile when she saw me.
“Hey.” She called out when she was a few steps away from me.
I nod back in greeting.
“Why aren’t you out there? Moms getting suspicious.” She crosses her arms over her chest.
“I think you know why.” I sigh back.
Arina narrows her dark brown eyes. “I don’t want my assumptions to be false.”
I look out the kitchen window, out where everyone is either laughing or dancing with each other. I spot Ansaldo talking to a few pack members, a champagne glass in his hand. Everyone seems to like him.
I’m not sure how to feel about that.
I look back to Arina. “I don’t want to be around Ansaldo. There.”
My older sister nods. “So I assumed correct.”
I roll my eyes.
“Listen, I know you’ll hate me for this, but you need to get back out there. You’ve been in this place for hours.” She explains.
I look down at my shoes.
She wraps one arm around my shoulders. “You’ll be fine. Everything will be okay.” Arina assures me.
I look at her, and bite my lip. “If things go wrong it’s your fault.” I point my finger at her.
She hums. “Mm, no. I don’t think it will.”
I shrug her arm off my shoulders, and she gently, get firmly, leads me out of the kitchen and into the social scene that I was dreading.
I already felt his eyes on me. I tried to ignore the anxious feeling forming in the pit of my stomach.
“There you guys are! Especially you Liam.” Mom came up to me, an identical Champaign glass to Ansaldos in his hand.
“Sorry, just helping around in the kitchen.” I lied. Well, I half lied.
Arina snorted.
I kicked her foot.
“Well whether you were helping or not, you should’ve been out here. It’s your sisters wedding for goddesses sake, Liam.” Mom scolds.
I just nod. “Alright. Anything else you have to get out?”
This catches him off guard. I never back talk him.
“Go sit with everyone. At least try to be happy for a few more hours.” He takes me from Arina and leads me to a table where the main families were sitting.
Kay and Hannah still sat at the table, with most of Hannah’s family. My family was off doing other things.
I don’t know why I have to sit down and do nothing when they’re doing other things.
Kay and Hannah already did the whole ‘first dance as a married couple‘ thing, and now people were able to enjoy themselves on the dance floor.
I put my head in one of my hands and watched everyone, eventually having my mind wander off to really random and unimportant things.
I didn’t notice the song changing to a slow one until I heard a growl.
I snap out of my headspace, and see Ansaldo standing over another man, close to me.
I quickly get up and rush to interfere between the two.
“What the hell, Ansaldo?” I pull him back from the man who looked like he has just seen a ghost.
“He was going to dance with you.” He threateningly growls, obviously directed towards the other guy.
“So? I could’ve easily said no. Now don’t growl at any more pack members.” I snap at him.
His eyes travel back down to mine, and he doesn’t argue.
My dad passes by us, and he stops when he sees us just standing.
“Why are you guys not dancing?” He puts his hands on his hips.
“Because this idiot decided to growl at a pack member instead.” I point at my mate.
Dad just rolls his eyes and pushes me and Ansaldo together. “I don’t care, go dance.”
I scowl and Ansaldo smiles in delight.
Ansaldo tries to lead me out to dance, but I refuse to move from my spot. He just shakes his head before picking me up bridal style.
“Hey! What the hell?” I kick and squirm, but his grip doesn’t loosen.
“Can you just try to have a few minutes with me where you aren’t trying to rip my head off?” He requests.
I glare at him.
He might put me down though if I agree. And if I stay in his arms any longer I’ll probably loose my mind.
I reluctantly agree, and he puts me down. Before I even have the chance to get away, though, he keeps ahold of my wrist and pulls me in to a dancing position…if that’s what you even call it?
“Why are you even here?” I ask.
“I came to try and talk things out.” Ansaldo simply said.
“You already said at the airport that what Elizabeth said was true.” I pointed out.
He hesitated, but nodded nonetheless. “I want to be honest, from now on, and especially to you. Elizabeth is a lot of things, but one thing she is not is a liar.”
“So you really rejected her? You really tried to kill her? You really lied to me about the letters?” I tried to maintain being somewhat calm.
He almost shamefully nodded. “I even kept some of the letters.” His voice goes quiet.
That hit hard. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “Do you have them? Here?” I open my eyes and look at him again.
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry.”
I yank my hands from his, and run them through my hair. I look around, and everything is suddenly so overwhelming.
The lights blurring, music blaring loudly, people getting to close to each other and to me.
He really did reject someone. He really did burn letters from Kyle, even keeping some of them. Elizabeth didn’t lie. Everything she said was true, and Ansaldo confirmed it all.
“Leave.” I muttered.
“What?” Ansaldo asked, probably because he couldn’t hear me.
“Leave,” I said louder. His face fell. “I don’t want you to be here. I left to be alone. Not for you to follow me.” I take a step away from him.
“Liam-“
“What do you not understand when I say ‘leave‘ Ansaldo? I don’t want to see you. Or talk to you, or just even be around you.” I felt my face get wet with tears.
My mark burned madly when I said that, but it’s pain did not even compare to what I felt emotionally. Vessel whined, but agreed with me.
Ansaldo didn’t respond, or really move. He looked heartbroken.
He barely nods, and walks off the floor and into the pack house.
I watch him do so, and breakdown even more with each second.
I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I jump back, facing Kyle and Easton.
“We just saw everything. Are you alright?” Easton gently asks.
I scowl. “Does it fucking look like I’m alright?”
Easton takes a step back, behind Kyle, aware of my hostility.
“Do me a favor. Stop acting all kind and sweet when you could easily care less. Both of you, stay away from me.” I shout out of frustration.
Kyle and Easton look around, and I am suddenly aware that everyone has stopped dancing, and has their eyes on me.
I see my parents out of the corner of my eye, looking more concerned then ever. I shake my head at them and wipe my face.
I walk off the floor and into the pack house, where I quickly went to lock myself in my room for the rest of the night.
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