Chapter 16: First Experience
First Experience
I was about to take a step away from where I was standing, I felt a tug on my arm and when I turned around, my mom was boring her eyes into mine, and shaking her head sideways.
“Don’t do it.” She muttered to me. “It’s your wedding party, you can’t let Rayne see a confrontation between you and them.”
She was right. Now that I’m married, certain things are going to change. But I never knew so much would change in the space of a few months.
I took in deep breaths of calmness then strolled towards the men in suits.
“Eric!” The poised dark-haired man in their midst called out to me. “There you are.” My father, Mr. Lawn said when he noticed me approaching. Then he turned to the men he had been speaking with and excused himself. As I walked away with him, Salvatore Ferragamo, one of the men narrowed his eyes at me in a death stare.
We strolled out of the large hall to the balcony.
“You didn’t tell us about your intentions of getting married.” He said after a long silence that had settled between us.
“I never planned to.”
I saw him nod from my side of view. “It’s a good thing you chose to get married despite the current relationship your mother and I have.” He started, but I wasn’t interested.
“Why was Louis Salvatore here?”
“I haven’t met your wife yet. Won’t you introduce your wife to your father?”
“Stop trying to duck my questions.”
“We should go inside, a gentleman never leaves his woman alone amid people whom she isn’t familiar with.”
“If only you would learn to take your own advice, then your marriage wouldn’t be on the edge right now. What was the Don doing at our family house?” I demanded.
Mr. Lawn stopped in his tracks. Slowly, he turned to me…
“They are here for business.”
“Business?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Do you ever learn from your mistakes?
“Watch your tongue Eric, I’m still your father.”
“I don’t go by your name anymore.” I turned around and started back for the hall, but I stopped before nearing the balcony’s door.
“Don’t make the mistake of pointing my wife to them. She shouldn’t get involved in any mess your stubbornness might amount to.”
RAYNE’S POV
I looked around for Eric, but he was nowhere to be found. The party was great and his family was nice to me, but I felt exhausted and overwhelmed with the whole event like I didn’t fit in there. I wanted to take a long dip in a pool of water with my eyes shut. Thankfully, there was a jacuzzi in the room Eric had given me.
“I’m going to get food, would you mind coming with me?” Jessica asked me and I obliged. I could use the opportunity to get away and catch some air. But as soon as we started walking, a strong arm snatched my hand from Jessica’s. I turned abruptly and saw Eric standing next to me. His expression was plain, but his tone was a tease as he said…
“It’s time to go home, wife.”
“You’re leaving already?” Jessica asked him.
“Yes!” He said plainly and pulled me gently along with him but before we could take a step away, his mother, grandmother, and Elaina were already hurrying toward us.
“Eric son. Are you both leaving already?”
“Yes, the model is coming with us as well.”
I glanced at Elaina, she looked as confused as I was. Eric then leaned into his mother and whispered something into her ear. Her expression went numb for a minute but disappeared the next.
“Do you understand me?” Eric asked calmly and immediately she nodded, he swept me off my feet, and with long strides, he walked through the crowd. Embarrassed, I covered my face with my palms and only removed them when he had put me down into the car.
All through the ride back to his house, I could only think of all that had played out during our last few minutes there. Why did he suddenly say we were leaving after he returned from talking to that man he had left with, and the way he had grabbed my hand from Jessica’s… Plus, that look on his mother’s face before we left, what had he told her to make her bright face turn that shade of pale?
I stared ahead and through the side mirror, on the asphalt road, a black Rolls-Royce followed closely with ours. It was relieving to know that I would be having company in the house. Although it was only going to be for a few days, it was the best news I had received in four days.
It was strange to watch how a person’s life could transform in a short period. And it was especially frightening to watch how my own life transformed uncomfortably, rapidly under my watch. The change had barely even begun. There’d come a massive change in this life of mine that would navigate me into a version of myself yet unknown. But, whether these changes would be good or bad, was unknown at the time. I glanced at the man sitting next to me. He had his eyes shut and his head resting on the leather headrest of the seat. He was going to protect me many times, and I was going to grow to care for him but I didn’t know at the time.
I found myself staring at him, studying his face even. He didn’t look like he was having a peaceful rest. His brows were dragged together in a frown and his long lashes danced so many times. For a brief minute, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in his head, and why he was restless. And if it had something to do with whatever had transpired with him earlier before we left his family’s Villa.
“Do you have plans of sucking away my beauty with your eyes, Wife?” His voice, deep and throaty, broke into my thoughts and my eyes went wide with shock. I quickly turned away in embarrassment and he chuckled.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
But, in the next minute, like a lightning bolt, his voice broke into a scream.
“Rayne, dock!”
My head collided with something and I felt myself blur out.