let Diane bother me but she did. I just wanted to be accepted and loved. I never received that from my own parents. It was missing.
“Dance with me.”
I flinched and almost spilled my water. I didn’t even notice Sean was there. “No, thank you.” I kept my face away from his sight. I didn’t want him to know how upset I was.
“Come on. We haven’t spoken once. We need to act like we’re actually married in front of these people.”
“You sound like your mother,” I snapped. “Image is everything.”
He sighed. I could hear the frustration in his voice. “Scarlet, just dance with me.”
“No.” I acted like I was fascinated by the collection of wines and booze.
He grabbed my arm and forced me to face him. When he saw my face, his eyes softened. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
I pulled away. “Nothing.”
He hooked his arm around my waist. “You’re about to cry. I can see it.”
“I hate your fucking mother.” I’ve never sounded so cold. I felt like a bitch saying it, but it’s how I felt.
“I hate her too.” He said it with a straight face. “I’m just putting on a show so all our employees think we’re a happy family. Believe me. I’m not okay with the way she’s treating you. I’ll never be okay with it.”
I stared at his chest, unable to meet his gaze.
“Now I want to dance with you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“When you look hot like that, I do.”
I crossed my arms over my chest.
He hooked his arm around my waist then pulled me close to him. I didn’t feel like fighting right now. I gave in and let him hold me. His other hand moved up and down my back, relaxing me. I closed my eyes and tried to forget about all the noise in the room.
Sean pulled me to the dance floor. His hand moved around my waist and the other held my hand in his. He swayed me back and forth, pressing his face to mine. He looked so handsome in his suit. I knew we were both trying to antagonize the other with our sex appeal. He kissed my forehead and continued to dance with me. I wasn’t sure if it was an act or he really just wanted to kiss me. When the song was over, he looked at me.
“Feel better?”
“A little.”
Diane approached us, a glare on her face. “We’re still missing the other half of the check we gave your mother.”
Seriously? She was going to do this now? I was extremely close to punching her right in the nose then again in the mouth.
Sean was angry too. “If you want me to act like I actually like you, I suggest you don’t harass my wife. I will embarrass you so quickly. Don’t fuck with me.”
Her eyes widened at his words then she stormed off.
Could this week get any worse? The stress was killing me. “I’m going home.”
“The gala isn’t over yet.”
“I don’t give a shit.” I pulled away from him then headed to the door. I’d take a cab home if I had to. I wasn’t going to stand in there with the Prestons and pretend I was one of them.
Sean ran after me then grabbed my arm when I was on the sidewalk. “I’ll take you home.”
“I’m fine. Go join your perfect family!” I raised my arm and waved down a cab.
“Don’t you even think about doing it! ” He grabbed my wrist and yanked me back. Then he told the cab to keep going. “I’ll take you home.”
“I don’t want to look at you.”
“I’m not happy with you either.”
Ryan and Cortland came outside when they realized something wasn’t right.
“Everything okay?” Ryan asked timidly.
“ For once, could you just give my wife and I a second?” Sean snapped.
Cortland shifted his weight. “Ryan, let’s go back inside.”
I pushed Sean away from me. “This marriage is a fucking joke. How can I be your wife when your family doesn’t even like me? I’m a damn embarrassment to all of you. Let’s just get a divorce.”
Sean stilled and his eyes widened.
Cortland gasped, and Ryan ran his fingers through his hair.
The tears poured down my face. I didn’t look at Sean.
“Take
“Dance with me.”
I flinched and almost spilled my water. I didn’t even notice Sean was there. “No, thank you.” I kept my face away from his sight. I didn’t want him to know how upset I was.
“Come on. We haven’t spoken once. We need to act like we’re actually married in front of these people.”
“You sound like your mother,” I snapped. “Image is everything.”
He sighed. I could hear the frustration in his voice. “Scarlet, just dance with me.”
“No.” I acted like I was fascinated by the collection of wines and booze.
He grabbed my arm and forced me to face him. When he saw my face, his eyes softened. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
I pulled away. “Nothing.”
He hooked his arm around my waist. “You’re about to cry. I can see it.”
“I hate your fucking mother.” I’ve never sounded so cold. I felt like a bitch saying it, but it’s how I felt.
“I hate her too.” He said it with a straight face. “I’m just putting on a show so all our employees think we’re a happy family. Believe me. I’m not okay with the way she’s treating you. I’ll never be okay with it.”
I stared at his chest, unable to meet his gaze.
“Now I want to dance with you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“When you look hot like that, I do.”
I crossed my arms over my chest.
He hooked his arm around my waist then pulled me close to him. I didn’t feel like fighting right now. I gave in and let him hold me. His other hand moved up and down my back, relaxing me. I closed my eyes and tried to forget about all the noise in the room.
Sean pulled me to the dance floor. His hand moved around my waist and the other held my hand in his. He swayed me back and forth, pressing his face to mine. He looked so handsome in his suit. I knew we were both trying to antagonize the other with our sex appeal. He kissed my forehead and continued to dance with me. I wasn’t sure if it was an act or he really just wanted to kiss me. When the song was over, he looked at me.
“Feel better?”
“A little.”
Diane approached us, a glare on her face. “We’re still missing the other half of the check we gave your mother.”
Seriously? She was going to do this now? I was extremely close to punching her right in the nose then again in the mouth.
Sean was angry too. “If you want me to act like I actually like you, I suggest you don’t harass my wife. I will embarrass you so quickly. Don’t fuck with me.”
Her eyes widened at his words then she stormed off.
Could this week get any worse? The stress was killing me. “I’m going home.”
“The gala isn’t over yet.”
“I don’t give a shit.” I pulled away from him then headed to the door. I’d take a cab home if I had to. I wasn’t going to stand in there with the Prestons and pretend I was one of them.
Sean ran after me then grabbed my arm when I was on the sidewalk. “I’ll take you home.”
“I’m fine. Go join your perfect family!” I raised my arm and waved down a cab.
“Don’t you even think about doing it! ” He grabbed my wrist and yanked me back. Then he told the cab to keep going. “I’ll take you home.”
“I don’t want to look at you.”
“I’m not happy with you either.”
Ryan and Cortland came outside when they realized something wasn’t right.
“Everything okay?” Ryan asked timidly.
“ For once, could you just give my wife and I a second?” Sean snapped.
Cortland shifted his weight. “Ryan, let’s go back inside.”
I pushed Sean away from me. “This marriage is a fucking joke. How can I be your wife when your family doesn’t even like me? I’m a damn embarrassment to all of you. Let’s just get a divorce.”
Sean stilled and his eyes widened.
Cortland gasped, and Ryan ran his fingers through his hair.
The tears poured down my face. I didn’t look at Sean.
“Take
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