Page 29 of Vow of Obsession
The flame of jealousy burns inside of me. It’s always there when it comes to Tova. Even watching her smile at her father stokes the flame. It could be the flowers she’s stroking or the bite of cake she moans around as she eats.
I envy them all.
Chapter Fifteen
TOVA
“Your dress is beautiful.” Cosima takes Warren’s empty chair next to me. He’s greeting and talking to guests. It stung that he hadn’t asked me to join him. Does he not want to introduce me to them? Is he embarrassed?
“Thanks.” I give her a smile. “Yours is beautiful too.” Cosima has on a deep purple dress that hugs her curves. With her blonde hair, every color works on her.
“This old thing.” She playfully bats her lashes as she snags Warren’s glass of champagne that has been left untouched since it was poured. I lost count of how many I’ve had at this point. “Z told me it was ugly.”
“Really?” Z, out of all the Marino males, tends to be fairly nice. He doesn't have that grumpy scowl that I’m pretty sure is inherited. I glance down at him and see that he is, in fact, scowling at Cosima. “He’s protective?”
“He’s something all right.” She rolls her eyes, taking a sip of the champagne. I do the same, sinking back into my chair. “So you two finally tied the knot.”
“Finally?” What is she talking about? This was the world's quickest engagement. Cosima shrugs.
"The way he watches you." A whimsical expression falls across her face. This isn't a fairy tale. She knows that better than me. My father has always been a part of this world, but we lived on the outside edge of it. It's only these past few years I've gotten a real understanding of the power the Marino family has.
"You think he watches me?" I search War out in the room. When my eyes land on him, he is staring right at me. His father is next to him with two other men in suits, all talking, but he doesn’t give them his eyes. He’s fully focused on me.
"It's not just the watching. It'showhe watches you."
"It's possessive," I add.
"Reallypossessive. It's interesting. I mean, sure, my brother can be territorial, but this is different."
There's that word again. Different. If only I knew exactly what that means when it comes to War and me.
A server comes by, filling our glasses again. Cosima doesn’t get a chance to take another drink because Z is there taking the glass from her.
“Hey!” she huffs, jumping to her feet. Cosima teeters in her heels. She has to be tipsy because I’ve seen her rock heels by the freaking pool before like it was nothing.
“You’ve had enough.”
“I can drink if I want.”
“You’re not in Europe, so no, you can’t,” he fires back at her. Z is pissed. What has him all riled up? It can’t really be Cosima drinking, can it?
“Oh, because all of a sudden we are a law-abiding family?” Cosima throws her head back and laughs. It only pisses Z off more.
“You’re done for the night.” He grabs her arm.
“You’re not the boss of me!” Cosima fires back at him. My eyes bounce between the two of them. Cosima can be feisty at times, but this is different.
“You have no idea.” He tugs her along. She appears to reluctantly go with him, but when she peeks over her shoulder at me, she gives me a wicked look, letting me know she was poking at Z on purpose. At least that was entertaining. I pick up my glass and finish it off.
When I search the room again for Warren, I see he is now talking to an older lady and two girls a bit older than me.
“I’ll just sit here all alone,” I mutter to myself. Or I won’t. Who says I have to stay here? I can do things. What things? I’m not sure, but there has to be something. When I glance back across the room and Warren is still in conversation, his eyes not on me, I know this is my chance.
It’s childish, I know, but I also know he’ll be all pissy when he can’t find me. He’ll stalk me down. Why did last night piss me off, but right now it sounds rather fun?
“Whoa,” I whisper to myself when I stand. I am a tad unsteady on my feet, but I don’t have heels on. My dress hides that I’m wearing a pair of flats.
“Mrs. Marino, is there something you need?” a man dressed in an all-black suit asks.
