NO.
NO, I will not marry you.
NO. I would ratherdiethan marry you.
Over my dead body, will I marry you.
But I’m in complete shock.
Hundreds of eyes are on me, waiting with bated breath for me to accept a proposal from a man who, to everyone in the room, is a saint.
Little do they know I loathe him with every fiber of my being.
August’s eyes narrow so slightly, I almost think I imagined it. Then, he’s taking the ring from the box and sliding it on my ring finger.
“She said yes!” he shouts, rising to his feet.
I said nothing.
He lifts my hand into the air triumphantly, pulling me into a tight embrace.
Why didn’t I say no? Why couldn’t the words form?
Behind him, I can see my parents both looking completely elated, my mom bouncing excitedly as much as she possibly can in her stilettos.
“I know who’s behind the Phantom mask, Vinnie.”
Sly.
“Your secret is safe with me, fiancée. For now,” August whispers as he presses a kiss against my head. “By the way, I received yourentirefamily's blessing.”
As he tells me that, my eyes connect with Joseph’s. Alook of sick satisfaction is etched into his smirk as he watches the spectacle his best friend is putting on.
For whatever reason, it snaps me back to reality, and I step back from August’s hold.
Frantically, I whisk through the crowd, searching every face for the Phantom mask. Fear locks itself into every piece of me the more people I push past, not seeing him anywhere.
“Vinnie,” I hear someone say my name, but I’m too tunneled to pay it any mind, walking around the edge of where everyone is congregated, congratulating August.
It’s interesting how no one tries to congratulate me. Perhaps my performance has stalled and they can see how manic I feel.
“Vinnie,” the voice says again, this time grabbing my wrist. The contact breaks my focus and I look down at the touch, then lower to the ring that sits on my finger. Another wave of nausea hits.
Finally, I look up at the face of the person touching me. Raina is staring back with raw concern in her eyes. “Vins,” she groans sympathetically.
“I didn’t say yes,” I croak, my voice scratchy and raw with emotion.
“Iknow.”
“Sly.” The tears fall with just the mention of his name.
“Go. I’ll cover for you if I have to.”
Shaking my head, she pulls me in and hugs metightly, only furthering the tears. “I love you, and more importantly,heloves you. It’ll all be okay.”
Then she pushes me from her grasp and I turn, running through the doors of my parents' mansion and into the frigid Manhattan night with only one concern on my mind.
Finding Sly.
