Page 164 of Dancing with the Devil

“You can’t see her,” Cesar roughly chuckled and my eyes grew wide. I hopped off the chair but the girls formed a wall in front of me while crossing their arms and shaking their heads.

“Not a chance, little missy,” Amelia narrowed her eyes at me.

“Just one kiss,” I softly said—showing them my pointer finger—and they shook their heads. “One glimpse?” I tried again but they didn’t give in. “Fine,” I sighed.

Antonio and I weren’t supposed to see each other until I walked down the aisle. His mother was extremely strict about that rule and so were they,apparently.

The wedding venue had a room where I could get ready as well, but we decided on doing my hair and make-up at home so that I could just slip into my dress once we got there.

After arriving at the venue we hurried up to the room where they slipped me into my wedding dress. I touched up my hair and make-up and stood in front of the mirror, completely shocked at how beautiful I looked.

“Bellissima,” his mother gasped as she stood in the doorway. She walked inside and Bruno closed the door behind them. “You look amazing,” she smiled.

I thanked her as she squeezed me in her arms. We broke the hug and my eyes met Bruno’s.

His facial expression was blank. He simply stared back at me, and I cleared my throat, looking at the girls.

“I feel like a proud mother,” Amelia fanned her tears and dramatically fell into her mother’s arms.

“Now you know how I felt,” her mother softly smiled. My heart ached as I watched Amelia and her mother reminisce about Amelia’s wedding. It seemed as though even though they argued about everything, they still had an amazing time.

She confessed that she could not have done it without the help of her mother and I envied that. I looked back and saw Bruno staring at the two of them in admiration almost.

I didn’t even have a father to walk me down the aisle today. That hurt. I didn’t haveanyfamily.

“Oh sweetie,” Silvia frowned. “What’s wrong?” she asked and I blinked, tapping the corner of my eye with my wrist

“I’m just so happy,” I sadly laughed and she slightly tilted her head to the side—knowing I was lying. She hugged me nonetheless, and soon so did everyone else.

They left me alone for a little while so that I could calm down and I sat down in front of the vanity mirror, looking at myself.

I felt strange. The room suddenly felt smaller, my dress tighter and my throat drier. It didn’t feel right. Like none of this was real. Like a dream. Like I waspretending.

My mind raced back to the beginning. How this all started. It didn’t start as something real, so how could it end as something real?

I grabbed my phone and picked up the ends of my dress. I rushed out of the room and made my way down a long hallway. I looked left and right and opened the first door I came to. A bathroom.

I texted Antonio and placed my phone on the sink, pacing up and down.I can’t do this. Not here. I can’t…

There was a knock at the door before it opened. My head snapped up and I saw Antonio standing in the doorway.

He stared at me with a twinkle in his eyes and I smiled, running into his arms. He wrapped his arms around me and I held onto him tightly as my eyes swelled with tears.

I pulled back and kissed him. I smiled into the kiss and felt his arms around my waist tighten.

He breathlessly whispered something in Italian against my lips and I smiled. “You look absolutely breathtaking. If I could freeze time, just to savor this moment, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” he softly kissed my lips. He seemed at a lost for words as he stared at me with big, wondrous eyes. The look of love, my mother always told me about.

I shook my head. “I can’t do it.”

A panicked expression took over his face. “Do what? You don’t want to get married?”

“No,” I shook my head and when his expression changed, I spoke again. “I mean yes, I do,” I corrected myself. “I just can’t do ithere. This place is filled with nothing but painful memories, and reminders of the torment I experienced. So, let’s go,”

“Go? Where?” he asked, not letting go of me.

“Away from here.Now.”

“But, I thought you wanted a wedding,” he said in confusion.