THE CONTROL: An Arranged Marriage Romance by Elena Monroe (ebook reader android .txt) 📕

her exposed chest, he spoke just loud enough for me to hear, “Did you tell him our little secret? The way I know exactly how you sound, the way your eyes fall shut… the way he’s not your first, princess?”

Secrets seem to be the theme of our wedding. 

It made sense why she wouldn’t tell me about Denmark, it was the place where all our firsts died and where she learned to lie better than me.

My fists clenched and my eyes seemed drier since I refused to blink. I wanted to see every slight movement, every syllable hanging in the air, and every sense of calm that covered Eve’s features.

She didn’t care that he was touching her.

She didn’t care that anyone could hear or see at any moment.

She was already acting reckless before the open bar even started serving.

Evey was mine, today made that clear—not to the stranger in my house playing with my toy. 

Pulling myself away from the crack in the door, I sought out alcohol. I didn’t even care what kind as long as it dulled down the jealousy rooting itself in my bones.

Eve had a past and so did I, so why did hers hurt me worse than my own?

 

EVE

Standing in the mirror, I was searching my skin for any marks Elias left behind. He was the kind of evil that solidified wearing black on my wedding day.

I wanted to pretend today was the death of my old self—the one made to be proper and quiet when I was anything but, and the rebirth of the life I always wanted.

My skin was left unblemished by not only his violent hand that had wrapped around my throat, but also by his even more painful words. I didn’t let him see that on the outside, that’s what got him off, the visible sign of his threats working.

I looked perfect in my black chiffon dress with my black stilettos covered in matching crystals. I wore dainty black diamond jewelry to compliment, and my hair cascaded in waves that held onto my veil. Grace stood in the doorway smiling softly like it was a foreign thing when she spoke, “You look beautiful. You ready?”

Helping me with my train, I carefully threaded towards the back door that led out into the large backyard that was transformed from just the sad pool to a full-blown wedding. Even the pool was covered with glass and candles floated under the clear surface.

Looking down at my heels, I stepped slowly trying to remember the pace I taught myself when I got so bored, I would fantasize about this day. Finally looking up, I felt the sight of Bowen hit me straight to the chest, aimed at my heart. His fist was around it, claiming it as his property.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t be mad at him. 

I signed my heart and soul over; it was equally my fault. 

He stood there in a black, tailored suit with a light gray plaid pattern covering his jacket and pants.

Maybe he was celebrating the death of being cruel. 

Maybe this was the same celebration. 

I couldn’t help the smile I tried to bite down from turning into a full-blown grin when I noticed all the blue, all the butterflies, and the photos of us from when we were younger flooding the area. There were even juniper tree branches twisting together to make the altar for us—everything was symbolic of our youth.

I was always climbing the damn juniper tree in his yard trying to hop the fence to get to his house unseen even though I was welcomed. I just didn’t want to be their annoying charity case.

Scanning the seats lined up, I noticed the Clave, their parents and counterparts accounted for, and my stepbrother and fake parents all front and center.

Taking my place next to Bowen, I dropped my flowers down to my side, our eyes locked and unwavering, as Khaos dragged my attention to him standing where a priest should be. Giving him a side eye, I waited for him to sit down when he addressed everyone, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to not uphold tradition but to break it…”

I wanted to roll my eyes, but I settled for tuning him out, instead focusing on Bowen’s perfect stormy eyes. I had missed Khaos’s monologue in exchange for daydreaming of Bowen removing the lingerie I had on under my dress and how I would finally be his in the way I wanted to be.

Unmistakably. 

Irreversibly. 

He’d have all of me. 

Bowen took my hand gracefully when he leaned in and pressed his full lips to mine making my eyes close. It wasn’t our first kiss, but it certainly felt like something equally as momentous to kiss as husband and wife in front of everyone we knew.

His tongue traced the seam of my lips as my jaw went slack before he softly touched his tongue to mine. Before pulling away completely, his eyes got cloudy, dark even, like a rainstorm was headed my direction as he whispered, “It’s sweet of you to invite your ex-lover, Evey.”

Just like that, the happiest day of my life refused to be one side of the coin.

You can’t have light without the dark.

The reception was peaceful, but Bowen’s eyes never went back to the cloudy day they normally were. Instead, they stayed watchful and full of malice with questions he didn’t dare ask.

After I took off my veil and reapplied my nude lipstick, I headed back towards Bowen when my mother’s insult cut me down enough to forget I had legs. “Eve. See you’ve filled out the way you always wanted to. Be careful of gaining too much weight, you want to keep him interested, don’t you?”

That’s rich coming from the woman