Noticing my silence, Carter stepped forward to greet them instead. The moment they saw him, their smiles faltered, and their eyes seemed to cloud over with disgust.
I rolled my eyes at their attitude. The nerve of them being disgusted with Carter just because he was gay, when they were far more disgusting in hiding the fact that Hunter and Navira had been cheating behind my back.
I just didn't understand why Carter always treated them with such respect, just because they were family, when they clearly didn't respect his preferences.
After Carter's greeting, Suzette was the next to approach, though I could see she was also forcing a smile.
After the greetings, Caleb, who had been drifting in boredom, suddenly perked up. "Come on, sit with us."
I raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going on with him.
Caleb stood up and pulled out a chair. "Suzette, come sit here."
Ah, now I understood. My other brother is hopelessly smitten with Suzette. Too bad for him—Suzette doesn't like him one bit, even though they share the same face as Carter.
Suzette only offered a small smile and shook her head. Before she could speak, Carter quickly sat in the chair Caleb had offered and smiled up at him. "Thank you for pulling me a seat, brother."
Caleb's smile faltered, and he shot him a glare. With no other options, he sat down back in his chair.
After sitting down, I glanced at Hunter and curtly said, "Congratulations."
His eyes narrowed at me before brightening with a forced smile. "Thank you, I really appreciate it."
The atmosphere grew tense; no one spoke until Navira broke the silence again. "Hey, Nova. I haven't seen your man anywhere around..." A mocking smile played on her lips.
Oh boy, she's starting again.
"Don't tell me he couldn't make it?" she continued, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
I felt the urge to grab her hair and toss all the food on the table. Why did Navira have to be so hell-bent on humiliating me?
I maintained my practiced perfect smile. "Oh, sorry. Do I have to report to you where my man is?" I clicked my tongue. "You're a married woman now, and yet..." I let my words trail off, letting them fill in the unspoken part.
"Nova!" Hunter glared at me as if he was the one I offended.
I shrugged nonchalantly. "First, she started it, and second, call me Novaria," I said, raising a brow at him as I took a sip of my wine. "Are we actually close enough for you to call me Nova?"
The rest of the group sitting around was stunned silent by my reaction. I was usually so meek and reserved, never one to talk back, so they were probably wondering why I was so confident and straightforward today.
Ever the drama queen, Navira began tearing up. "I-I'm sorry, Nova. I'm just curious—" she started to say, but was suddenly interrupted by the murmur and chatter erupting throughout the room.
My eyes darted toward the door, where I saw photographers rushing in. Several men and women hurried toward the entrance with their phones out, capturing everything. Is there a celebrity joining us?
That's when I saw him walk into the room, a man dressed dashing in a sleek black suit, completely ignoring the crowd of people snapping photos of him.
My heartbeat quickened.
He was here again. Looking as handsome—no! Even more handsome than he had looked in the morning.
His black hair was meticulously gelled and slicked back. His piercing, intense, yet bored blue eyes scanned the room as he walked in. When his gaze landed on me, I instinctively turned away, trying to steady my racing heart.
"Your knight in shining armor is here," Carter whispered, a teasing smile on his face.
"Oh, I didn't know your man was coming," Suzette murmured next to me, her voice filled with surprise.
"He wasn't supposed to be here," I whispered back, almost to myself. Please don't come here. Don't come here. Don't—
His voice broke through my thoughts. "Good evening, everyone. My apologies for arriving so late," his deep baritone voice called out.
I felt my heart freeze as he leaned in and pulled out a chair right beside me.
'Huh? When did Suzette leave my side?' I wondered, my mind racing as he settled into the seat, briefly greeting everyone at the table.
I sighed, trying to steady my nerves. "You're..." I swallowed hard, avoiding his piercing blue eyes. "...here."
"That's what I said earlier," he replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. His blue eyes danced over me before he raised an eyebrow. "Everyone is supposed to think we're taking our relationship to the next level," his breath fanned my ear as he whispered.
I cursed my hormones for the small puddle of heat that blossomed between my legs at the deep timbre of his voice. How does this man effortlessly push me to the edge every time?
I straightened my posture, refusing to let him see the tremor in my hands. None of them were going to embarrass me tonight! Not Hunter, not Navira, not my parents. And certainly not this stranger!
"Now that you're here," Navira said, her eyes sparkling with excitement, "I was hoping you could play for our last dance."
I froze, my eyes narrowing as I stared at her. "Play what?" I asked, hoping I'd misheard what she'd said.
"The piano, of course!" Navira chirped, a little too brightly.
I felt Zion's gaze fall on me, and I instinctively braced myself. Whenever he looked at me, I felt my subconscious suddenly become very conscious. Even his gaze announced itself – wow. It was a familiar, slightly unsettling feeling. I tried to ignore it, focusing on the task at hand.
"Come on, Nova..." Navira was making those disgusting puppy eyes again. "You were always so good at it. Remember? It was the only thing you did better than me. I would really love for you to bless my audience with your skill and awesomeness. Please," she continued to plead, but I didn't miss the faint mockery in my sister's eyes and voice.
I was about to refuse when someone spoke first.
"Yes, Nova, it's your sister's wedding. It's bad luck to say no to the bride," as usual, our mother was the one who decided for me without even hearing my decision. Everyone around us laughed in agreement. Everyone except me, Zion, Carter, and Suzette.
I didn't know why, but I turned to Hunter, hoping that he'll be able to… somehow, help me out.
However his eyes brightened causing my heart to shatter once more. "Please Novaria, it'll be such a beautiful performance. You play the piano so beautifully," Hunter said, as he sat up and leaned into the table.
I should be used to this by now. It's just that I just hoped that they at least remember the reason why I stopped playing the piano. Mainly because it's their parents fault in the first place.
"Fine," I said as I finished the glass of wine. "I'll play."
I'll show them how they crushed my dreams to become a world renowned pianist just because Navira also wanted to play piano.
The rest of the party blurred into a tangled mess of sounds and colors. I sat there, a shadow among the revelers, as they talked and laughed over my head, oblivious to the storm raging inside me. Rage simmered beneath my skin, threatening to boil over with every passing moment.
While everyone else ate, drank, danced, and sang, I managed fleeting smiles here and there—small shields to hide my inner turmoil. A few glasses of wine dulled the sharp edges of my frustration, and Zion silently forced slices of cake into my mouth, his gesture a quiet act of comfort I desperately needed but couldn't fully accept.
I appreciated his show of quiet romance; at least, his silent support. But I couldn't ignore Hunter's darkening eyes on us—jealousy flickering like a flame. Though that was the least of my concerns at the moment. All I wanted was for this night to be over, for the weight of everything to lift from my shoulders, and for the pain of my unspoken dreams to finally fade into the background.
"And now, for the grand event of the night! Ladies and gentlemen, sit back, relax, aww and ohhh..."
The audience erupted into laughter, breaking Hunter's best man mid-speech. A man I recognized as his college roommate, his voice drowned in the cheerful chaos.
"...at the beautiful bride and her loving groom as they give us their couple's dance!"
A wave of hearty applause swept through the room, loud enough to make my ears ring. The noise felt like a distant hum compared to the pounding in my chest.
"Oh my God! It's time!" Navira exclaimed, clapping with exaggerated enthusiasm. Her fiery red gown and matching lipstick made her look fierce—dangerous, even. Just as dangerous as I secretly suspected her to be. Her gaze snapped to me, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Nova, you have to hurry! Go to the stage first!" she urged, her voice bubbling with excitement.
I fought the urge to toss my glass of wine in her perfectly styled hair. Instead, I took a slow sip, trying to steady my nerves, and offered everyone a forced smile. With trembling legs, I rose from my seat and walked straight ahead.