Dante’s POV.
the loud chatter had be numbingly annoying wouldn’t the first half an hour of being here. truth be told I would choose to be anywhere else but at a family reunion involving Pheobe’s immediate family as well as her extended family, when she had first told me about this gathering he had lead me to believe that it would only be her parents and perhaps a few distant cousins but this was far more than I think she was prepared for stop
like any other day I would have t out refused her offer and made up some other excuse like work just to get out of it but granted that her mood at present was not the best especially when he diede to me I decided to just be on the <b>same </b><b>side</b>.
the sharp sound of ady letting out a donkey like loveugh made me wince telling at thest put of my patience that I had left for this evening. the main in Phoebe’s family were not the brightest would exception of a handful but even they were interfere to be around. since they were the chosen. few amongst the entire generation that had actually aplished something sustaining in their lifetime they had taken to point themselves to be overfully boastful with an extremely fragile
ego.
I tried to engage as little as I could and make sure to drink a few good sses of alcohol if I was too put up with this event for the rest of the evening. Phoebe had stayed by my side for a little bit until she had seen her mother at the end of the room and quickly broke away from my side and rushed over to her mother.
it didn’t bug me too much that she had done so, if anything I had felt a slight wave of relief knowing that I could sneaky maneuver about the room without having being questioned about when Phoebe and I would be tying the knot.
I didn’t even want to think about any of that at present they were simply too much going on and I’ve never found myself feeling so unsettled before now, even as I sat here in a room full of people my mind still wondered over to Sophia.
I had this unexinable need to always know what she was up to or what she was doing or who she was doing it with beginning to drive me insane because I’m no longer had ess to her life or her in any way aside from a professional aspect. the mere thought of her spending her days with Adam. Huxley had my hand tightening around the ss in my hold.
I chugged back thest bit of dark liquid in my whiskey cup and felt the burn at the back of my throat before I set the cup back down motioning for the bartender to hit <b>me </b>again.
“I never thought that Dante Crawford would be a man who drowned his stresses of the day in a bottle. “Mason Pearson, one of Phoebe’s distant cousins, said with a smug grin on his face <b>as </b>motioned for the bartender to fix him a ss <b>as </b>well.
I offered him no response and redirected my attention back to my now full ss when Mason had. taken the seat next <b>to </b>me.
“I guess <b>I </b>can’t really me you that much. being married to my cousin certainly must not be the <b>easiest </b>of tasks but I mustmend you for how long you’ve put up. “I could sense the mocking in.
his tone almost like he had beenughing from the outside.
every single family had their feuds but not quite like the way Phoebe’s family did. everyone assume that the next person had their best interesting heart and they put on the show off families. everything when given the slightest bit of chance for their own gain and benefit not a single person in this room would resist stabbing the next person in the back.
Mason on the other hand was no different. he portrayed this brotherly figure to Phoebe for as long as I could remember then yet he was the one person in the entire family who spoke the most smack about her.
“how about we talk about your pregnancy instead. “I threw him a sideward re. “I hope you know that there are some circumstances that money just can’t get you out of. “it was like he had <b>a </b>lot of it to begin with anyways.
Mason’s face hardened as myment bruised his fragile ego prompting him to leave maybe with <b>his </b>ss. I had soaked up the momentary peace but it didn’tst too long because Phoebe had approached me.
“you are being insufferable, “she whisper yelled at me through tightly clenched teeth making sure that nothing seemed awry from the outside.
“we have been here for nearly 45 minutes and you choose to sit yourself at the open bar like some miserable man, do you have any idea how many horrible questions I have to endure tonight?” she continued to whisper yell at me but this was nothing that I was not used to.
“I told you that we shouldn’te here. you know how I feel about gatherings like this and you also know that these type of ufortable situations are unmissible when ites to your family. “it, was the truth and she knew it, even if I had walked by her side the entirely evening stuck to her like glue we would still face some rather the invasive questions either way.
Not wanting to create <b>a </b>scene in front of watchful eyes that were certainly focused on <b>us</b>, I offered Phoebe the most neutral andid back look that I could muster.
“you want to socialize around the room on my arm then so be it but I must warn you never to berate me like a child again. “I warned her but that had only fueled her anger.
Phoebe let out an exasperated huff before groaning in her anger and storming away. I let her be knowing that nothing <b>I </b>said in her <b>current </b>state of mind would fix anything, all it would serve to do would be create <b>a </b>magnificent scene for her countless family members to witness.
I swirled the amber liquid in my ss and continue to sip on it at my leisure, with all the alcohol in the air and the attendees stomachs the noise had only grown louder, it had drawn loud enough that I did not even hear Portia approach me and I was unaware of her presence until he ced her hand <b>on </b>in my shoulder and settled herself in the seat that Mason had taken not too long ago.
“I must say that I am offended that you didn’te to <b>greet </b>me this evening but I must forgive you because I do know how Phoebe can be,” she started gently and with slight humor in her tone.
“it <b>was </b>not something dong intentionally, <b>it’s </b>just a little bit too much of people in the room for me to have cut through to reach you. “I exined and Portia nodded in understanding.
PS4%於
“we are a ratherrge family, there is no denying that fact. “she chuckled lightly while I downed the rest of my ss.
when she inhaled deeply and a little heavily I knew that she was about to say something on the
more serious note..
“I can see the tension between Phoebe and you and it really isn’t a good thing, as much as she may try to put on <b>a </b>good front I am her mother and I can see right through it “so this is what she hade over to actually say but I didn’t say a word and let her get on with it.
“I know she seems a little bit angry all the time recently but any woman would be when they have been with a man such as yourself for so long with no proper or truemitment, she is bound to be uneasy and doubtful of where your affections lie when you give her no direction of where your rtionship is heading.” She spoke in calm and gentle manner like the way a mother would speak to her child in advice.
“she’s never expressed that need to me though, as far as I knew Phoebe was quite content with our arrangement and she never onceined.” I tried to speaking as lower of a tone as I could not wanting any possible to hear knowing that it would spread like gossip throughout this entire room.
Portia let out a small chuckle as she tapped me firmly on the back. “you men are really clueless to the way the female mind works, obviously Phoebe’s not going to ask you formitment. no serious woman would.mitment isn’t something that should be asked for especially if it is in naturally given, do you think that she was to feel that you are fullymitting to her do something else Solid as married just because she asked you for it?” she raise a brow at me, tilting her head to the side.
Portia gripped my shoulder to assist her in getting back up from the chair. “do not be thrown off by this frustrated Phoebe and remind yourself about the Phoebe you know before. the one that saved you all those years ago from drowning, she at one point had just her life to save you and I’m not saying you owe her one but you kind of do. “he let go of my shoulder before walking away leaving me feeling even more frustrated then I first enter this room..
my
had scanned the room for Pheobe until I found her speaking to one of her blonde haired cousins <b>at </b>the corner of the room.
I recalled the day I drowned vaguely. It was a long time ago and I couldn’t quite remember Pheobe’s face being the one to have rescued me but she did. I knew it for as long as I could remember. We were at <b>a </b>trip with her family years ago. Sophia was there too being Pheobe’s step <b>sister </b>but she barely socialised with her own family.
I woke <b>up </b>from my chair and sauntered over to Pheobe where the crowd split to make way for me to go through but not before staring at me like I was thest cookie in the jar.
“Pheobe.” I said her name and she looked up at me confused and still angry at my presence.
She excused herself from her cousin and looked at me. “What, Dante?” She <b>asked </b>in <b>a </b>sharp tone but I ignored it.
“Do you want to go on a date with me tomorrow night<b>?</b>” I asked with <b>a </b>smirk and she blinked in
<b>conf </b>
曲
Tue, 5 Mar
usion a few times before she grinned at me, her eyes dancing in triumph.