Bound by Deception

19.3 The Wedding Day

"If we're alone again, I won't be able to stop myself."

"You should practice self-control, then," she seethed. Aria was glad that the music was louder than their voices. At least nobody could hear their conversation. "Edward, please, I can't do this right now."

"So you're rejecting me, then?"

"I didn't say that!"

"You don't say anything, Aria!" Edward's baby blue eyes flared. "You're like a mannequin. You've lost your luster, and I don't know why."

"I've changed, Edward," Aria hissed. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

"Well, you're certainly acting like one," he retorted coldly. "I don't know what happened to you, but you weren't this...evasive from me when we were kids!"

"I grew up, which you clearly haven't done," Aria growled. "You didn't have to witness your parents dying right in front of you. That can do things to the mind, don't you know?"

"I didn't come here to be berated by you," Edward snarled. He pinned her against the wall and smashed his mouth onto hers, and when he pulled away he gripped her wrist with a certain tightness that Aria thought he was trying to drain her arm of blood. "Let's drop this and go dance."

"No. I thought you wanted my answer."

"I do, but clearly, I won't be getting it."

This is bad. Aria cursed herself. She had made so much progress and now all of that seemed to be going to waste with Edward's sour mood. She hadn't intended for their argument to have gone as far as it did, and she realized that there was only one thing that she could say to quell the argument, even if it made her stomach want to exit her body.

"You will, because I agree," she said, jerking her hand free of Edward's hold.

The young Lord paused. "You...agree? You mean, you will...?"

"Don't say it out loud," Aria warned, her cheeks burning with humiliation. She kept her steady gaze on his face, thinking of all the ways she could kill him to console herself. "But yes. This weekend at the Telvire Hotel. Don't try and fight it, I'm not going to change my mind."

Edward's nasty sneer cracked into an excited smile and he kissed Aria again, spinning her around in tune with the music. "Oh, I knew you would agree! I'll get us the best room, you'll see! I promise you'll have an amazing time!"

"I can't wait," Aria said through clenched teeth. She made a mental note to pound Sterling's head for being so late and to also inform him of their new development. Before she could go off to find her airhead partner, Edward dragged her onto the dancefloor.

"Let's dance," he said, taking her hands and bringing her into the sway of the music, giving her not a second to protest.

"Alright..." she agreed despite her better judgment, though she could feel the distant glare of Margot stabbing the back of her head. Those eyes would murder her if she were to deny an opportunity to progress the mission.

Edward had taken ballroom classes as a child with her, but it seemed like he had not paid much attention to their teacher. His footsteps were awkward and he had an unnecessarily tight grip on her waist that was borderline uncomfortable. The music did nothing to quell Aria's trepidation nor did it help soothe the white noise that pulsated in her head. Her mind was swarming with plans. Despicable plans - plans to kill her childhood friend - but it was a death that was necessary. Aria had too much at stake to allow herself to feel sorry for him, not that she did anyway.

The music ended with a flowy stop that left the guests briefly wondering if there was more to come for that particular song. Instead, the orchestra paused for a break, and the couples that danced on the floor separated to join the banquet behind them.