Chapter 274
Elena
“You look gorgeous, Elena!” My dad gushed as he pulled out his camera and started taking pictures. I took an awkward stance and hid my face in embarrassment.
“Dad, this dress is hideous,” I told him. “Aren’t you supposed to tell me to take it off and to cover myself up? It’s a church wedding.”
“For what?” He laughed. “Who am I to tell you what a woman should and shouldn’t wear? Now smile so I can take a pretty picture.”
My heart grew soft at my dad’s normal behavior, which he hadn’t shown in a while. He took the time to wear a suit and to do his hair and it had been a long time since he looked this decent. “Okay, one picture,” I spoke shyly before I posed for the photo.
“By the way, you’re in a good mood today-are you going on a date?”
“Date? Who, me?” My dad laughed out loud. That’s right, that man wasn’t capable of keeping a woman happy. All I could remember from the time my mom left was that he tried to fill her empty spot many times. Although he never got remarried, there were countless potential candidates-who had all lived here for a while. They were too many to count on one hand.
All of them had backed out because they couldn’t take it anymore. My dad was a control freak and obsessed with his work. He had always been proud of his job as a DEA agent and had not been afraid to show it.
While I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my school peers and do something like ballet or gymnastics, my dad had different plans. He used to take Alex and me to shooting ranges, send us to military youth camps, and all the other stuff I was not interested in.
Alex had no choice but to follow in his footsteps, but the rules for me were different. There was no way in hell that he would’ve pushed me to become an agent, over his dead body. He was traumatized because my mom ran off with a criminal and perhaps even a bit misogynistic, if I had to admit.
Judging from the criminal part, I could tell that I was a bit different from my mom as I broke all contact with Marvin. Was it mainly because of embarrassment? Yes, probably.
I didn’t want my dad or Alex to find out, so I didn’t mention him to them. Marvin was in the past, and that was not going to change. At least, that was what I was going for.
I tried to forget about him, but I couldn’t. I was down bad, and it was pathetic. It was so pathetic that I even dreamed of him yesterday as I couldn’t get him off my mind. Whenever I closed my eyes, all I could see was the warm smile on his face and his eyes which were enough to make me melt. Was he really a bad person? Shouldn’t I at least give him the opportunity to explain himself?
No, Elena. He killed your dad’s other half, Stevie Maddens, and he’s the reason for your dad’s odd behavior-get it -together.
“Thanks for the pictures, but I really have to go now-dad,” I spoke as I grabbed my purse from the table. I was not good at hiding my facial expressions and anyone could see right through me. My dad chuckled. “Your limo isn’t even here yet, Elena.”“
Limo. The concept of Limo and Elena being in the same sentence was weird, but it was definitel something I could get used to, and I was sure Rona felt the same way, as it
morning. We both had separate limousines to take us to the venue.
I took a breath and looked at myself in the mirror. Although the outfit didn’t scream ‘Elena, Tori did a fantastic job choosing the dress, and it looked as if I fitted right in. I looked fake, but I liked fake. The idea of being something I couldn’t be, made me feel confident-even if it was only for a day.
The front door got opened by Alex, who walked in, wearing a perfectly nice suit. He seemed flustered by my presence and lowered his head while I finally understood what had been going on.
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