Gifts

Chapter 11 – Betrothed–1

I’m laying back on my bed, all cried out, when I hear a knock at my door. I raise my head and groan inwardly. What’s next?

Before I can get up to answer it, the door creeks open a little. I sigh. No such thing as privacy in the Mafia palace.

“Fay?”

My mouth drops open as I hear a voice that I recognize. I’m too shocked to speak as I see him peek around the door, smiling shyly.

“Are you okay, Fay?”

Daniel. I just stare at him.

He grimaces and comes into the room, pressing the door shut behind him. Then he leans back on it, staring at me, quirking his mouth into that sweet smile I used to love.

I groan and lay my head back on my pillows. “Go away, Daniel. We can talk about our engagement later.”

“Fay,” he says, and I can hear the apology in his voice. I hear him come closer to the bed. “Come on, Fay,” he says. “It could be worse.”

I open my eyes and glare at him. “Are you serious, Daniel?”

He shrugs and again gives me that charming smile, sliding his

“Shh!” He puts a hand out towards me and looks anxiously at the door. “Seriously, Fay, watch what you say. We can’t talk about that sort of thing here.”

I glance at the closed door, confused. “Can they hear us in here?”

“My dad has ears everywhere,” he murmurs. He turns back to me. “Are you mad at me?”

see Daniel ever again, let alone have this

someone who loves me. Not to someone who is only marrying me

look and I sigh, watching

who isn’t attracted to

reaching out an arm to put around my shoulders. I shoot

could be good things about this, Fay,” he says quietly. “Not all marriages work out anyway, and at least we know we like each other.”

look up at him, aghast. Is

you actually on board with this, Daniel? Don’t you

says, shrugging, his voice defeated. “This is not a world where what I want, personally, really matters. And with

a laugh at this.

really upset when we broke up!” Daniel continues, trying to be upbeat. “And I really am sorry about what happened in the coffee shop. But isn’t it kind of weird that we found each other out there on our own anyway, and we were engaged the

pain showing. I can’t help it – he was my first love, and he totally

is unfaithful to me,”

I lower my voice to a hiss. “And I don’t want a husband who is into men, considering I’m a girl. Do you really want us to be

B

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Gifts

11 – Betrothed–2

his eyes skittering for the door. “I get that you’re upset

fervently at

about there. Please,” he turns worried eyes to me and I’m surprised to see true fear in his face. “You’ve got to promise to keep it

“Why is it such a big deal? It’s the twenty–first century – it’s so backwards to think that way about sexual orientation

a different world here, Fay – that’s why I spend so much time

this family,” he says, “all their values are 100 years old, maybe more. And tradition is everything, family is everything. If I don’t get married, don’t have kids to carry on the family line…not only will they consider me a failure, but it will cause massive chaos in the city as the other bosses try to grab what my dad has built. What I

feeling for him. He’s trapped and

he knows it

know what they do to people like me, Fay?” Daniel asks, turning to look at

not even wanting to imagine it.

crap out of them,” he says, “make them denounce their sexuality, who they are, and

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