A Life Earthbound (28 page)

When it was time for dinner, her chest felt hollow and clenched painfully, fear and panic rising within her. Would anyone know yet? Had her mother gone around, boasting of the good news? Or would she have to be the one to tell them?

Trembling, she grabbed her books and her bag, and headed out before her father, hoping to clean up before dinner. But the minute she stepped out of the Greenhouse, she spotted them in the corridor, crowded near the dining hall.

Capri, Rian, Brogan and Liam stood by the doors, and the four of them glanced over when they saw her. Like lightning, they all raced forward to meet her.

Here was the backlash.

“Rhiannon! We just heard about Michael…is it true?” Capri asked, reaching Rhiannon first, worry and distress clouding her pretty face.

Rian and Brogan hung back, but Liam rushed forward and stared at her, shaking his head.

“What is going on, Rhia?”

She couldn’t look at him, so she looked to Capri instead. “My mother has arranged for me to marry Michael.”

“But you told her you don’t want to, right? Because they can’t just force you to marry someone, that’s ridiculous,” Capri urged, glancing around at the others for support. “Right?”

Rian met her eyes and frowned, hoping he could make her understand. “Arranged marriages are not uncommon on Euphora, Capri, though I must say I disagree with them. It has been a general practice for centuries that parents have the final say on who their children decide to marry, sometimes with the parents going as far as to select for them. Now that the arrangement has been made, Rhiannon’s hands are virtually tied, as far as tradition goes.”

“Well, I say to hell with the tradition,” Capri said heatedly in response, turning back angrily to Rhiannon. “There has to be a way out of this. Maybe if you talk with Thea?”

Rhiannon was quiet for a moment, looking into her kind friend’s eyes, knowing her answer was going to upset all of them. She just shook her head, fighting to keep her expression free of the pain she was feeling inside.

“There’s nothing Thea can do. I’m going to marry him,” she said simply, fighting to put the sound of assurance into her voice.

“This is bullshit!” Liam exploded suddenly, nudging a startled Capri out of the way and gripping Rhiannon’s shoulders tightly in his hands, his face inches from hers, desperation and anger clear in his eyes. She couldn’t help but look at him now and her breath caught in her throat as her resolve wavered. When he spoke again, his voice was dangerously low and laced with torment. “Did last night mean nothing, Rhia? You would be so cold to me, after that?”

She felt a shudder run through her, and knew he felt it, knew he saw the weakness in her eyes and the pain shock her system. God, an open heart was terribly painful, so horrifically agonizing…

But she couldn’t back down. She had to push him away; there was no other alternative.

“I don’t have a choice, Liam. It’s done.”

“You have a choice to fight. Stand up to them, Rhia, tell them this isn’t what you want.”

Thinking of her father and what her refusal might do to him had her shaking her head. The added stress alone from her mother’s wrath might finally break him, and she couldn’t allow that to happen. Until she knew for certain he wanted this marriage as much as her mother did, she couldn’t risk hurting him.

Liam stared at her silently for a moment, his eyes searching hers. She tried to force the pain from her expression, the doubt and uncertainty. But he could see right through her.

“If you won’t fight, then I will. I won’t lose you, not like this.” With that, he released her and stormed off down the corridor. The moment he was gone, Rhiannon let out a shuddering breath and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling her chest constrict painfully.

She felt Capri’s arms go around her and pull her in for a tight hug. Rian and Brogan both approached, Rian placing his hand on Capri’s shoulder as Brogan softly touched Rhiannon’s.

“Rian and I can try and scare Michael away, make him call off the wedding,” Brogan joked, trying to smile, hoping it might make her feel better. He knew, perhaps more than the others on Euphora, just how she felt. His own father had been in complete control of his life as well and he would have never had the nerve to stand up to him.

Rhiannon let out a strangled laugh, her throat tightening even as she pulled away from Capri and fought to compose herself. Eyeing the three of them, she forced herself to smile. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. It’s best for everyone involved if I go through with the marriage as planned.”

Capri shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Do you really believe that this is what’s best for Liam? You’re breaking his heart,” she managed, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

Rian put his arm around her and pulled her close, angered to see her hurting over this. But he knew there was little that could be done unless Rhiannon chose to go against her own parents.

Forcing back the guilt she felt at knowing she was making Capri cry, Rhiannon straightened and fought to maintain her composure. “What’s best is for Liam to forget about me.”

With a polite nod, she pushed past the three of them, knowing they all solemnly watched her as she left.

If she thought things couldn’t get any worse then she was gravely mistaken. Not only did they get worse, they damn near erupted into chaotic madness the likes of which she could never have predicted.

Dinner was, per Thea’s strict orders, strained and civil. Liam wasn’t there; but no one commented on that fact. Clearly it was obvious why he would want to avoid seeing anyone. At least Rhiannon knew he would be spared the violence that was to come, for the moment everyone was released to the parlor for the evening, all hell literally broke loose.

Blythe rounded on her first.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she spat, glaring up at Rhiannon with fire in her eyes. “Wait, don’t answer that. I know exactly what’s wrong with you. You’re a selfish, scheming, snobby bitch who enjoys toying with my brother’s heart like a cat with a goddamn mouse.”

“I didn’t toy with him,” Rhiannon replied defensively, though part of her knew Blythe was right. She should have never let Liam in, should have never given in to the temptation to feel, the temptation to be free…

“Oh, excuse me, but I consider screwing his brains out one night and then dumping him the next day to marry someone else to be toying with him. Don’t you agree?”

“Blythe!” Rhiannon gaped, staring around to be sure no one heard. But a few of them were staring apprehensively, and she felt her face flush with embarrassment and fury. “That is none of your business.”

“I love him and care about him, so yeah, I’d say it’s my business when he tells me he loves you and you pull this shit on him,” Blythe charged, jabbing a finger into Rhiannon’s chest furiously. “I don’t care what it takes, but you fix this and make him happy or God help me I’ll kill you. I never liked you anyway, so it won’t weigh much on my conscience.”

“How
dare
you threaten my daughter!” Serendipity swept to Rhiannon’s side, glaring down her nose at Blythe with intense dislike. “I suppose civility means nothing to you, you little heathen. You see fit to threaten anyone who gets in your way.”

“Excuse me?”
Blythe’s eyes widened with shock and fury as she rounded on Serendipity, her hands clenched at her sides as if she was seriously considering clocking the older woman. “Don’t even talk to me about civility. You’re the one who cheated on your husband!”

Serendipity’s face paled, but she didn’t lose her composure nor her anger. “How dare you…”

Lucian, seeing the exchange, stepped in and grabbed Blythe, holding her back. Jax followed suit, standing beside Blythe protectively.

“Apologize for that hateful comment, Serendipity. It was quite unnecessary,” Lucian requested, his eyes cold.

“She threatened to kill Rhiannon, Lucian, that is nothing short of barbaric,” Serendipity huffed, glaring at the two of them.

“Surely you can see that she doesn’t mean it, she is only upset that Liam is hurting, as am I.” Lucian reasoned, restraining Blythe with one hand firmly on her shoulder.

This time Serendipity laughed, and the cold sound of it had Rhiannon staring at her mother with startled eyes. “If he was under some kind of delusion that he had any hope of marrying Rhiannon, then he is nothing short of a fool. Rhiannon can do much better than Liam and we both know that, Lucian.”

Lucian’s mouth fell open at Serendipity’s crassness and he let go of Blythe as he started toward Serendipity himself. “That is my son you’re talking about, Serendipity, and I will defend him. He is a good boy, an excellent son, and any woman should be proud to be the object of his affection.”

“Certainly he is a nice boy, Lucian. All I am saying is that he is not right for my daughter,” Serendipity corrected, one eyebrow raised condescendingly.

“Perhaps your daughter is not good enough for my son,” Lucian shot back, anger flushing his normally calm and placid face. Even Blythe was staring up at him, a mixture of pride and shock in her eyes.

“Is there a problem here, Lucian?” Rohan said, suddenly appearing at his wife’s side and putting an arm around her supportively. He eyed Lucian with disdain, which took the other man by surprise.

“Your wife seems to take some kind of sick pleasure in the fact that your daughter has broken my son’s heart,” Lucian managed, his hands shaking with fury. This time, Blythe had to hold him back, though she wanted nothing more than to pounce on Rhiannon’s snobby parents herself.

Rohan, looking indifferent, shrugged. “This is far from our concern. The arrangements have been made; Liam will just have to get over it. He’s young and resilient. Don’t worry yourself, old friend.” Reaching over, he patted Lucian on the back with a nod, and then led both his wife and Rhiannon from the parlor.

Rhiannon, unable to help herself, turned around to see Lucian standing there, looking furious and helpless, with Blythe stoically at his side, glaring directly back at her. Behind them, the rest of Euphora watched with a mixture of dark curiosity and disapproving disgust.

Clearly, no one was on their side now.

Her father led them upstairs to their rooms, but when they stopped in front of Rhiannon’s, he urged Serendipity along.

“I need to speak with Rhiannon,” he said, opening the door to his daughter’s room and beckoning her inside. Serendipity brushed him off and strode away, unconcerned.

Rhiannon, feeling numb from the assault that had just occurred on her and her parents, sat on her bed and stared up at her father.

It suddenly occurred to her that he was…different. He held himself straighter, seemed more composed and more alive than he had in weeks. Was this arranged marriage really bringing him out of his semi-comatose depression?

Standing with his arms crossed over his chest, he faced her and tried to smile. It was more than she had gotten from him in longer than she could remember.

“I’m sorry this marriage business has been sprung on you like this, Rhiannon,” he began, starting to pace, clearly searching for words to say. “I myself did not find out until yesterday. Apparently your mother saw fit not to disclose the reason she was repeatedly speaking with Burke Callahan, thinking I may spoil the surprise for you. To think I was worried about him…” He paused mid-step, frowning. “In any event, I am pleased with Michael. He seems like a nice young man with ambition and class. Your mother assures me he will be a lead Enforcer in the near future.”