The Fortunates (Unfortunate #2) - Skyla Madi Page 0,69
myself, he sent Portia to watch over me. It was such a relief to be with another female—one who understood me too. No one gets me like Portia does. We are cut from the same cloth, moulded by the same clay.
I meander over to Portia and take the dresses off her hands. Without a care, I toss them onto the arm chair. “You can’t ruffle those. The fabric is—”
“Don’t worry about it.” I nudge her toward the white lounge. “Sit down, Portia. Relax.”
Digging her heels in, she shakes her head.
“I know it’s difficult.” I grab her shoulders and walk her to the lounge. Under my palms, her shoulders coil tightly. “But sit for a little while and talk to me about something meaningless, something that doesn’t require me to think.”
“Anna, I don’t know. I have to…”
“We’re inciting a war,” I say, easing her onto the couch. “Who knows when we’ll have the chance to sit like this again?”
Portia smooths her hands over her thighs, covering them with her tunic. She casts a cautious, fleeting look at the door. “You’re sure you locked it?”
I sit beside her. “Absolutely. We’re safe here.”
I reach for the jug of ice water and pour us each a glass. To my delight, she takes the glass without protest when I offer it to her and finishes it in one large gulp.
“It must be nice…” she mutters, glances down at the rug. “Having all of this.”
I follow her stare. None of it is mine. None of it makes me happy or adds value to my life. This house could burn to the ground and it’d make no difference to me. I’m not emotionally invested in physical belongings.
“It is nice…but it isn’t me. It’s not what I want.”
Her stare meets mine. “What do you want?”
I shrug. I want what we all want. “Freedom. Happiness. To share my things with a friend without having to hide behind locked doors.”
“Happiness…” She swallows hard. “It always feels just out of reach, doesn’t it?”
“It does.” I drop my attention to my hand, to my ring finger specifically. “There are a lot of outside factors that come into play, I suppose.”
Sighing, I clasp my hands together and rest them on my thighs.
“Can I ask you something? And please, tell me no if it’s too much. I don’t want to put you in an awkward situation—”
“What is it?”
“I want to stay here…in this house. I don’t want to go back to the Sario manor. Kade is rarely there anymore and I can’t stomach serving Vince and his disgusting pack of animals.”
“Of course, absolutely. I will have Kaden and John transfer you here immediately.” My stomach turned. “Vince hasn’t…? He doesn’t…?”
Portia grimaces, pinching her pretty face into a sour pout. “I’ve known Vincent Sario since he was a boy. He sees me more as a parental figure than a sexual conquest, thank God.”
I can’t imagine Vince being above hurting Portia because of a childhood attachment. If Vince knew just how much Portia meant to Kade or me…I don’t even want to think about it.
“Good. Good.” I stare at my ring once again. “I’ll have Kade get you out of there tonight.”
Just to be safe.
Portia extends her hand and I slip mine into hers. Her hands are tough around the edges, but soft in the middle. Much like her.
“It really is a beautiful ring.” She drags her nail-bitten thumb across it. “How did you know…that you were in love?”
I frown. How did I know? I have no clue. When I think back to my life as an Unfortunate with Kade, I feel I loved him from the moment I saw him sitting at his desk, pouring over forms and maps. He didn’t care for me as his father announced my arrival…
…until he lifted his stare.
I remember it well. The hair on my skin came alive and danced with vigour as his gaze swept over me. I piqued his interest though he fought hard to act indifferent. He was terrifying. Terrifyingly perfect. My heart and my brain mightn’t have loved him then, but my soul did.
“When the thought of being without him caused me physical pain,” I tell her and watch as her stomach visibly turns on her face.
She releases my hand. Uh-oh. I know that look. It’s the look of a girl who is in love with someone she shouldn’t be. Excitement burned in my veins at the thought of her being in love.