Tommy Marchetti and I went back to his enclave in the hills for the blood-bound union.
The ceremony hadn't even started when his so-called family friend Gianna Russo came sauntering over with a plate of cake, grinning ear to ear, and smashed it straight into my face.
A glass of red followed, poured right over my head. My gown was soaked through with something sticky and foul.
I shoved her away, barely keeping my anger in check. "There's a time and place for jokes, and this isn't it!"
Gianna staggered back with exaggerated flair, dropping to the ground.
"Adri, the old custom here says you haze the bride! I just wanted to wish you a lively, happy union. Why'd you shove me so hard?"
Tommy's face went dark on the spot.
He rushed over to help Gianna up, then shot a look at his crew.
Three or four of them closed in on me immediately, grabbing at the hem of my gown and ripping downward. A whole panel of lining tore free.
The crowd roared with laughter. Phones were out everywhere, recording.
I clutched the torn fabric and screamed at him. "Tommy, if you don't make them stop right now, this union is off!"
"Off?"
Tommy let out a cold laugh. "You're an out-of-towner with no car. This is my territory. Where exactly do you think you're going?"
I said nothing. I pulled my phone from my clutch.
"Theo, file the flight plan. One hour, tops. I want the Family's jet touching down on that lawn."
——
Tommy froze for two seconds, then burst out laughing.
"How much did you pay some actor to pick up that call?"
He looked at me sideways. "Next month you'll be back in that rented room of yours eating off a hot plate, won't you?"
His crew howled even louder, doubled over, faces red from holding in their laughter.
Gianna draped herself over Tommy's shoulder, tilting her head to study me. Her smile held, but her eyes flicked once to the side before she spoke.
"See, this is what I always say. I just get along better with the men. Girls like Adri here are too calculating. She'd rather make up a lie like that than lose face."
Tommy patted the back of her hand, then lifted his chin at me. He wet his lips, glancing at the biggest man in his crew before the words came. "Hear that? That's what a real friend sounds like. Gianna would never pull stunts like this on me. Some people just can't stop pretending."
"Gianna put a lot of work into today. Whatever comes next, she's calling the shots."
"Let the party continue!"
Before I could steady myself, a whole plate of jam was slapped onto my hair. Thick red goo oozed down my neck.
Two of the women pinned my arms from either side while someone else scrawled across my face with a marker.
Someone flipped up my skirt, exposing the shorts underneath, and the crowd went wild.
I tried to break free, but Tommy grabbed the back of my neck and squeezed, leaning in close enough for me to feel his breath against my ear.
"Every relative and friend we have is watching. If you embarrass me today, I will never live it down in this enclave, and I will make sure you don't either."
My whole body was shaking. Not from fear. From the bone-deep cold of realizing what he was.
Gianna waved a hand from the sidelines, her voice carrying. "Oh come on, Tommy, don't be so hard on Adri. She's probably just not great at fitting in with our ways. I'm sure she didn't mean to cause a scene."
"You men should be the bigger ones, you know? Cut the girl some slack."
That did it. The guests started whispering among themselves.
"This bride is so dramatic. Can't even handle a little of the old custom."
"Right? Acting all high and mighty."
"Did you see when her gown got ripped? Not bad underneath, though."
"Tsk, tsk. Imagine being married to that temper."
Tommy heard every word. The corner of his mouth curled upward, like their mockery was sunlight on his face.
I looked at that expression, and for the first time, the man standing in front of me felt like a complete stranger.
Five years ago, I started seeing Tommy.
He was a poor kid from a backwater clan in the hills who had to scrape together coin for two weeks just to take me out for a decent meal.
To keep him from feeling the weight of it, I buried the truth, that I was the only daughter and sole heir of the Valente Family. I rented a cramped room, rode the bus, and sat with him at the food carts on the corner.
