HIS POSSESSION

3.Matteo

She hesitated for a moment. "I don't know." She shrugged. "From being looked at, I guess."

"I see." He nodded slowly. "In that case, I shouldn't be here then. I'm sorry."

He turned to leave; that caught her off guard.

She was used to men insisting on her attention, even when she made it obvious she wanted to be left alone. And while she knew Matteo had been watching her with interest for quite some time, she didn't exactly want him to leave.

Not yet.

Besides, there was something surprisingly perceptive about his response. If he'd insisted on staying after what she'd said, she was certain she would have wanted him gone. Somehow, he had understood that her words meant exactly what she'd said.

She didn't want to be seen.

"You don't have to go," she murmured, almost testing whether he'd hear her.

He immediately stopped and turned around.

"Yeah?" His eyes brightened, and a smile spread across his face. Emma could swear it was the cutest smile she'd ever seen on someone who looked as stern as him.

He returned and sat beside her, turning slightly in her direction, his smile still there. She suddenly wished she'd come to the wedding with him.

Maybe Derek wouldn't have stared at her so smugly if he'd seen her with someone taller, more handsome, and infinitely sexier than him.

"I'm Matteo." He held out his hand.

"Emma." She placed her hand in his and immediately felt the warmth of his palm. She almost didn't want to let go. It felt strangely comforting, but she eventually slipped her hand away.

"So, are you from the bride's side or the groom's?" she asked.

She needed to know. If he was a friend or relative of Derek's, she could put an end to whatever excitement was beginning to grow inside her. It didn't matter anyway. She wasn't planning to ever see him again after tonight.

After Derek, she couldn't imagine herself falling for anyone again. Even if her stomach did something embarrassingly strange whenever Matteo looked at her. Was this the feeling people described as butterflies in their stomachs?

He stared at her for a moment, a knowing smile playing on his lips. He knew what was going through her head when she asked him that.

"Neither," he finally answered.

"How come?" She chuckled. "Wait. If you're not related to either of them, do you work with Derek?"

"No."

"You're a friend of the bride?"

"I know neither of them." He shook his head before she brought up any more probabilities.

Emma blinked.

"You want to hear something crazy?" He asked almost immediately.

"Okay?"

"I wasn't even invited to this wedding."

Her eyes widened, "What?"

He chuckled.

"No way. You're lying." She couldn't believe him.

"I'm not. I have no reason to."

She laughed. "There's no f*****g way they let you into a wedding without an invitation."

"I wasn't exactly stopped."

"So, wait. You just enjoy popping into weddings uninvited?"

"Absolutely not."

"Then why are you here?"

"To meet someone." His answer was vague enough to make her curious.

"Wow." She smiled. "Must be important."

"Yeah." He nodded. "It is."

"What about you?" he asked, even though he already knew. "Friend of the groom, I'm assuming?" He probed, knowing that was the only way to ease up the anger in her heart.

Emma hesitated. But she wasn't planning to see him again anyway.

"A bit more than that." She fiddled with her fingers, the smile disappearing from her face. "He's my ex."

Matteo remained silent.

"And I know it sounds stupid that I'm at my ex's wedding, but I thought I'd come and show him that I'm doing just fine without him." She gave a small, embarrassed laugh. "It's stupid, right?"

"Not really." He shook his head. "And even if it is, it's okay to do stupid things when you're in love."

"Pfft." She scoffed, almost offended by the suggestion. "I didn't do this because of love. I don't love him anymore. It was more of a hate reason." Her expression hardened. "I hate him so much. You have no idea. He almost ruined my life."

Matteo listened without interrupting.

"When we broke up, I almost got fired because I cried so much during work hours. I was barely productive, and they were already considering letting me go because a coworker anonymously reported me to HR."

She swallowed, then continued.

"I fought so hard to get into that company. My whole career could have been gone because of him if I hadn't pulled myself together."

"But maybe you're right." She sighed. "I did do a lot of stupid things when I loved him. A whole lot of stupid things I'm too ashamed to admit."

She turned toward Matteo. He was still listening. Actively listening even. There was no judgment in his expression, no impatience, no attempt to tell her what she should have done differently.

She smiled. That was new for her; talking to a man that was actually listening.

"You don't look like you'd do stupid things for love," she said, attempting to turn the conversation back toward him. She'd already noticed that he didn't say much about himself.

Matteo chuckled.

"Maybe I do."

"You?"

"Yes."

"But you seem so..." She searched for the right word. "Collected." She found the word.

"That's probably because I tend to lean more into doing crazy things for love..."

Her eyebrows lifted.

"Really? What's one crazy thing you've done for someone you loved?"

"I've never been in love before."

She stared at him.

"Never?"

He shook his head.

"I've only recently felt what it feels like to be in love."

Emma blinked. Then she laughed.

"Are you insinuating that you're in love with me?" She asked playfully. His lips twitched with a half smile. "Because if so, we've just met."

Matteo laughed too, but didn't answer.

It became quiet in the hallway as they simply sat there, staring at the wall in front of them. Eventually, Emma rose to her feet.

"We should go back to the party. My friend must be looking for me by now."

Matteo stood too. They walked back toward the reception hall side by side. As soon as they entered, Emma immediately began looking around for Becca and didn't see her so she pulled out her phone and called her.

"Where are you?"

"Almost at your place," Becca answered.

"What?"

"I thought you left already! Where are you?" Becca returned the question.

"At Derek's wedding, where else?"

"Oh s**t," She heard Becca. "I'm sorry, love. Really thought you had left."

"You left me?" Emma sighed.

"You disappeared with that guy, now that I think of it. I just assumed you left with him."

Emma glanced at Matteo after Becca said that. He was standing a few feet away, watching her with an amused expression.