Not mine

Chapter 13

He pushed her away as quickly as he catched her.

Anthony didn't ask her if she was okey or not.

He just left her on her own.

When they entered the house, Emilia took Sophia with her letting the boys together. She was so impatient to see the rings as if she was the one that was going to get married! 

Anthony and Oliver let the ladies to be alone. They went to the studying room. They needed to talk about a lot of things especially about Anthony's wedding that was a total shock for Oliver. He would have never imagined even in his wildest dreams that Anthony would get engaged to someone else than Luisa. He wanted to hear the story, he wanted to understand the situation. 

_"So now, would you explain me , how the hell did you got engaged?" He asked with determination, seeking for information at the moment that they entered the room and was alone. 

_"It's a long story." Was all that Anthony answered him with a hint of defeat in his voice. He didn't want to talk about that anymore. He didn't want to remember every time that he was getting married to an another woman, other than his Luisa. 

_"well, we have all night to talk about that." Replied casually Oliver while he was unbuttoning his jacket to make himself comfortable. He didn't want Anthony to escape to his questions although he knew that Anthony didn't want to talk. 

Anthony took a bottle of whiskey and poured himself a drink. 

_"Want some?" He asked if Oliver wanted to drink too. 

_"just a little." He replied and Anthony offered him his glass. 

At his turn, Anthony undid his tie, and unbutton his jacket, made himself comfortable and take a sit. Ready or not, he knew that Oliver won't let him go until he got what he wanted. 

_"Tell me one thing, how did you get engaged to Sophia although you are obsessed with Luisa?" Oliver took a sip of his drink."... don't tell me that you too broke up?" He asked with happiness on his face. Oliver and Luisa had never got along. Oliver has always considered Luisa to be a poisson to Anthony since the day they met and not even once had he tried to hid his feeling towards Luisa to Anthony. On the contrary, he has always been against their relationship, and would show it to Anthony. Though, he had never done something nasty to destroy their couple. Yes, he was against it but he was Anthony's friend and he respected his decision. Anthony has never knew why he didn't Like Luisa.

_" It is an arranged wedding." He said. 

_"Arranged wedding, it still exists at this time?" Asked Oliver seeing how absurd that idea was. 

_"Apparently my father judge me to be a little boy, not able to choose my own wife." Anthony was full of bitterness and sarcasm. 

_"About that...I think that your father is right." replied Oliver mockingly but was not in the mood to jock he just look at him with murderer gaze, daring him to continue. 

_"So you and Luisa...? Are you now...?" He asked curiously. 

_"Are you kidding? Of course no! And that won't never happen! "

_"So correct me if I'm wrong but you are engaged to Sophia...but you are still with Luisa?" It was not really a question it was more like him explaining to himself the situation. 

_"Yes." 

_"Wow, you really got into a shitty situation." Oliver understood in what kind of trouble his friend has gotten into. 

_"And Luisa accepted that?" He asked suspicious. Of course he was suspicious, what kind of a girl would like to allow his lover to get engaged to an another girl and woul chose the to play the role of the other woman! 

_"Hardly." Anthony explained to Oliver what made Luisa accept the situation. He told him that it was him who begged her to stay with him and to not let him go. Ho told him too that it was the opportunity to show his father that Luisa was the one that he need and Oliver just listened at him carefully till he finished his story. 

_"Maybe that your father was right..." Said Oliver carefully. 

_"what do you mean?" 

_"I mean...maybe that this wedding is not that bad...who knows...maybe you'll actually love the girl." Oliver said nonchalantly, sipping his drink. 

_"That I will love that girl?" Anthony asked with disbelief. Firstly, to love that girl, he needed first to not love Luisa anymore, thing that is so impossible for him. Secondly, falling with love with Sophia. Of it was an another girl there would be chance for him but Sophia? A girl that is so materialistic... that was impossible. 

_" Are you kidding me? I will never love that kind of a woman that Sophia is!" He said that with all the hatred hat he felt in his body. 

Oliver didn't understand why was he hating Sophia so much. From what he saw when he was with her, Sophia seemed to be such a gentle girl, so nice to others or maybe that he missed something. 

_"Why would you say that?" He asked. He wanted to understand Anthony's hatred towards the girl. 

Is he doing it on purpose or is the man really that stupid to not see the type of a woman that Sophia is! Anthony couldn't believe what he was hearing! Wasn't it already obvious?  

_"Because Sophia is the type of woman that is interested in money. Money is all she think of. Everything that she is. doing is motivated by money." 

_"Are you sure of that?" Oliver didn't share the same perception as his friend. He got that kind of a strong feeling inside of someone that tells him that Sophia was not that kind of girl. 

_"Of course...If she was not the kind of a girl that is not interested then tell me, why would she accept to marry someone that she has never met? Huh? Anthony asked angrily as if it was Oliver who forced him to get married. 

_"Well maybe that she has her reason, like you do." Oliver defended her. 

_"Well that reason must really be important..." He said with sarcasm, not believing at all that it was not money beyond that. "...so important that she decided to break someone's engagement!" He laughed bitterly. 

_"She was not the one who forced you to marry her." 

_"Yes, she was not but if at the first place she haven't accepted that, my father wouldn't have forced me to marry her!" 

_"You are being irresponsible you know! You blame the poor girl for your father's decision." 

_ "The poor girl?" Laughed Anthony at what Oliver said. 

_"She is all except a defenseless girl!" Said Anthony still laughing. "She knew that I was already with someone yet she accepted to marry me!" 

_"You sure that she knew about you and Luisa?" 

_"Of course she knew. Who in New York don't know about me and Luisa? Our relationship is talked everywhere, in all magazines! And you tell me that she didn't know? Please!" 

Anthony was right, everyone in New York knew about their relationship. They talked about it in every magazines and tabloids, plastering them as the "best couple ever". But what he didn't know was that Sophia lived abroad and she was not the kind to read magazines. 

_"Or doing an error...your are despising the wrong girl." Oliver warned him. "I've been with her all the afternoon and I can assure you that Sophia is a nice and gentle girl, she isn't as like you describe her!" 

Anthony couldn't believe that Oliver would actually say that! That He would defend Sophia like that! This man has gone crazy, that's what he thought about Oliver. 

_"Have you gone mad? What the hell are you talking about!" He said angrily. "What did she gave to you to make you talk nonsense like that!" 

_"I'm fine and she didn't give me anything!" 

_"Then why are you talking nonsense like that? I can't believe that you are defending that girl!" 

For Anthony, Oliver was lost. He has been bewitched , Sophia got him in her trap.  

_"You've been traped by that girl as I see." Anthony said pitying his friend.

_"It is you who are blinded by your hatred." Replied Oliver.  

Anthony and Oliver stopped their discussion. It was obvious that they won't have the same thought about the girl, and that they will never get along about it. They respected each other's choice. They won't impose their liking to one another. If one's didn't like such person then be it. 

Sophia and Emilia was in the living room talking about the rings and some preparations for the wedding. They haven't found yet Sophia's wedding dress so Emilia showed her a catalog of dresses made by her french stylist. They didn't have that much time left anymore, the wedding day was so close. 

Sophia scrolled the pages one by one, hoping that she would found her wedding dress. In one the the page there was it... printed with all its glory. She found it. She found her dress. Ot was a simple backless dress with long a long sleeve, so simple yet elegant as she loved it. 

The two men got out of the studying and Mrs Emilia rushed to close the catalog. Yeah, it was because of the seeing the wedding dress before the wedding curse. 

_"What are you hiding?" Anthony asked to his mother intrigued while the men took seats in front of the ladies. 

_"Oh, nothing." She waved her hand at his question. "...just some girl's book." She added and Anthony didn't continue the conversation. 

_"Have you seen the rings already?" Asked his mother trying to change the discussion. Somehow, trough her talking with Sophia, she learned that Anthony didn't accompany Sophia but it was Oliver. She didn't mind it though, she herself being the wife of a business man understand perfectly that their will be some times where they've got to be alone. 

_"No I haven't!" It was Sophia's fault, she tried to talk to him on the way but he just didn't give her mind. 

_"Then, look at them." Emilia handed him the rings. Before his mother, Anthony couldn't refuse to take a look at them in spite of his boredom. 

He took the boxes where the rings was. He opened the boxes one by one. He opened the box where the engagement ring was first. He was expecting some big ring with big diamond, the most expensive of all but to his surprise,he found a simple ring, too ample to his taste but it was beautiful, he couldn't deny it. The blue stone on it, he loved it. And after the engagement ring, he opened the box of the wedding rings. As the first one, they were simple too but elegant. In one sentence, they were to his taste. But Anthony won't give to Sophia the pleasure to be satisfied. 

_"Can you please try your wedding ring?" Sophia asked him with hesitation. He didn't come with her so she was still worried that the ring won't fit his hand. 

_"It is not necessary. I will fit me." Anthony placed the boxes of the ring on the table. 

Sophia didn't push it any further. Anthony didn't want to try them and she let it that way but his mother didn't.

_"Oh boy, come on. Don't be so shy." Emilia took the box and handed it other her son.

Anthony took the box but replaced them on the table again saying that it was not necessary. 

Emilia being a stubborn woman, took the box and handed them to Sophia. Sophia was confused of what does the woman wanted her to do. 

_"Take it and you make him try it if he don't want to try them." Said Emilia with authority. 

Sophia was surprised by the demand. And afraid too. 

_"Me?" She asked with indecision, wondering if she really have to do it. 

_"Of course you! Am not I talking to you?"

With trembling hand, she took the box and stand up from her chair. She got to Anthony with trembling knees fearing his fear. 

Anthony just look at her with a murdering gaze, without saying anything. 

Reaching the spot where Anthony was, Oliver gave her voluntary his seat and moved next to Emilia to let her seat next to Anthony. 

She took seat next to Anthony but looked over Emilia asking if she really has to do it. Emilia nodded. 

She was so close to him, Anthony's hand was placed on his knees so she had to bent to reach it. She could feel Anthony's respirations on her neck. It was so hot and it made her provoked goose bumps all over her body. She Took the box and took the ring. She then take Anthony's hand...it was so big comparing to her little hand and so firm. 

She was surprised when suddenly, Anthony retraced his hand from her touch, took the ring on her hand and wear it himself. 

_"Look, it fits... satisfied?" Showed his finger angrily to his mother.