Promises and Pomegranates by Sav R. Miller

In the pit of my stomach, in the fabric of my soul, I know.
I’m in love with my husband.
WHEN WE LAND IN BOSTON, I’m not expecting every news camera in the city
to be waiting at the airport gates, desperate to get an exclusive first look at the
girl kidnapped by Doctor Death.
I don’t know why—maybe because the people in Aplana didn’t seem to
care, or believe the story—but it certainly never crossed my mind that people
would be salivating to hear my side of it.
Kal follows me down the plane stairs, sticking close to my side as we’re
greeted immediately by a security team. The one in front, with a neck as thick
as a tree trunk and olive skin, nods at Kal when we approach.
Cameras flash from behind the glass windows, making me a little dizzy
even as I keep my gaze trained on my shoes. For the first time since leaving
Boston, I’m wearing pink Louboutins, paired with a black Givenchy lace and
velvet minidress I’d never have dared wear while under my parents’ roof.
Or with Mateo, considering the top is sheer and the skirt barely grazes
mid-thigh. He’d have considered that an invitation.
Half of me had been expecting Kal to balk at the attire, or at least try to
get beneath it, but when I came out of the jet’s bathroom, he’d barely noticed
the change at all.
“Best course of action is to just take her straight on through,” the security
guard is saying. “There’s an SUV waiting for you in the parking lot, and it’s
scheduled to take you right to the Riccis’ home front.”
I blink up at Kal. “We’re going to my parents’ first?”
He looks at me quizzically. “Of course. That’s the entire reason we flew
in.”
Butterflies erupt in my stomach, a swarm taking flight all at once. I wrap
my arms around it, trying to ignore the sensation.
Kal’s features harden, and he asks for a second alone. “Elena. What is
it?”
Dread pulses in a harsh stream up and down my spine, my skin burning
up with the weight of my parents’ judgment. Now that we’re back in town, I
can already feel my soul clamoring for their approval, even though neither of