Page 62 of Deceitful Promises

“Fuck you.”

I spit in the bowl.

“Fuckyou.”

We eat dinner in the large, fancy dining room. It’s Teddy—I’m not sure when I stopped thinking of him as Theodore—Mom, Aiden, Mikhail, Dimitri, and me. If somebody had told me when this started that we’d all be sharing a meal together, I would’ve laughed.

“You must miss your wives,” Mom says, looking at Mikhail and Dimitri.

Things seem awkward between the three of them. I get it. My big brothers are staring at a reminder of just how messed up Dad really was. They’re also staring at a reminder that they weren’t the ones to reunite me with my mother. Aiden was.

Aiden is watching me as I move my food around the plate, so I purposefully put a piece of pasta in my mouth and begin chewing slowly.

“Yes, of course,” Dimitri says, “but they understand that we have to put Ania first in this situation.”

“It’s not like the baby’s here yet anyway.”

My tone must come out way darker than I meant. They look at me like I’ve just said something mean.

“Oh, a new life,” Teddy says. “How wonderful.”

“Twonew lives,” I say. “MilaandLia both are going to have babies.”

Aiden is looking at me closely. I wonder if he’s thinking about making me pregnant, subtly telling me to stop ballet, putting me in my princess-shaped place.

“I never knew I wanted children,” Dimitri says, “but I was so happy when I heard the news. I couldn’t believe how happy I was, honestly.”

Mikhail says nothing. He’s watching me just as closely as Aiden is.

I turn to my plate, pushing some more food around.

“Why do you think I keep dropping hints to my son?” Teddy says, laughing.

I grip the fork hard, spear two pieces of pasta, and put them in my mouth. Maybe puking would be better than this conversation.

“But he won’t listen,” Teddy says with a chuckle.

“There’s no rush, Dad,” Aiden mutters.

“Thirty-three isold,” Teddy replies.

“Not sure what that makes me, then,” Dimitri says jokingly.

“You’ve always said you wanted children when you were younger,” Teddy continues.

I look up at Aiden, my heart suddenly fluttering with confused urgency. “Do you?”

“I’ve said it a couple of times. Dad likes to exaggerate.”

“I believe youoncetold me the world would make sense if you could find the right woman and start a family.”

“Hmm. Maybe that was too much beer.”

“Well, do you want kids or not?” I snap, doing my best to ignore how everybody is looking at me like I’ve gone nuts.

“I think most men do,” Aiden says noncommittally.

“You told me if you found the right woman, you’d waste no time?—”

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