Page 35 of Her Overprotective Fiance

"No!"

And it'snotbecause hot drinks remind me of my unhappy childhood.

Honest!

We pass by the kids' bedroom on the way, and my irritation temporarily subsides as I watch Maryse place a kiss on baby Ingrid's cheeks and ruffle Tom Jr.'s hair. It still feels surreal every time I'm confronted with the reality that Maryse is now both a wife and a mother, and a damn good one at that.

The night nurse closes the door behind us, and Maryse's gaze turns mischievous when she looks at me.

"What?" I ask warily.

"One day it will be your turn—-"

"Ugh."

"And then I'll be the one to tease you about being a barefoot contessa."

"Over my dead fucking body!"

And so we end up bickering back and forth just like how Cat and I ended up agreeing to disagree earlier this day. What is it about Giancarlo Marchetti that always puts me at odds with my friends?

"You just don't understand," I say angrily as I stomp past her to open the door to their second-floor music room.

But Maryse only nods while pouring herself a cup of tea.

"You're not even taking me seriously—-"

"Because you haven't yet said anything worth taking seriously."

Grr.

Has she forgotten she's supposed to play the role of my unpaid armchair therapist? She's supposed to agree with whatever I say, dammit!

"You don't hate him, Sari. You never did. And what I don't get is why you insist on lying to yourself about this all the time."

I throw myself on Maryse's leather couch, which isn't just massive but proves to be massively comfortable, too.

You always take his side," I grouch. "But if you knew the realhim—-"

"I know the realyou, though—-"

"He's just sosmug," I go on ranting since what Maryse just said is absolutely irrelevant.

"Andconceited—-"

"While you, on the other hand, have not a single proud bone in your body? Is that it?"

"You're missing the point!"

This is about Giancarlo, not me!

"Okay, fine," Maryse concedes. "Maybe Iammissing the point. So enlighten me. Why do you hate him?"

"Because!"

"You'd have to do better with that."

Her lips twitch as she says this, and I bite back a groan.

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