Page 11 of The Arrogant's Redemption

I feel like I’m walking a razor’s edge.

Nothing has been made official,a voice in my head warns.

All I’ve done so far is hand Jodie a draft of a prenuptial agreement. I haven’t proposed. We’ve talked about marriage, yes, but the more I realize she already sees this as a done deal, the more I question whether I’ve made a mistake.

“Lazarus,” my mother says in that disapproving tone of hers. “This is no time for jokes.”

I ignore her, my attention on Jodie, because something just flashed across her expression which caught my eye. It was quick but unmistakable. For the first time, I saw proof that she’s actually alive, that she has blood in her veins, because even during sex, she can’t let go. That’s one of the main reasons I chose her.

Marrying someone who satisfied me too well in bed would complicate things. If I picked a woman who gave me everything physically—even without love—I might stay faithful longer than I should, and that would lead her to believe there could be something more between us. It’d be a mistake, of course, and she’d end up hurt.

I may be a soulless bastard, but I don’t hurt women intentionally. That’s why I need someone who’s on the same page as I am.

There’s heavy silence around the table. Everyone’s holding their breath, waiting for what I’ll say.

I calmly raise my wine glass to my lips—for the first time all evening—and keep studying Jodie’s face.

Yes, she’s angry, but that’s not what bothers me. In fact, I admire authenticity. What does bother me is that this tiny burst of emotion has pulled the curtain from my eyes.

She’s been pretending this whole time.

There’s not an ounce of acceptance in her face right now, none of the supposed understanding of our deal.

Jodie just made a mistake that’ll destroy whatever expectations she has of me.

I don’t tolerate liars.

Lazarus

CHAPTER SEVEN

“I cameto say goodbye and to make sure you know Mom’s going to lose her mind when she finds out what you’re about to do,” Seth says, stepping into the library after dinner.

After the tension between Jodie and me, my parents pretended nothing had happened, though I’m fairly certain both of them know there won’t be a wedding anymore.

My girlfriend, however, switched right back to sweet mode, as if none of it ever happened.

“She’ll throw a fit for a day or two. She always does when things don’t go her way.”

“It’s worse than that. Mom was already picking out names for the kids. She said, quote: ‘It would be a dream to have a Walton-Seymour grandchild,’ unquote,” he mocks, referencing the union of Jodie’s old-money surname with ours.

“Jesus.”

“Well, either way, I’m heading out. You made the right call, bro.”

“How did you know I wasn’t going through with it?”

“I’m your younger brother. Back when you weren’t such a dick, you were my hero. I learned to read your silences,” he says, and I might be touched if I didn’t know the only difference between Seth and me is experience. Give him a few more years, and he’ll be just as much of a bastard as I am.

“Should I be moved by that?” I ask, swirling the whiskey in my glass.

He places a hand over his heart in mock pain. “Actually, yes. I came to tell you that dumping the leech was the right move. And I don’t say that because I have something against Jodie, personally. I’m just thinking about our bloodline. I can’t imagine merging our family with hers.”

Right then, Morrison walks into the library. “Yeah, it’d be like crossing the Medicis with the Lannisters?1. The world’s not ready for that level of toxicity,” our cousin says dryly, and Seth laughs.

“How’s the master’s going?” I ask my brother.

“You suddenly care about my coursework, when you’re standing at the edge of your own life decision?”

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