Page 88 of Ruling Scar
Elijah
Russet and Sailor are the only things that make Max’s penthouse bearable.
Before his wife’s arrival, he lived in a cold and unlivable house. She added a breath of fresh air in the form of theReal Housewivesand now there’s a delightful smattering of baby toys strewn around the living room.
Not that I’d ever admit that the sight of a baby warms my heart.
But turns out I’m not as heartless as people believe.
Sailor’s six months old and still the best gift to this planet, barring yours truly.
Roma, however, has this nasty habit of monopolizing her when we come over.
I tried to persuade Leonora to go to dinner with me. She wasn’t having it just like she refused to come back home with me after Isolde’s party last night.
She says everything is fine, but it’s clearly not and that’s annoying the hell out of me. When Russet called to invite me to dinner, I took the offer, merely to get out of the house and because I love Sailor the most out of everyone in my family.
Empty plates litter the dining table, and Albert lies beside me on the rug. Roma holds the baby, cooing up at her.
“You guys are so boring.” Russet appears, setting down a tray of cupcakes. Red velvet—my favorite. “You’re not even talking to one another.”
“What would you like us to say?” Max holds a newspaper in front of his face. We’re both content to sit reading the paper.
“For starters, I don’t know. . .” She really doesn’t because she wanders between the dining room and kitchen. She sets some sort of boring looking pastry in front of her husband.
The asshole doesn’t understand how good he’s got it.
Roma makes a noise and the paper in my hand twitches. “What?” I ask him.
He wipes his face clean. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You made a noise.”
“Are you doing well, brother?” he asks, holding Sailor over his head.
“Quite.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“It just seems like throughout dinner you were rather grumpy.”
Russet sucks icing off her thumb. “Are you okay, Elijah?”
“Yes.”
“You do seem a little grumpy,” she replies.
Roma makes a face at Sailor. “Is that what we call girl trouble these days?”
The moment he sets my niece down, I will murder him.
“Elijah’s dating Lennie,” he says.
His breaths are truly numbered.
Max lowers his newspaper. Between the frown and his glasses, he’s the epitome of fatherly concern, but his wife perks up. “Lennie Akatov? That’s great. I love her!”
