Page 21 of Severed Rivalry
I allow it, not in small part because of the blue boxes which means the cereal is necessary.
“Née? You won’t understand.” I hold up a hand when she attempts to interrupt me. “And that’s because I haven’t given you the data to understand it, but please trust me. It’s for your good.” At that she rolls her eyes. “I mean it. I’d lay down in front of a speeding train for you. But this is not the time.”
“Why not?”
“Because I said so.” Crap. I promised myself I wouldn’t use that when honesty was a better option.
She throws her hands up as if I’ve made a tragic mistake. Or that she’s the witch in every cartoon movie I didn’t see growing up.
“Wait.” I offer a hand as if I can push the air around her arms down with just a gesture. “That was the wrong answer. The right one is because I’m protecting you. Because I want so much more for your life than the craziness that surrounded mine at your age. Because I’m working my butt off for you to have every possible option laid at your feet when I no longer have you in the nest.”
Her shoulders slump. She’s still very much a teenager, but I can see that one of those things sunk in. How I wish I knew which one.
“Fine.”
All righty, then.
“Need anything for school while we’re here?”
We wander the aisles. I should ask Renée if she’s okay with Cian, with him asking me out, with someone added to our duo, our family. But for one moment, I want to be selfish. Just for now, I’m a woman with a man who’s showing interest and asking what I want and all I want is for things to be easy.
I want to pretend as if the other stuff doesn’t exist.
I want to pretend it won’t always be haunting me.
7
tear down the world
Sariah
“Why aren’t you married?”
That girl needs a good beating. Not literally, of course. I would never, but she’s tempting me to rethink that decision. She’s pushed all my buttons and has moved on to pushing Cian’s.
When he looks at me, his face is surprisingly void of anger. It’s also void of humor. “I only ever considered marrying one person. And she’s been unavailable.” His gaze lingers before sliding away like phantom fingerprints of a caress.
“My mom?”
“Yep.” He smooths the napkin in his lap as he sits under Renée’s stare.
“Why didn’t you marry her in college?”
“I was foolish not to.” He smiles at her. “I was broke, didn’t have a job, and had an apartment I shared with one other guy. It was probably smart she didn’t say yes. I’d bet you wouldn’t say yes under those conditions.”
My daughter’s chin lifts. “Damn right.”
“Mouth,” I interject as Cian releases a belly laugh and drops his palm on the table.
“The more I get to know you, the more I like you. You’re sharp.”
“Thank you.” She forks a bit of mushroom and lemon risotto into her mouth.
“Remind me never to introduce you to my sister.”
Renée stops chewing. The lines between her brows draw together as her lips tip down. She looks affronted.
“I’ll tell you why because I can tell you want to know even without asking.” His focus is so completely on her that she knows she has his attention. Why does that make me a hint jealous? “My sister, Ayla, is trouble. The good kind, but still trouble. The two of you together would terrorize Denver, the Front Range, and every person who got in your collective way.”
