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Rena: Fuck.
And that’s how I know Rena gets it because someone else might think that’s worth celebrating. She knows it’s like a trip to the gallows.
Me: Yeah.
Rena: So, your politicians?
Me: Still the plan.
Rena: Then, I guess enjoy him while you can.
Me: I have a date tonight—aka a hearing to determine my sentencing for political eye-candy incarceration—so I think that ship has sailed.
Or sunk. My beautiful wreckage.
Rena: I’m so sorry, girl. I wish I had some advice, but sadly, we’re both fucked.
Me: Yep.
My phone rings, interrupting our texting. It’s my mom, so I answer, knowing she’s going to want the lowdown on my date prep.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, honey. How’s my girl? How’s Ivanna and the baby?”
I jump right into the latter, happy to avoid the inevitable for as long as possible. “Felicity is the sweetest and so feisty. But Ivy is as strong as ever, handling motherhood like a champ.”
“That petite little thing probably already has her figure back, doesn’t she?” My mother adores all things Ivy, but anyone who invests in knowing her does. She has a way of invading people.
I laugh, thinking about how incredible she looks already. “She’s not far.”
“And how about you? Are you ready for your big night?”
I shimmy up against my headboard, shoulders pulling back. “I am.”
“Did you pick your dress?” she asks.
“Yes. The red one.”
“A bold choice,” she praises. “It will certainly make you unforgettable, which is the goal.”
“Right.” Just unforgettable to the wrong person. I pushed the one I can’t stop thinking about away. And it seems he’s moved on. Like I asked him to.
“Cee … give this a real shot, please.” My mother always hears what isn’t said. “I know you’re having fun, playing house with Ivy’s … men.”
This again. This is the nonsense that had me questioning Liam about Ivy when I knew the answer already. I see how they are together, how he looks at her and how he looks at me, but my mother’s input made me doubt. Not that it matters.
“She has one man—Wells,” I correct. “The rest are her family.”
“Regardless, it’s not the place for you.” Her voice chills with irritation. Here we go. “Hanging around with those thugs is dangerous.”
“They aren’t thugs,” I balk, unable to do this again. It’s like she forgets who she is. “No more than Dad is, and you married him. They’re sweet and smart. Wells treats Ivy like a queen. Any woman should be so fortunate. Gage bakes with her all the time and loves period drama. Ty has a way of tapping into the heart of a person, like he’s rescuing the world one battered soul at a time. And Liam … Liam is so many things. He’s a genius for one. Devoted. And funny. And much deeper than anyone would expect. And all of them are phenomenal with that little girl.”
“Celeste,” she hisses. “I’m sure they’re wonderful in many ways. Natasha has said as much. But Natasha also recognizes the other side of it, which is that Ivy’s life and the life of her precious baby hang in the balance every single day because of them. So, forgive me if I am unwilling to lose another child.”
“Your other child died in an accident,” I snap, hopping off the bed to pace. “What’s to prevent that from being my fate? You can’t encase me in a bubble.”
“I’ve never believed for a second that your brother’s death was an accident, Cee. If you’re looking at that world as an option, then wake up. Because choosing it means inescapable pain. Death surrounds them in all they do. When I got married, I didn’t understand. I want you as far from it as possible.”
