Still, if she had no interest in being a godmother, she shouldn’t have volunteered. From what I’ve heard, my grandfather brought it up with her father as a half-drunk joke when I was an infant, and she jumped at the opportunity. Probably because she thought she might be able to get at the Hayworth fortune through me—until she learned that my aunt is the one in charge of my trust. I can’t imagine any other reason for how little interest Zoe’s shown me in the last twenty-nine years.
Why am I surrounded by leeches?It’s like somebody put a hex on me.
“What are you thinking?” Zoe says, pulling me out of my melancholy reveries.
“Leeches.”
She frowns, then laughs. “Silly girl. Eat.”
She thinks I’m joking. But if she knew me at all, she wouldn’t. I move my pasta around without taking a bite. Zoe glances at me from time to time between bites, but doesn’t comment. She might not have noticed I haven’t taken a single bite. But then, that’s how self-centered people are.
I really miss Ares. If he were here, I’d feel more secure—
Oh no. Stop it. When did I become so needy? I’m not the kind of person who waits around for a Prince Charming to come rescue her.
He’s no prince. He’s a knight.
Whatever,I scoff at my inner voice. Let’s say he does magically show up—then what? I have to rescue myself, take care of myself and keep myself safe. Even as my head says the foodprobablyisn’t tainted, every time I look at Zoe’s face, I get unpleasant chills and can’t make myself put anything in my mouth. She’s the kind of person who wouldn’t think twice aboutpoisoning me. And unlike Doris, she wouldn’t bother calibrating the dosage. She’d dump in as much as she could, for the quickest and surest result.
“What are you doing in L.A.? Aren’t you busy in Nesovia?” I pat myself on the back for keeping resentment out of my tone.
“I’m always busy, but how could I stay in Nesovia when Doris invited me to your wedding in Vegas? Guess she wanted some kind of mother figure for you, to make the ceremony look more complete.”
Mother figure, my ass. “A real mother figure wouldn’t have let me marry Rupert.”
“And you didn’t.” Zoe’s smile widens, cold amusement in her eyes. “Sadly enough, Doris forgot to mention that her son’s so incompetent he lost the bride to another man.”
“Why? Were you planning to help him?” This time, grievance bleeds into my voice.
She laughs. “What does Rupert’s idiocy have to do with me? He could stab his own dick with a fork, and I couldn’t care less.”
I cock an eyebrow, inwardly agreeing with her last statement in spite of my misgivings about her.
“So. How’s your marriage going?” she asks.
“It’s none of your business, is it? We both know you didn’t show up because you care about my personal life.” I didn’t mean to sound so petty.
“Sure it is.” She props an elbow on the table and rests her chin in her hand. Her gaze glitters with icy satisfaction. “After all, you’re my only daughter-in-law.”
“I am?”
“Didn’t Ares tell you?” Hurt flashes in her eyes, but then disappears so fast I can’t be sure I didn’t imagine it. But I’m not feeling generous enough to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“I met his mother already. Akiko.”
“Thatcunt,” Zoe spits. Fury burns in her gaze. If Akiko were here right now, Zoe might stab her with the spaghetti fork.
“If bycuntyou meanlovely person, then yes, I agree.”
Zoe shoots me a sharp look. “Are you on her side?”
“No. I’m on the side of truth.”
She stares at me with absolutely soulless eyes. I don’t look away. I can stare her down just as well as anybody.
“Do you honestly think you have what it takes to win Ares over?”
She might have followed her son and me to L.A., but knows nothing about our marriage. Otherwise she wouldn’t make such a ridiculous statement. There’s nowinning him overbecause I’m not what he wants. And to be honest, the more I think about it, the less I’m convinced I can change into what hedoeswant. I’m going to be thirty soon. When and how am I going to suddenly find a career that’s going to keep me busy? I won’t have to work to make ends meet. And nine to five, Monday through Friday, hoping he’ll come home early enough that we can have dinner together? If I live my life like that, I’ll probably begin to resent Ares.
