Page 243 of Vexatious Queen

“For God’s sake. He’s not in my room, this is our room,” I said, and Mum’s head snapped in my direction.

“I’m sorry, did you just say your room? As in the two of you share this room?”

Nash looked like he might try to bolt out the door.

Chicken shit.

He would step in front of a bullet for me, but didn’t want to be in the same room with my mother and me. I shook my head at him.

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

“I’ve never heard of this. Dean Henry said this isn’t your room. In fact, I know that it’s against school policy to stay in a boy’s room. So can you explain to me why…you’re staying in here?”

She looked at Nash, her glare stripping him down from his head to his feet, and her face screwing up with obvious disgust.

“Is this Nash’s room? Are you two…dating?”

She finally managed to get the word out as if that was the worst thing in the world.

Well, if she thought dating Nash was horrifying, I was about to blow her mind. There was a sick little part of me that was excited to throw this in her face.

“We’re not dating,” I said, and held up my hand with the wedding ring. Her eyes immediately focused on it. “We’re married.”

My mother stepped back, her face draining of all color.

“You’re what?”

She clutched her chest and took a gulping breath of air. Suddenly, her eyes went wide and unfocused as she turned her head and looked at Nash.

“I’m going to kill you.”

My mother had never flipped a switch like this before. She was full of rage, her body tense as she stalked toward him.

“Oh shit,” Nash swore and then backed up as my mother advanced.

I ran across the room and got between her and Nash.

“Mum, stop.”

She pointed at Nash, her face morphing like she was someone else, seeing someone else.

“How dare you force my daughter to marry you! You’re despicable, disgusting⁠—”

“Mum!”

“Don’t worry, I’m going to fix this. I’ll slit his throat and take the blame,” Mum snarled as she reached for something shiny in her boot. Jesus. I thought it would blow her mind, not that she would lose it completely.

“Stop! Right now!”

She looked at Nash and then me, blinking as if she were trying to clear her vision.

“Ren, I can get you out of this. You don’t need to be stuck in this marriage.”

“I don’t want you to get me out of it. I accepted Nash’s proposal. I love him,” I said, but that didn’t seem to calm her down.

Mum marched away, then turned back when she noticed his hand on my waist. She snarled like a dog. I’d never seen her like this.

“Mum, look at me. This is not you.”