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“Julia, uh…” I grimaced. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any idea what to call you, either.” I wasn’t going to take any risks guessing at that one.
“Angel would do just fine, Julia,” she returned. “Angel O’Hare.”
“Oh,” my mouth was moving before I could stop myself. “Devin kept your name when…”
Angel O’Hare raised a perfect eyebrow, her brilliant blue eyes almost seeming to pierce into me. “Devin is an O’Hare, not a Torro. That much is certain.”
“Remember that detail,” Devin muttered, “there’ll be a test later.”
“And since we’ve gotten that out of the way,” Angel continued, “you need to tell me why you’ve brought the Mahoney girl to my house.”
So much for Devin claiming that topic would occupy her for our entire meeting. Devin was shooting her a bemused look that quickly softened. “Of course you already know who she is.”
“You know what I’ve always said to you, Devin: it’s the people you don’t see who are destined to be the most trouble for you.”
“That sometimes comes true in the most interesting of ways,” Devin muttered. “Do you know why I’ve brought Julia here today?”
“I’ve left that as an exercise for you to surprise me with,” said Angel, which seemed like a really big-attitude way of admitting she had no way of figuring it out.
Devin squeezed my hand again. “Julia has agreed to become my wife… well, to begin the process of preparing to become my wife.”
“What!” Angel looked at me again with a kind of interest I didn’t think I liked. “Is this some goofball plan they’ve come up with to clear their debt?”
“It was my idea. I’m more than happy to forgive the debt for the privilege of humiliating them,” said Devin.
Angel crossed her ankles. “Well I don’t disagree in principle. She’s not much of a find though, is she?”
Devin’s grip on my hand was starting to hurt, and I wasn’t having any luck getting his attention to make him let go of me. “I see her having potential.”
“Ah yes, potential… the metric of underachievers.” Angel smirked at me like she’d been waiting to use that one on someone for a long time. “I’ve been looking forward to an opportunity arising to use that one.”
I wasn’t going to take that jab and just stay silent. “I’m so happy for you.”
I cringed into Devin’s side when Angel began looking me up and down in a new, much more appraising way, hating that it actually felt good to be close to him like that. I didn’t think he felt much of anything in return.
“I appreciate your spirit,” she said. “But that is only going to take you so far. You’re clearly defensive when it comes to your own flaws, but that in itself is a weakness in this world. Nobody else can make this situation easier for you, no matter what bull you feed them.”
She stood and walked away abruptly, leaving me blinking at the empty seat where she’d been. It was like she’d forgotten we were talking entirely… but then her voice floated back across the room. “What am I expected to contribute to this, Devin? I could offer you a jewel you can give her, something to set in a new band. We can call it a family heirloom.”
“There’s an interesting idea.” Devin turned to me. “Did you have a ring in mind already, or would you be happy to accept something from my mother?”
That wasn’t really a question, was it? “It’s fine with me.”
“Well then,” said Angel, “what sort of jewels do you like?”
My parents had given me tiny diamonds on significant dates, but I’d never spent any time thinking about what I did and didn’t like in jewels. They weren’t really my style in general. “Um?
?? what’s valuable?”
Devin’s expression darkened into an actual glare, but Angel seemed less offended. “Ha!” There was a squeak and a scrape from the sideboard she was fidgeting with. “I’m going to give you something good.” She walked back over with an almost invisible object cupped in her hands. When I peered more closely at her offering, I was startled by how much that tiny stone glittered. “You can select a band that suits your tastes and won’t embarrass us too much, and we’ll have it made up before the week is out.”
“Mother, we’re going to need some assistance on the legal side of this,” Devin put in. “I’ve agreed to give Julia an allowance of a certain amount in return for her participation in this project, and I think it’s important going forward that she has assurance that I will honour that deal.”
“Now,” said Angel, “and not once matters are a little more settled?” She turned to Devin while still holding that little diamond out to me. “Oh,” she said, though Devin hadn’t replied. “Yes, I understand now.”
“Well, thank you for not judging me too harshly,” said Devin in a tone that didn’t sound grateful at all.
“You’ve been an adult for a long time,” Angel replied, “and you don’t come to me to get permission to do something. You are responsible for both your decisions and the consequences of those decisions.” She set the diamond down on the coffee table in front of her seat like it was nothing, a toy. “What sort of arrangement are you coming to here?”
