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ABI
“Your ring is absolutely gorgeous.”
I follow Carmen’s gaze to my hand and nervously adjust the heavy diamond to sit in the middle of my ring finger. My chest tightens, but it has nothing to do with Colter’s family at the moment. As my eyes take in the ring, too reminiscent of the one I already gave up, memories flood and regret seeps in. For a minute, it’s as if my old life came back, swallowed me whole, and the universe is merely mocking me.
I should have thrown the son of a bitch in the ocean. Instead, I left it on my bedside table for Devin to find. Maybe then it wouldn’t have managed to find me again.
“Thanks.”
“Ohhh let me see,” Nemma tosses the kitchen knife she was using to chop onions on the counter and sashays over to Carmen and me. A few of the other women in the kitchen, most of whom I can’t remember their names, peek over as well. Carmen and I were assigned the task of slicing vegetables, but Nemma took over that about twenty minutes ago. She took over the other cousins’ jobs, as well, one by one, since we’ve been in here, so mostly everyone is standing around in their own conversations while we pretend we’re helping. I’m learning quickly Nemma is a bit of a control freak.
She lifts my hand and literal tears well in her eyes as she presses her free hand over her heart. “Oh my,” she chuckles and wipes underneath her eyes. “It is absolutely stunning, darling. Our Colter did good.”
Our Colter.
“Thank you, I think so too.” I smile and ease my hand back to lay flat on the counter. I don’t look at it. Maybe if I can’t see it I’ll forget it’s there, but that doesn’t seem likely.
“So how did you two meet?” Carmen asks.
Nemma goes back to the vegetables, but she keeps her eyes on me, an excited glint telling me she wants to know too. There’s no animosity toward Colter coming from these women, and it makes me question if he was telling the truth when he said he hadn’t seen them in years.
They act like they haven’t missed a beat.
“I worked a function he attended, and we hit it off. We’ve been stuck together ever since.”
“You’re an event coordinator?” Carmen asks, with a slice of snobbery. Or is it disapproval? I don’t know. I can’t tell what this woman’s agenda is. Protective cousin? It doesn’t quite seem that way.
“No, actually, I worked for a catering company. I was a server.”
“Oh.” Carmen’s eyes widen, and she glances toward Nemma.
A smile spreads across Nemma’s face. “I always knew Colter would fall in love with a working-class girl, didn’t I, Carmen?” She doesn’t wait for Carmen to respond before continuing. “Money never did suit him… heaven knows he’d never take a nickel from Syrus, no matter how hard my husband tries.” Her face goes sad for the briefest of seconds before she blinks and smiles again. “Well, we are so happy to have you as family, honey. I can tell Colter really loves you, and I hope you know we love you too. Anything you need, you give us a call, you understand?”
There’s an awkward smile stuck on my face, and I don’t know whether to be touched, insulted, or confused by all that. I nod and flick my gaze between Carmen and Nemma. “Thanks, that means a lot.”
“Of course.”
Carmen and Nemma move into gossip about some guy named Victor, who isn’t here, and I tune them out. My mind fogs with confusion, and I spend the next several minutes trying to sort it out.
What are we here for?
Colter made it sound like we were proverbial rabbits having dinner with a pack of wolves. He acted like he had nothing to do with his family. I turn my head and stare out the entryway to the kitchen. Where is he?
“I wonder why Colter didn’t introduce us sooner,” I say once their conversation seems to come to an end. It feels wrong, like I’m violating Colter somehow. He made it clear he didn’t want to tell me about his history, and he told me absolutely nothing of his family. I was blindsided coming here today, and maybe if he’d clued me in on what this would really be like, I wouldn’t have a brain that feels like mush right now.
Guilt sits at the back of my mind, but overbearing curiosity takes the front. I pick at my fingernails instead of looking at either woman, but I can sense the tension that fills the air and see them exchange a glance out of the corner of my eye.
I glance up at Nemma and regret saying anything after seeing the sad look on her face.
“Unfortunately, Colter hasn’t come around since his father passed… It’s been too painful for him. But I’m sure you know about that.”
“Actually, I didn’t,” I say, regret in my tone. “Colter hasn’t told me much about his past. He says he likes to focus on moving forward.”
Nemma gives a sad, knowing smile and nods.
“How did his father die?”
Carmen taps on the counter, and my gaze moves to her. Her face doesn’t show sadness, it shows contempt. She looks pissed. “If he didn’t tell you, then he doesn’t want you to know.”
