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Chapter 15 – No Time for Logic
Ruby
Anxiety tied my stomach up in knots. Our conversation that morning played on a loop in my overworked brain. Knowing I had to tell Yiayia about Vander only made it worse. She probably already knew. God knows, Elisavet spent most of her day on the phone.
On the way home, I rehearsed how and when I would tell her, without Jace catching wind of it. I should have told Vander not to come to the shop when Jace might be there. I did not want those two crossing paths.
Vander belonged to my past, the most painful part. That said a lot because there was serious competition for that dubious distinction. I couldn’t afford to allow him into my present. It had taken me forever to get a grip on my heartbreak and stabilize my mental health. I shuddered to think what it would be like to go through that again with Jace to witness it.
With his appearance yesterday, thoughts of what might have been, hounded me. No sooner did I push those thoughts away, than I thought about what could be.
If I had any hopes of avoiding the conversation with Yiayia, they were quashed as soon as I entered the house. Her bright, inquisitive eyes met me in the front hall.
I laughed at the look on her face, then teased. “Hi, Yiayia.”
Her sparse eyebrows lowered in her dear wrinkled face. “Ela, none of that poulaki mou. Elisavet called. Vander is back.”
“Shh, Yiayia! I don’t want Jace to hear.”
“Why not?” She exclaimed, ready to call the priest to set a wedding date.
“Vander is part of my past. There’s no need to complicate things.”
“Not according to Elisavet, he’s not.”
“Well, who are you going to believe?” I asked, exasperated. “Me or Elisavet?”
She eyed me for a moment before smiling at me fondly, and I relaxed. Then she said, “Elisavet, of course. You never had clear eyes where that boy is concerned.”
“Boy,” I snorted. “He’s hardly a boy.”
She laughed and winked. “Elisavet told me that, too!”
I heard Jace and Alex before I saw them, and I sliced my hand through the air, warning Yiayia not to say anything.
Alex came through the kitchen doorway ahead of Jace, walking backwards, his hands moving expressively as he described an ‘epic fail’ in basketball that day.
Jace walked with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets, his mouth quirked up in his signature half smile, his eyes reflecting his amusement. He caught sight of me over Alex’s head.
His eyes lit up, and my heart expanded.
“Hey, Momma.”
“Hi, agapimeno mou.” I smiled.
Alex spun around and bounded toward me, throwing his arm around my waist, and giving me a squeeze. “Hi, Thia!”
“Hi, glykouli.” I smiled down at him, knowing in a few short years I would be tilting my chin up to do the same.
He released me to Jace, who wrapped both arms around my waist and rested his cheek on my shoulder. “How was your day, Momma?”
I rubbed my hands over his back, noting the bony protrusions. He was growing again. He always got skinny before filling out again.
“I’m good, psychi mou. How about you?”
He released me and shrugged his skinny shoulders. “Good, momma. I was thinking, now don’t get upset-”
“Oh, God!” I cut him off loudly with a groan, making him laugh. “What is it this time? Skydiving? Bungee jumping? Tree-trekking?”
