AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her mother pursed her lips, tight and hard. “I’m sure Brick has other things he needs to attend to.”
“Mother, he—”
“Actually, I do,” Brick said, cutting off her rebuttal. She whipped her head sharply in his direction, confusion filtering in. He must’ve sensed her unease because he kissed her on the lips. “But I’ll meet up with you for lunch.”
“That’s not necessary,” her mother replied.
He turned his head with slow precision toward her mother. “But I insist. I look forward to getting to know you better. We will be family soon, after all.”
Jezebelle had to press her lips together to keep from laughing. Not by the thought of Brick joining her family, but how so pleasantly he said the words as if he adored her mother.
“How soon?” her mother asked with a heavy glint in her eye as if daring Brick to keep the lie going. Her mother didn’t know their engagement was fake, but she also knew her mother would do everything in her power to stop it.
How did one stop a fake engagement? Jezebelle almost chuckled out loud again. The idea was so laughable.
“If I could marry your daughter right here, right now, I would.” His eyes sought hers. “Every moment with her is more than I could ask for. She’s beautiful and smart, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her.”
The way he spoke, his eyes sparkling with love—could it be true?—his lips curved in delight, she believed him. That what was between them was real and everything would work out in the end.
If only it were that easy.
If only it were that real.
“Well, you can’t marry her,” her mother retorted.
Both of them snapped their gaze at her mother. With the way her mouth spread into an evil smirk, Jezebelle knew her mother would fight tooth and nail against her marrying Brick.
“I can and I will.” Brick’s voice was untroubled as if her mother hadn’t laid the law at his feet.
“Oh, I meant tonight, of course. I would never stand in the way of my daughter’s happiness.”
This time Jezebelle did laugh, unable to hold it in. Her mother was a terrible liar.
“What is so funny, Jezebelle?” her mother asked, her eyes narrowing in that annoying way she had perfected. “I only ever want you to be happy.”
“Do you?”
“Of course.” Then she flicked her hand helplessly in the air. “I always want the best for you. Sometimes I help redirect you in the right way. That is me doing my job as your mother. That doesn’t mean I don’t want you to be happy.”
“I’m happy in New York.”
Her mother smiled, yet she saw the determination in her gaze she’d get her way. “I know I’d have a difficult time prying you away from this city. Which is why it’s so wonderful your father is opening a practice here.”
“I’m happy on stage.”
How would her mother respond to that?
Her lips spread thin. “It’s time to move on from that frivolous dream of yours. Time to do what you’re meant to do.”
“But that doesn’t make me happy.”
“It would if you gave it a chance. You’ve never even given it a chance.”
Her mother said it in that tone when she used to refuse to eat her peas. You’ve never tried it. Just try them and you’ll see you’ll love them. Yeah, the first bite had been like chewing on dog dung. Not that she knew what that tasted like, but she imagined that’s what it would taste like. She had taken one bite and nobody—not her tyrant mother or her amicable father—could get her to eat peas again.
She knew—just like the peas—she wouldn’t like being a lawyer. Going to school had confirmed that for her. She hadn’t enjoyed one day of it.
“Because I know what makes me happy, and that won’t make me happy.”
