Page 84 of Reverie
I reach for an apple from the bowl on the counter and make my way to the pantry to grab an unopened box of Cheese-Itz for August.
“Busy morning?” Rio asks, his words addressed to me.
I grunt. “Not at all, actually.”
Not anymore, seeing as Ella has taken things into her own hands. My heart rate spikes, making my chest tight.
Veronica mumbles something beneath her breath and kicks the bottom of the stroller, heading toward the exit.
“Veronica, wait,” I say, not at all sure what I’m about to say. Wait for…what?
Apologize, asshat.
“I’m sorry that I’ve brought you into this situation. Nothing about this is ideal, but I’m glad that you’re here—safe with us.”
The snort she releases is so loud that I’m concerned she’s harmed her nasal passages.
“You’re sorry? Yeah, okay,” she says, turning back to wheel the stroller through the entryway.
I don’t know what to say about any of this. I just know that if Veronica’s unhappy, that will make Winter unhappy. Since Veronica is unhappy withme, it’s even more important that I make shit right.
“I’ll do better by Winter, I promise,” I say. “I know things have been blowing up ever since we started seeing each other, but I swear to you, she’s my everything.”
I’m still facing her back, so I see it clearly when her shoulders rise, tensing. Slowly, she turns her head so that I stare at the side of her face.
“She’s your everything, huh?” she seethes.
I feel Rio shift from his position near the sink.
“For some reason, Winter thinks that you’ve hung the moon and the stars. She’s blinded by you. But you know what I see? I see a really bad fucking decision.”
She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. As she inhales, she raises her hand from her waist to her chest and then lowers it back down when she exhales, clearly trying to gain control of herself.
“You’ve been a very big help to me, Hunter. I’m grateful that you allowed me to stay at Amelia Manor and that you provided protection while I was pregnant and alone. But you are a toxic figure in my best friend’s life, and I really resent that you have your claws into her.”
I feel like I’m vibrating from the inside out. I don’t respond to her declaration because…she’s right. I am a poison to Winter.
“I love her,” I choke out.
She takes a beat. “And that’s very unfortunate.”
I don’t say anything else because there’s nothing else to say.
She turns back to the exit.
“Think about what I said, mariposa,” Rio says, and Veronica nearly trips over the wheels.
She doesn’t glance back; she just keeps moving, pushing the stroller as if fire were licking at her heels.
I raise my eyebrow at Rio. We’re not close enough that I feel comfortable asking him anything about his personal life. But at the same time, Veronica is practically Winter’s sister, and anything that has the potential to hurt Veronica will hurt Winter.
Maybe focus on repairingyourrelationship with Veronica first.
I contemplate what to say to Rio next when his phone rings, breaking the moment.
He answers it with a gruff, “Rio,” and walks out the door, leaving me alone in the kitchen.
Not my circus. Not my monkeys.