Page 92 of Scars of the Sun
Sylvie shrugged from her perch beside the girl, and I chuckled. Aside from Orion and Ramona’s mother’s determination to be outright combative, this night was already so different than any experience at my father’s home. It reminded me more of how things felt when I lived with Mamá and my aunt. And at least, here, it seemed that Mrs. Wells’s threats held no weight. How refreshing.
Somehow, I got put on dishwashing duty, and the females insisted I put on an apron to match Orion’s. How I got saddled with the pink one with red roses instead of a far cooler one thatwas black with flames, I didn’t know. Probably because when my mate held it out to me, I was so wrapped around her finger that I didn’t protest.
Ramona put my jacket on the rack by the front door, and I soon was up to my elbows in soapy water. Apparently, Sylvie and Orion were the type of people to clean as they cooked, but it was preferable to have my hands busy, anyway. Ramona and her mother sat on the barstools, sipping from glasses of wine, but while her mother asked snipping questions to her son and Sylvie, Ramona and I talked enthusiastically with Dahlia whose job was to help roll the little balls of gnocchi across the back of a fork, giving them the characteristic indents. She often looked to her father for reassurance, and in between taking the brunt of his mother’s attention for the moment, he gave Dahlia soft instruction and encouragement.
Ramona held Ollie in her lap as I washed the last few dishes and Sylvie brought the platters of food to the set table. When we all congregated in the dining room, my pink apron shedded to the side until after dinner, I fell into a seat beside Ramona, with Dahlia on her left. Orion, Sylvie, and Ollie were across from us, with Meredith taking the head seat. Orion went first, serving his mate and children with helpings of gnocchi and chicken with pesto sauce, before turning to his mother with a sigh and depositing a small portion on her plate. I went next, putting food on my princess’s plate and halting when she gave me a sweet nod that what I’d given her was enough.
I didn’t often eat Italian food, but it smelled fucking good, so I loaded up my plate until it was a big green heap, and followed everyone’s lead, digging in. The herbaceous sauce was just light enough to go with the heat of outside, the chicken perfectly cooked and seasoned. “This is really good. You can cook, dude.” I complimented and continued to inhale my dinner.
Orion didn’t respond, just acknowledged my words with that same nod, but I took that as a win, too. With most of my food gone within two minutes, I leaned back for a breath and rested my arm behind Ramona’s shoulders. She shot me a look while hunched over her plate before rolling her eyes. Didn’t miss how she sat back to settle into the bit of contact, though.
I made sure to swallow my food before giving my mate a kiss on her cheek and returning to my plate. I felt ice on the side of my face, where Ramona’s mother was boring holes with her glaring, but I’d faced far scarier foe. Something also told me that if I were still earning a crime family enforcer’s salary, she’d be a little more understanding.
“So, what do you do?” Ah, there it was.
A large part of me wanted to ignore her since she hadn’t used my name to address me, but I also didn’t want tooutrightcause more trouble. I chewed my last bite of food, swallowed, and took a clearing sip of water. “I’m a manager at Vinny’s Pizza.” Wasn’t gonna lie. The unimpressed glare that pinched her done-up face was way harsher than any my Ramona had given me.
“I know what it means to get swept up in young love, but this whole thing seems very premature. Mating is a serious commitment that neither of you are in the position to decide on.”
I patted my napkin over my face and continued to keep my posture relaxed. Over Ramona’s head, I gave my most polite smile. “I’d have to disagree on that. But I’ll respect your opinion. Loving and mating your daughter is the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Meredith’s cheeks flamed as Ramona stretched to nuzzle into my neck. I buried my fingers in her hair, just keeping her close, and redirected myself to ask Sylvie about her newest novel. She shot me a grateful look and launched into discussing her book that was close to being finished and ready to send to her editor.Orion monitored Ollie as he ate his chopped up portion with his hands, smearing green sauce all over his chubby cheeks.
Ramona reached out to the basket of soft bread that I was pretty sure was homemade, and I felt the air chill a few degrees colder. “Whathappened to your arm, Ramona?”
My princess froze, and I watched in real time as a tidal wave of emotions crashed into her. Fear, anger, resolve. When we’d dressed this evening, she’d fully expected an interrogation, but the reality of the thing was very different. Sylvie and Orion were noticeably tensed, as if waiting for Ramona’s cue to jump in and shut Meredith down. My back further relaxed into my seat, ready to judge and react to whatever was about to go down, protecting my mate at all costs. She’d said she wanted to face this, knowing very well that there was a possibility she would further limit or cut off all contact with her mother after this visit. I didn’t pull her any further into me, knowing that she wouldn’t appreciate me giving her mother more reason to pounce, but I did add pressure to my arm around her. Letting her know that I was ready to step in at any point.
Ramona closed her eyes, took a breath, and straightened her spine. I wanted to purr in approval but held it back.
Before she could open her mouth, her mother’s blue eyes blazed, glaring at me as if she could will me to freeze over. “What did you do to her?” Meredith’s voice succumbed to her Wolf, reverberating and becoming rough.
Sylvie stood and waved Dahlia over, to which the little girl reluctantly abandoned her seat and plate that was long finished. Orion pulled Ollie out of his highchair and handed him to Sylvie. At the very least, Meredith paused long enough for Sylvie to lead the kids away before growing more vicious. “I will kill you for hurting her, you absolute scum.”
“Mom,” Ramona returned the growl. Still, she lowered her voice, should the kids still be in earshot. “I tried to take my life.Did you think to ask mewhyI left everything in New York? Did you check in with me for the past, I don’t know, ten years or so while I was depressed and cutting myself?”
The female’s sustained grumbling stopped while confusion flittered over her features, as if Ramona was speaking another language. “What are you talking about.”
Instead of growing angrier, Ramona just sighed and shook her head. “I was in a really bad place for a long time. And I’m finally clawing my way out. With the help of my mate, and O and Sylvie. My friends. I have a… mentor, and living here has been good for me.”
Meredith looked like she was short-circuiting, but I was more focused on how Ramona was relaxing like an anvil had been lifted off of her back. I nosed my way into her hair, I couldn’t fucking help it, and drew in the thick grapefruit aroma. I pressed kisses into her scalp, and her body rumbled with a silent hum.
Finally, her mother found her words. “Why on earth would you think killing yourself was the solution, Ramona? You always have me and your father to speak with. We would’ve gotten youhelp.” At least she had the decency to sound regretful and less accusatory. Slightly.
I shot her my own withering glance and waited for Ramona to respond. She locked her fingers with mine beneath the table. “At the time, I just wanted the hurt to stop. It was more about that than anything. And, no. I don’t have you to talk to, and Dad only checks in with me when you convince him to make the time. I didn’t trust you especially to remain uninvolved from any help Ididtry to get. It was probably the wrong decision, but it led me here, and I’m really, really happy now.” I kissed the top of her head. My stomach still wanted to drop empathetically, knowing the never-ending despair all too well, when I imagined how Ramona had been in those days. How those sort of days would still crop up. The difference, now, was that she had support andstronger foundation within herself to be a soft ground when she fell or needed to rest.
Meredith didn’t have a response to that, and Ramona had taken on a delicate shiver from the surge in adrenaline of finally revealing the truth to her mother. Her restlessness, I felt like it was my own.
I reached up and caressed the line of her jaw. “You wanna help me with the dishes, Princess? And we can go home for a movie?”
Orion, who had remained silently supportive through the whole encounter was watching Ramona, some kind of communication flitting between them, if the tiny shifts in his expression were any indication. A small smirk shifted his pale pink lips, and he shook his head as if Ramona had thought something amusing in his direction. Ramona let out a little snicker before turning to me. “Yeah,” she grinned, like the sun breaking through the clouds of a winter day, making the snow glitter. My purr released of its own volition, and I kissed her plump lips softly. There was no stopping it.
When I turned to Orion, he gave an annoyed huff, but it sounded more of innocuous irritation, rather than true disapproval. “You sure you won’t need us?” I left the other half of my question, whether he really wanted Meredith to babysit the kids while he and Sylvie went on the pack run, unspoken.
He stood and began to gather the empty plates and glasses. “I’m sure.”
Meredith retreated somewhere in the house, and I heard the distant trill of an outgoing call before the slamming of a door. Ramona, Orion, and I cleaned the kitchen in a comfortable silence while Sylvie reappeared with the children. Dahlia looked like she was burning to ask questions about that happened, but even she seemed afraid of her grandmother, because she kept them to herself. They wiped down the table and collected the restof the dishes, and soon, the dining room was sorted out, and the kitchen sparkled.
At the door, Ramona and I put our shoes back on, and I slid into my jacket.