Page 64 of Cruel King
“Let’s go up to the house. I’ve got a surprise for you,” I say as I begin to guide her up the road.
I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but she seems hesitant about walking up to the house. That seems strange. We’ve hung out there too many times to count over the years.
Then it dawns on me. This doesn’t have to do with the house or either of us.
Stepping in front of her, I walk backwards and ask, “Hey, is something wrong? You don’t seem to want to go up to the house tonight.”
Her expression gives me my answer before she does, and it’s far more truthful than her words. “No. Why would I have a problem with going to the house? I’ve been to your house a million times, right?”
All the while she says that worry is etched into her face around her mouth and on her forehead. I hate that she feels like she’s not welcome in a place that’s been like her second home for her entire life.
Fucking Matthias!
“You don’t have to be concerned he’ll be there. Eleanor told me he’s gone for a few days. Probably having to tie up loose ends with that soon-to-be ex-wife of his.”
Ava stops walking and stares at me like I just told her the worst thing in the world. “What do you mean ex? I thought his wife just didn’t come for the funeral.”
“No, she left him the day he got here. I guess she gave him the news they were over when she called to tell him she couldn’t be bothered to come. Pretty cold, huh?”
She frowns and shakes her head. “Wow. That is cold.”
I shrug, already tired of talking about my miserable brother. “If you ask me, he had it coming. If he acted like he does whenever he’s around us, no wonder she walked out on him. I think her timing was shitty, but if they’ve been unhappy for a while, no time is going to be a good time to say it’s over.”
Taking her hands in mine, I pull her forward so we can start walking toward the house again. She doesn’t fight me, but now she looks sad. I don’t know why. Matthias has been nothing but a complete ass to her from the moment he fucking walked into the house that first day. He doesn’t deserve her sympathy.
“Cheer up. He’ll land on his feet. He’s now the head of a multinational corporation worth billions. I don’t think he’ll be alone for long. Worst comes to worst, he can pay women to sleep with him. He’s got more than enough money to afford hookers.”
I don’t say that I think they’re the only ones who will tolerate his moods since that might seem like piling on. That Ava cares at all that he got dumped over the phone on the day he arrived to prepare for our father’s death tells me she’s as sweet and kind as I always believed she was.
Scowling at my mention of him paying women to fuck him, she gives me that look of disapproval she’s had since she was just a little girl. It never fails to stop me dead in my tracks.
“Please smile, Ava. You can’t be mad about my little joke about him. He has it coming to him, don’t you think?”
She forces the corners of her mouth to rise, but her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “I just don’t like kicking people when they’re down. You should know better than anyone else how it feels to lose a parent.”
I nod, agreeing with most of that. “Yes, but I also know when you’re a bastard to everyone you come in contact with that it’s going to come back around on you sometime. If he’s unhappy, he’s merely getting a nice dose of karma. Maybe if he hadn’t been so shitty to you, his wife wouldn’t have told him she wants a divorce over the phone later that day. Just saying.”
“You’re right. I know. I just don’t like reveling in his misfortune. Isn’t that going to go bad with our karma?”
Christ, I swear my brother is going to somehow ruin this goddamned evening for me, even though he’s miles away.
“Well, I don’t know about my karma, but you’re the nicest person I’ve ever met, Ava. Your karma is stellar. So I’m not worried about us. Now let’s get up to the house so I can show you my surprise.”
That convinces her neither one of us is about to have a run of bad luck or have a terrible accident that will maim or disfigure us. With a smile that’s genuine because this one reaches her eyes, she picks up her pace and hurries toward my house.
“You know, I’m not Mother Teresa or some kind of saint. I have done some things in my life that might give me some iffy karma.”
I look over at her, intrigued that my perfect Ava might have a little tarnish on her halo. “Do tell.”
“No. I don’t think I should. You look like you’re about to enjoy it too much.”
“I just like the idea that perfect little Ava Sutton has a dark secret she won’t share. That’s all.”
Drawing her eyebrows in toward her nose, she grimaces, and I remember I said I wouldn’t use my brother’s nickname for her anymore. “Sorry. Perfect Ava Sutton has a dark secret she won’t share with me. I still love it.”
“It’s not a big deal. It’s not like I killed someone, Theo.”
I spin around and take her hand, walking up the driveway toward the kitchen door. “I think you should tell me. I didn’t realize we had secrets between us.”