Page 76 of Cruel King
I roll my eyes at his insult on my playing and then his mention of Matthias. Marius, who seems to have chosen to ignore virtually everything that’s going on in this house lately, shakes his head like he doesn’t understand my disgusted expression.
“Tell me I’m lying. You may be a great driver, but sorry, man. You suck at pool.”
“Just take a shot, okay? I didn’t agree to play with you just to hear how bad I am at this for the hundredth time.”
He leans over the table to line up his shot of the six ball in the far right corner pocket and mumbles, “Touchy. You’d think getting laid all the time from that pretty girlfriend of yours would put you in a better mood.”
Two seconds later, the six ball drops into the pocket, and Marius stands up straight like some goddamned conquering hero. “That’s how it’s done.”
“Whatever.” I walk around the table as I try to figure out what my shot will be. He’s left me nothing to work with, as usual. “And getting laid isn’t the reason I’m in a bad mood.”
My brother throws his head back and laughs. “I wouldn’t think it would be.”
I take my shot, and the fifteen ball bounces off the side before rolling aimlessly into the center of the table. Jesus, I really do suck at this. Frustrated, I stand back and prepare for Marius to sink every ball now and end the game.
“It’s Matthias who’s making me upset. I swear to God he’s hell-bent on making Ava’s life as miserable as he is.”
“What’s his problem with her again?” Marius asks before taking his shot and sending the four ball into the left side pocket.
As he moves around the table to size up his next shot, I say, “Fuck if I know. He’s always had a problem with her. Asshole refers to her as the fucking help, or at least he used to. Where the hell did he get that shit from? Mom and Dad never looked down on anyone who had less money than them. None of us do it, but he acts like he’s some royal asshole and she’s some servant girl and it’s the goddamned fourteenth fucking century.”
My anger makes my brother laugh right before he bends down to send two fucking balls into the same pocket. Fucker is going to run this damn table like always.
“Not that I’m defending him, but cut Matthias some slack. He’s dealing with the breakup of his marriage, for Christ’s sake. That can’t be easy.”
“I’d leave that bastard too if he was as miserable as he is all the time. Anyway, I never got the feeling it was a love match between him and Jillian. The one time I saw them when I stopped over in London on my way to Amsterdam I had dinner with them, and I swear to God, Marius, it was like hanging out with Mr. and Mrs. Snowman. I don’t think either one of them cracked a smile the entire time we sat there together, and I was telling her some funny shit from when we were all small. Even Dad looked uncomfortable that night.”
Marius shrugs and aims at the white cue ball in front of him. “It still has to hurt to have your marriage end by long distance. Eight ball in the side pocket to set me up for the win.”
I watch as his prediction comes true a second later when he sinks the eight ball to end the game. Good to know some things never change.
Tossing my pool stick on the table, I sit down hard in the chair nearby. “Yeah, I guess it might suck, but he probably brought it on himself. Have you seen how nasty he is to everyone since he got back?”
Marius gloats over his win before crouching down to collect the balls. As he racks them, he says, “He was nice with Eleanor the other day when she was making us her famous chicken salad sandwiches.”
“That’s because she’s the help, as he calls them, and she was doing exactly what she’s supposed to do, according to him. I swear, Marius, he’s turned into some elitist asshole.”
Standing, he points at the triangle of balls and silently asks if I want to break. I nod and walk around to where he’s standing, nudging him out of the way. Pulling my cue back, I push it forward, but the break is weak and only a couple balls roll away from the pack.
He pushes me out of the way, laughing. “Okay, new house rule. No more breaking for you. As for Matthias, why don’t you say something to him? Sounds like he needs to have someone set him straight about Ava.”
A minute later as I’m proceeding to lose my second straight game to Marius, the oldest King walks in and sits down to watch. “Kicking his ass like always? Theo, I don’t know why you keep playing this game. You can’t win, especially against someone who’s so good at it like Marius.”
I glance over at him and frown. “I’m a glutton for punishment.”
Marius laughs and takes another successful shot before Matthias says, “That’s a wonderful description of you, Theo. I couldn’t have put it better myself.”
Something snaps inside me, and I throw my pool stick down on the table, ruining the game for Marius. Normally, he’d bitch up a storm about it, but this time, he merely steps back out of the way.
“What is your fucking problem, Matthias? You’ve been acting like an asshole for weeks. What the hell is wrong with you?” I ask, ready for this fight.
He doesn’t bother standing up. Instead, he sits back in his chair and looks up at me with a smug expression I swear makes me want to push my fist into his face.
“I don’t have a problem. You seem to though, Theo. What could it be? Trouble in paradise?”
My anger practically propels me across the room, and I take two giant steps to where he sits. “What the hell does that mean? Forget it. I don’t care. All I want to know is why you insist on being such a dick to Ava.”
Matthias doesn’t answer for a long moment, and when he does, I swear I want to pound the fuck out of him. “Is Ava so fragile that she needs her boyfriend to stand up for her? Maybe she should bow out of being the executor of Dad’s estate if she’s so delicate.”