Page 91 of Was I Ever Real
I get it now, as infuriating as it is.
I would set the entire world on fire just to keep her safe. Nothing really makes sense anymore without her here.
My head finally breaches the water and I suck the air back where it belongs in large lungfuls. I whip my hair out of my eyes and almost let out a startled shout when I notice a figure dressed in all black sitting in one of the deck chairs.
“Jesus fucking Christ, what are you doing here?” I hiss at Byzantine.
I need to change the locks.
I press my palms into the hot cement and push myself out of the pool from the side, water sluicing down my arms and body as I do so.
“You can’t do that anymore.”
“Do what?” he asks unbothered.
I grit my teeth. “Show up unannounced.”
“I called you,” he says with a shrug. “You didn’t pick up.”
I snatch the towel off the chair beside him and dry myself off, all the while giving him a hard glare from the corner of my eye.
“That’s hardly the same thing, you idiot.” I plop down beside him, stretching my legs out in front of me, grabbing my shades and propping them on my nose. When he doesn’t say anything, I add, “Was there a purpose to this house visit?”
His hand strokes the scar on his neck absentmindedly. “Yeah,” he says while his eyes stare off into the distance, then focus back on me. “Were you still planning on having that party for your birthday? The one you hired Sunny and Lenix for?”
Christ, that feels like a lifetime ago.
“Yeah, I guess. Why?”
“Sunny wanted to know, but I also think it’s a good idea to keep up appearances. The mayor has been sniffing around ever since his uncle was found dead.” He quirks a smile like the whole thing is amusing to him. “We should operate normally. Laying low makes us look suspicious, we don’t want to give him a reason to suspect your involvement. The cult threat might be handled, but our intentions haven’t changed. There’s always going to be one more crooked politician to bribe in our favor.”
I palm my face, rubbing my eyes in irritation. Fuck, I’m losing focus.
“You’re right,” I groan. “So that’s in what?” I look over towards him. “Three weeks?”
He nods.
“Why didn’t Sunny just ask me herself?”
He shrugs. “I think she didn’t want to bother you. After everything.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
His face is blank while he stares at me. But I know him too well to believe he isn’t currently chewing on his words.
“What?” I snap.
“I think we’re all just a little confused as to what the fuck is going on with you two.”
“We? Who the fuck is we?” I say, a hot flash of anger burning through my chest. “Why the sudden interest in my love life?” I grunt through clenched teeth.
“Is that what it is?”
My head swivels over to him as if he just confessed that he collects miniature ponies. This conversation needs to be over.
“She’s mywife. That’s all anyone needs to know.”
He puts his hands up in a surrendering gesture, the placating move just angering me even more. “Sensitive subject got it,” he rumbles.