I swallowed the pill with a sip of water from the glass on my nightstand. “As intent as you seem on sending me back to the USwith a mini-you, I’m just as determined to return exactly as I left.”Physically, at least.
Santo pulled me closer, his hands resting on my waist as I stood between his knees. “And what makes you think I’m trying to get you pregnant?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I teased, looking down at him. “Maybe the fact that you’ve never once used a condom?”
He had the decency to look abashed. “I get tested regularly. I’m clean.”
“That’s not the only purpose they serve, as you well know.” I poked his chest. “Besides, the world doesn’t need any more of you roaming around. One Santo Christakis is more than enough for this planet to handle.”
His laugh rumbled through the room. “My Yiayia would disagree. She’s been dropping hints about great-grandchildren since I turned twenty-one.”
I rolled my eyes, stepping back to continue organizing my belongings—no longer packing to leave, but simply tidying up. “Yeah, no. My uterus is on lockdown. No visitors, no souvenirs.”
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
“For what?”
“For your foresight. For being responsible.” Santo’s strong, comforting arms enfolded me, pulling me flush against him. “I’llhandle Katalina,” he promised, his lips moving against my stomach. “I swear to you.”
Santo’s arms felt safe. But logic whispered, safe isn’t the same as smart.
14
The next morning, the blogs were ablaze with Kat’s poison. I didn’t flinch. By noon, my official statement was everywhere.
The vile lies about Tia are the invention of a jealous, rejected ex. Anyone who publishes them and repeats the slander is complicit in a campaign of misogyny and racism. Defamation lawsuits will be filed against any publication or individual who repeats the slander. The Christakis family stands with Tia.
I made sure the statement was accompanied by a photo of me and Tia on Thalassía, her hand in mine. By now the owner of the blog was being served cease-and-desist letters.
By evening, screenshots of Katalina’s results from a chlamydia diagnosis two years ago were circulating in group chats all over Athens. It had taken a highly skilled hacker to get those results.
As I reviewed the fallout on my phone, I paused, suddenly struck by the realization that my anger had nothing to do with Katalina anymore. The vengeance I’d sought for years didn’t matter.
What mattered was protecting Tia from harm. A protective instinct I’d never felt so fiercely before. The thought was unsettling. When had this shifted from being about revenge to being about... her?
I stepped into the kitchen, following the scent of baking and laughter to find Tia with my Theia and Yiayia. The sight of her with my favorite family members brought a smile to my face. Her dark curls were dusted with flour, and honey glistened on her fingers as she carefully layered pastry sheets.
“Oh, so this is what happens when I’m away?” I leaned against the doorframe, drinking in the sight of her. “You three team up to disparage me and laugh at me behind my back.”
Tia rolled her eyes and made a face at me, but I caught her smile and the quick once-over she gave me before pretending indifference. My chest tightened with tenderness.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to feel like this.
“Santo!” Yiayia wiped her flour-covered hands on her embroidered apron. “We thought you’d be gone longer. But you’re just in time for a little sweetness.”
“The meeting ended early,” I replied, unable to take my eyes off Tia, who was suddenly fascinated with the pattern on the marble countertop.
I’d cut the meeting short, making excuses to my team. The truth was I couldn’t stand being away from her for another minute.
Theia Irida chuckled. “Your timing is perfect. Tia has been learning to make baklava, and we’ve been telling her all about your childhood adventures.”
“Is that so?” I raised an eyebrow at Tia. “And what exactly have these troublemakers been sharing with you?”
Tia’s lips curved into a smile that made my heart stutter. “This.”
She grabbed a handful of flour and launched it directly at me. It hit me square in the chest, leaving a perfect white handprint on my black shirt.
I was too stunned to react. No one excited me like this woman. No one came close. And the realization unsettled me because this wasn’t how our story was supposed to go.
