She attempted to get each word out through laughter. “You…said…fudge.”
“I’m trying to be polite in front of you, turning over a new leaf and all that.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not a delicate flower. But I’m sorry I’m such an afterthought.” She mumbled the last part. “I tried to help in there.”
“Tulya, you are not an afterthought. Never. I was so livid, and then I went to tell you that you were right. We shouldn’t have gone there—I don’t think this is going to end well for Magnum.He is convinced he is stronger with Valerie by his side, and now I know why. She is formidable and a real lifeforce, and he has a kid with her!”
She shook her head. “You cannot take that girl away from her mom. But we all know my mother, Ceci, my uncle, and whoever else is involved is going to force the issue. That’s my burden, and yours.” I watched a tear spring to the corner of her eye, and I gathered her hand in mine.
“We’ll figure it out, okay?” I said it, but knew she was right. We weren’t here to figure anything out; we were here to do something Tulya didn’t want to do.
She gave my fingers a squeeze and said, “Let’s get out of here.”
All I could do was grip her fingers back. Why? Because upsetting the kindest person I knew wasn’t high on my agenda, yet I’d lied to her. There was zero chance of figuring anything out.
Tulya
Leaning my head back into the lounge chair, I closed my eyes and soaked up the warmth. Christmas music filled the air around me as the salty smell overtook my senses. It was December twenty-fourth, so I was definitely missing the holiday at home. Originally, I thought I’d have a pity party for myself, but then I caught a glimpse of Donovan working in the room, pounding away on a laptop, rage rolling off him.
The anger wasn’t directed at me, but I’d kept my distance nonetheless.
It had been three days since our visit with Valerie, and Magnum still had not appeared. According to Caro, Cinder was on one and was refusing to speak with him.
My mother had called me this morning to check on both my physical and emotional state, and to see if I was keeping myself healthy and even by eating right and resting. She wasn’t concerned about me, but more herself. My powers seeminglyworked better when I was feeling my best. Sadly, I’d come to accept the selfish side of my mother if it meant she paid attention to me.
I assured her I was one hundred percent fine, more for Donovan’s sake than anyone else. If I let on that either one of us was upset, my mom would put more pressure on the situation, and I didn’t think Don needed that. Not sure why I cared so deeply about Donovan’s state, but I did.
We retreated to our respective rooms after the interaction-gone-wrong with Valerie, and Don’s subsequent deserting me at the scene. I’d ordered a sandwich from room service that evening, eating alone with my Kindle on the balcony.
Yesterday, Donovan worked, and I split my time writing and sitting in this same lounge chair at the pool. We’d danced around going to dinner, thought about sushi again, and then Magnum called and spoiled the mood. I’d forgone dinner for a glass of red and a Biscoff cookie or twenty.
Now, “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” played softly in the eighty-degree heat as I tried to enjoy the holiday as much as I could. This was the one day of the year I enjoyed being with my family, home in Rubia, eating, laughing, opening gifts. My mother always seemed more relaxed, and my dad played the role of doting husband and father.
A server approached, interrupting my memories when he asked, “Can I bring you anything?”
“Happy holidays,” I wished him.
“Same to you.”
“I’ll have a club soda, splash of cran for color. Why? Because it’s Christmas, and I want at least some holiday joy. Maybe a cherry or two.”
He nodded at me and said, “My pleasure.”
Reaching into my bag, I tugged out my Kindle and decided to read. I was in the middle of a small-town second-chanceromance during the holiday season, my guilty pleasure during this time of the year. It was the final scene, when the hero decided he couldn’t live without the heroine, and he’d asked the pilot of his private plane to turn around and go back to the small town he’d sworn he hated.
It was such catnip—a man changing his entire life plan for the girl…
A shadow over the chair darkened the sky around me and I went to look up and thank the server only to discover it was Donovan delivering my beverage.
“I believe this is yours,” he said, handing me the cold glass with an umbrella floating in it.
“Thank you,” I replied, raising an eyebrow.
“I decided to join the land of the living,” he said, lying out on the chaise next to me.
“Or you can’t get any work done because everyone cut out early for the holiday,” I quipped, taking a sip of my club soda.
“That too.”
