He scratches the dark stubble on the corner of his jaw.“He did that to you on your mom’s six-month anniversary?”
I bob my head, on the verge of tears, wondering what Mom would think about this marriage.“Convenient timing, huh?He’s been in mourning with me since before she passed.There’s no way he forgot the day.”
Constantine wraps his arm around me.“I know this hurts, O.But I get where your dad is coming from.”
I swipe at a fallen tear and look at him.“You do?”
He nods.“When my wife died, I couldn’t stand to be alone.I went to bars and picked up women every night.I even did drugs.Anything to stop my mind from returning to my memories of her.But after months of partying, I lost my job and could barely pay my rent.”
“That’s when my dad bailed you out of jail.”
Another nod.“I owe everything to Belen.He saved my life.Protecting you gives me purpose.”
That was three years ago.
“Why haven’t you remarried?You don’t even date.”
He shrugs his broad shoulder against mine.“I haven’t found the right one, I guess.”I see a glimmer of something else in his blue eyes as he glances at me.“Or maybe it’s because the woman I want is unavailable.”
He means me.
I’m emotionally unavailable.
Mentally unavailable.
I take his hand in mine.“Connie, you know how I feel.I like what we have.”
He squeezes my hand and flashes a smile that looks forced.“Yeah.It’s better this way.”
A week after my mother died, I got drunk and begged Constantine to fuck me in the back of the limo.Well, I didn’t have to do too much convincing.He was a good distraction for the night.This wall of a man claimed my body like he wanted to imprint his giant dick inside me.
We haven’t fucked since.
My father would kill him.
Back to business as usual.
But it’s not like I haven’t thought about that night since.I rarely let men into my life, especially those who can hurt me.Feeling anything for Constantine would get him killed.So, I act as if that night never happened.
He does the same.
“What do I do about Athena?”I drop his hand.“She showed me a letter in my mom’s handwriting.I’m still having difficulty wrapping my head around the fact that she permitted them to marry.Why would Mom encourage them to be together after her death?”
“If I had died before my wife, I would have wanted her to be happy.”He turns his head away, biting his bottom lip.“I wouldn’t want her to suffer the way I did.The pain was unmanageable.”
“So what should I do?My dad threatened to disown me if I didn’t accept their marriage and welcome Athena and her sons into our family.”
“There’s nothing you can do.Your dad is marrying Athena.Just pretend you’re happy for them.Don’t rock the boat.You love Olympus too much to have it taken away from you over something you can’t change.”
He’s got a good point.
I can’t change this, just like I couldn’t save Mom.Some situations are out of your hands.You can’t control the outcome, no matter how much you wish and pray.
Constantine rises from the couch and extends his hand to me.“How about I take you to lunch at Cafe Lacroix?My treat.”
I smile at his offer and grab his hand.“That sounds perfect.”
ChapterFourteen
