“The movers should have my stuff at your place soon. And tonight, we’re having dinner with my father.”
Great. I can’t wait to have dinner with Inspector Gadget.
“Why are we having dinner with your father?”
Irvin’s fingers tighten around mine. “He insists that we have dinner with him. If he asks questions about your past, I’ll shut it down.”
After the encounter with Preston at the wedding, I don’t want to see him again. If I say too much in front of him, he’ll connect the dots and realize I’m a liar—and I can’t have that. If Irvin finds out about my past, he’ll dump me, and I’ll be out on the streets.
Regret instantly hits my stomach. I need Irvin and his money. As soon as my bank account isn’t frozen anymore, I’m going to pay Irvin back every penny, from the food to the rent. So I hope they can clear this up soon.
We arrive at Freud Hall, and I breathe in deeply.
Irvin peers up at the gray monastery building. Sometimes, the building creeps me out, as if a hundred-year-old ghost will jump out and scare me.
“We have to prove to him this is real. If not, I could be sent to Tartarus for scamming the secret society.”
“What’s Tartarus?”
“A place where they torture the men who go against the American Gods’ rules.”
I crinkle my nose. “You risked your life to help me?” That’s something I didn’t know.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
My eyes widen as my breath catches. For a long time, I haven’t had anyone there for me. Maybe I’ve been wrong about Irvin. Maybe he isn’t like Emerson. Maybe he really does care about me, and I’ve pushed him away for too long. I have to tell myself it’s okay to allow myself to want someone—to allow people to get close. I don’t know how to respond, so I keep quiet.
He looks at his watch. “Let’s go by the café and get you breakfast.”
“Why didn’t we eat the food Keanu and Jameson offered?”
“Because they don’t know how to cook. Their food tastes like dry wood.”
“Oh.”
Once we make it to the café, it’s busier than usual. People greet us and congratulate us on the wedding.
The barista calls out customers’ orders so they can collect them. It’s busier than usual.
Irvin collects our drinks, and we sit by the bay window. The frost glues itself to the corner of the glass. The air is cozy, warm, and inviting, but the wind rattles the window, causing my chest to tighten. Nothing seems wrong, but I can’t help but feel as if something isn’t right.
I lean back, bite into my bagel, and slowly drink my hot cocoa topped with whipped cream. This feels nice, and I don’t like Irvin making me feel safe. His demeanor is neutral.
He sips his dark coffee slowly, watching me above the rim.
“How are classes for you?” I question.
He shrugs.
“I never liked school. I always felt like it was unnecessary for me to get a college degree when I’m going to be the COO of the business.”
“Well, maybe they want you to learn how to do your job,” I suggest.
He shakes his head. “No, it’s about control. They want to control the men like puppets.”
“Who wants to control you?”
He shakes his head. “You’re a woman. You’re not supposed to know this stuff.” He sighs. “But I never gave a fuck about their stupid rules.” He bites into his blueberry muffin, then offers it to me, and I shake my head. “The board. You saw them at our wedding. They control us like puppets, pulling our strings. We have to keep other secret societies from getting out of hand. It’s stupid.”
