This time, I don’t say anything. I wait for her to broach whatever subject is on her mind, all the while ignoring the eyes I can feel directed to the back of my head.
Serena isn’t even trying to hide the way she’s looking at us.
This will be all over town within minutes.
Did you see Presley’s mom came to the diner?
How did Presley treat her?
Was there yelling?
There will be no yelling if I can help it.
“You cannot keep avoiding your husband.” She finally breaks the silence.
“Ex-husband,” I clarify.
Her gaze narrows. “The divorce isn’t final yet.”
“Because he won’t sign the damn papers!” I hiss, jabbing my finger on the table.
Pressure grows between my eyes. This is a conversation I keep trying to have with Paul, but he won’t hear of it.
Because where I am, so is the money.
“You love him. Your father loved him. Isn’t that worth something?”
“Does Paul love me?” I fire back, cocking a brow at her.
She bristles under my words.
“Of course he does. He married you.”
“That doesn’t mean you love someone.”
Glancing toward the counter, I seek out Kade, the personI wanted to marry who was ripped away from me. His focus seems trained solely on the milkshake in front of him.
“Presley Ann, you need to grow up. People get married all the time for various reasons. You need to be the wife your husband needs. Your father wanted him to have the company?—”
“And never got around to amending his will,” I interject. “That’s not my fault it is still coming to me.”
“Which is why you need to take Paul back. Run it together.”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Then why are you working here?” Her nose turns up in disgust. “You’ll have millions.”
“Until the estate is settled, I don’t have anything.”
“You—”
“I don’t wanthismoney.”
Mom rolls her eyes. “It’s not like it’s tainted.”
“No, but it always came with restrictions. If I didn’t behave, Dad would hold it over my head.”
Right until the very end.
