“I’m making breakfast. What do you want?”
“Ah, Mum to be the one cooking for a start… or the chef.” I smile. My dad isn’t the best cook. He tries but I’m not sure why he bothers.
“Ouch.” He rubs a hand across his chest. “Fine, I’ll get the chef. Any requests?”
“I’m good with cereal. I’m not really hungry,” I tell him.
“You barely ate yesterday, and you missed dinner,” he states. “You need to eat, Zara. Are you okay? Like,reallyokay?”
I squirm under my dad’s gaze. I’ve done my best to avoid him or my mum seeing just hownot okayI am.
“I’m good. I was just hungover. Too much wine will do that to you.” I smile, trying to convey that I’m fine. It’s a well-practiced smile.
“I’m always here if you need anything.” Dad stands. “It’s okay to not be okay too, Zara,” Dad adds before he reaches the door.
“I know.” I don’t think it is, but I don’t want him to worry about me any more than he is.
“Do me a favour? Stay away from that De Bellis kid. Nothing good comes from being friends with a De Bellis.”
“Your best friend is a De Bellis. Uncle Marcel? You know him?” I point out.
“Which is why I know nothing good comes from befriending that family.” Dad smiles.
I nod my head, but I don’t tell him that Ares might just be the best friend I’ve ever had. Not that I would tell anyone that. I need to break this connection with Ares. He gets too close, and I can’t put him in danger again. I won’t. My problems are not his to deal with. They’re mine.
I wasn’t fast enough to escape Constance when the bell rang for lunch. She looped her arm through mine and insisted I sit with her. I was strategic about making sure I wasn’t sitting next to Ares, though. I haven’t spoken to him today other than to tell him not to talk to me.
I’ve been a bitch. I’m aware of that, but I need to push him away. He’ll give up soon and go back to doing whatever it was he was doing before I crashed his life.
Right now, he’s glaring at me from across the table. I’m doing everything I can to avoid making eye contact with him, but I can feel the heat of his gaze on my skin. The moment my phone rings, I jump to answer it, not even looking at who it is.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Aurora. Good to see you’re not pig food,” she says.
“Nope, I did have my car taken away, though. I have to use a driver now.” I sigh into the phone.
“How terrible your life is,” she scoffs.
“It is when that driver reports all your comings and goings back to your father.”
“I need a favour,” she says, getting to the point of this call.
“Okay, what do you need?”
“A laptop. Can you smuggle me one in without my brother or your sister knowing?”
“Pfft… Of course I can. Give me a few hours.”
“Thanks. You’re the best.”
“I know,” I cut the call and do the one thing I’ve been avoiding all day. Look up at Ares.
“Who was that?” he asks.
“Aurora,” I tell him.
“Valentino? What she want?”
