Drake and his goddamn band of monsters made certain of that.
“I need a minute.” Escaping to the kitchen, I pace the floor, wringing my hands as I wonder if I still have that Xanax hiding in the drawer.
But Eddie has no intention of giving me space. His boots sound against the floor as he follows me, spinning me around and forcing me to meet his gaze. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
I chew my lip, uncertain how to broach the topic. “What if Deirdre hates me?”
“Why would she hate you?”
I shrug out of his grip. “Oh, I don’t know. Because my ex is a piece of shit.”
Eddie pulls me to him again, looping his arms around my waist. “Yeah,heis, but that’s not you, Kiki. But she knows you’re fantastic with Theo, that I trust you implicitly, and that I’m ridiculously happy with you. That’s what matters.”
In theory, he’s right. But truth and opinion vary wildly inour little slice of the Hudson Valley, especially when it comes to me. The pariah. The monster’s wife.
Seems the uncertainty plays across my face, as Eddie reaches down to steal a kiss, his lips featherlight against mine. “Hey, she’s going to love you. Just like I do.”
I wipe my eyes and do my best to shake it off. “Let’s hope so.”
“Come on. We have to get going. Ori will have my head if we’re late for dinner.”
Nodding, I motion to the bedroom. “Let me grab my purse and I’ll meet you in the truck.”
With a final spin in the mirror and a blot to my cheeks, I’m ready to go.
And then Eddie’s words float up in my mind.She’s going to love you. Just like I do.
Wait a second. Does that mean… no, that’s just something you say, right?
But, what if he does love me? What kind of love? And what does that mean for our future?
Wonderful. My brain has decided to engage in a rapid-fire exchange of ideas, volleying between concern over meeting Deirdre and the latent thrill of Eddie’s casual declaration of love.
Will you please cease and desist, for Christ’s sake?
Damn, I need a glass of wine to shut down the infernal internal chatter.
Dropping a pat on Gus’s head, I follow Eddie and Theo to the truck, determined to act like a normal human being.
Let me tell you, the harder you try to act unaffected, the more affected you appear, and Eddie picks up on it immediately.
He glances at me from the driver’s seat. “Stop worrying.”
“Sure, I’ll tell my brain to switch gears immediately,” I mutter, shooting him a wry grin. “Take my mind off it, please.”
Eddie smirks, glancing in the rearview mirror. “Kinda hard to do with Theo in the backseat.”
At least that drags a laugh out of me. “Men and their one-track minds.”
“Hey, when you have as gorgeous a woman as I do, it’s a damn fine track.”
“Best answer ever.” I lean over, linking my fingers in his. He never pulls back, another difference between him and Drake. If anything, Eddie seems to enjoy the affection, public or otherwise.
He squeezes my hand and presses a quick kiss to my fingers. “True, too. Let’s see, you want a different topic? How about work?”
“Perfect.”
“It’s slower than I’d prefer, but that’s what happens this time of year. I got a call from Mr. Montague last week about that giant restoration up on the hillside. He’s narrowed it down to me and a couple other firms, so here’s hoping.”
