Page 123

“He coerced me into marriage, Siani,” I said.

She smiled. “And you didn’t answer my question. Look, I know you don’t wanna end up like your mom, but I don’t think that’s what this is.”

“If I just go along with this marriage, then what does that say about me?”

“Friend—you can want to be with Cardez and still be pissed about the situation you’re in. Those are two separate things,” she said.

We finished up not long after. Marco fell into step a few feet behind us as we made our way out.

Siani hugged me before heading down the subway steps. “Call me tonight and tell me how it goes with your mom.”

I’d been second-guessing my decision to tell my mom, but there was never going to be a good time. So even though I was dead tired, I let Marco drive me up to Westchester.

She and Walter lived in a colonial with too many rooms and a garden that she insisted on maintaining herself, despite having the money to have someone do it for her.

“Well look who decided to remember she’s not an orphan.” She kissed both cheeks and pulled me inside.

“Mama, please. I texted you yesterday.”

“Texting isn’t visiting.” She steered me toward the large galley kitchen, where she had something roasting. “Who’s that man in the truck?”

I sat at the island, the smell of whatever she was cooking making my stomach growl even though I’d just eaten.

“His name’s Marco. He’s just dropping me off.”

She glanced out the window before taking two glasses down from the cabinet. “If he’s just dropping you off, why is he just sitting out there on his phone?”

“Ma.”

“I’m just saying.” She poured us both some iced tea. “What’s going on, because you have that face you make when you’re about to give me some devastating news.”

I turned the glass in my hands. There wasn’t a good way to ease into this, there never was with my mom—you either came straight out with it, or she’d drag it out of you.

“I’m engaged.”

My mother, who’d been checking on her roast in the oven, went completely still. She took out the pan and set it on the stove top before turning around slowly. Her eyes went straight to my left hand.

“Engaged.” She said it like she wanted to make sure she heard me correctly. “To whom?”

“His name is Cardez Montague.”

“Montague.” She said his last name a couple times under her breath trying to see if it rang a bell. “Is that the one you went to the Bahamas with?”

“Yes.”

She crossed the kitchen and grabbed my hand, holding it up to the light as she turned it side to side.

“Belle.” Her voice had gone soft in a way I hadn’t heard in a long time. “What’s this? Three carats? Is it a lab diamond?”

I snatched my hand away. “I don’t know. Maybe like three-point-four, if I had to guess. And this is definitely a natural diamond, he wouldn’t get me anything lab made.”

She took my hand again, examining the ring like she was appraising a piece at auction. “Baby, I’m so proud of you.”

“Mama—”

“Belle!” I turned to see Walter coming into the kitchen. He was in his mid-seventies and had a full head of salt and pepper hair that I was convinced was a toupee.

“Walter, darling.” Mama waved him over. “Belle’s engaged.” Her eyes were actually a little wet now, which surprised me.