“Well, don’t look now, but I think you’re going to get your wish,” Paris said, arching an eyebrow in Cissy’s direction and causing me to realize she’d noticed our presence and was heading our way. “I can’t wait to see how great you are under pressure this time.”
“I’m just sad I can’t fry her without proof,” I gritted out, pasting a bright smile on my face as Cissy closed the distance. “Hey, I thought that was you over there.”
“Hello, Zoe,” Cissy said, beaming. “It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?”
“It is quite beautiful.”
“Who is your friend?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, using the sleeve of my hoodie to wipe the corner of my mouth. “This is Paris Princeton. She’s my old college roommate. She came to visit for a week.”
“Oh, that’s fun,” Cissy said. “Where did you go to college again?”
I was suspicious but couldn’t show it. “Covenant College.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Cissy said. “I think I knew that.”
“I’m sure you did,” I said. “I see Katie is here with you. I hope she had fun at Sami’s slumber party.”
“I think she did,” Cissy confirmed. “She had a lot of questions about adults kissing in front of children. We don’t really do that in our house because we don’t want to send the wrong message. Apparently you and your husband don’t have that rule, though.”
“We don’t,” I confirmed, my temper flaring. “We prefer Sami know that adults can and do love each other. Of course, we also don’t tell her lies about her friends’ parents and how they only got married because someone was pregnant.”
I shouldn’t have said it. I knew it was the wrong move. It was as if my mouth was possessed, though. The color creeping up Cissy’s cheeks told me she knew exactly what I was talking about.
“Oh, who did that?” Cissy asked.
“You.”
“Well, you held out longer than I thought you would,” Paris said, shoving a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. “Try not to make a scene.”
“I said no such thing,” Cissy snapped. She was a terrible liar.
“That’s not what Katie told us at the party.” I purposely kept my voice sickeningly sweet as I added a layer of annoyance. “She’s not a liar, is she?”
“Of course not,” Cissy said. “I … have no idea why she would think that. She must’ve misheard someone else and thought I was the one who said it.”
Yeah, that sounded totally plausible. “Well, make sure she doesn’t say something like that to Sami again or I’ll make sure that they don’t spend any time together.”
“That would hurt Sami’s social standing much more than Katie’s place at that school,” Cissy sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I don’t care about social standing, but if you want to play that game we have more money and influence than you and I’ll have that snot-nosed brat thrown out of school if I have to,” I said. That sounded less threatening and petulant in my head. Whoops.
“Don’t even think … .”
I cut Cissy off before she could get a full head of steam. “Don’t bother, because we both know you’re a crappy liar,” I said. “Stop making snide remarks about my family to Katie or I’m going to start making some snide remarks of my own. I can promise you I’m a lot meaner than you’ve ever dreamed of being.”
“She’s not lying,” Paris said.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding.” Cissy’s cheeks were bright red now, and although the sun was high in the sky there was no way the heat caused her exaggerated blushing.
“There’d better not be any other misunderstandings,” I said. “While we’re airing things, though, what’s the deal with that empty house on the other side of our property? The land deed says it belongs to a Dolloway, but it’s empty. Do you have ties to it?”
“That place on Greenbaum Road?” Cissy wrinkled her forehead. “My uncle lived there years ago, but he disappeared. It’s empty now.”
“Well someone has been squatting there. If you know who it is you might want to warn them that it’s infested with vermin and it might burn down or something.”
Cissy narrowed her eyes. “Is that some backward threat?”
“Not that I know of,” I answered. “It seems someone has been using that property, though, and I would hate to think they were doing anything illegal out there.”
“Like cooking meth?”
Was she for real? “Like anything,” I said. “I don’t know if you have relatives around here – cousins or anything – but you should probably make them aware of the situation.”
“I’ll get right on that,” Cissy said.
“Great. That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all day.”
“Can I go now?” All pretense of acting pleasant slipped from Cissy’s pinched face.
“Absolutely,” I replied. “You have a nice day.”
“I CANNOT believe you did that,” Aric said an hour later, rubbing the back of his neck as his shoulders shook with silent laughter. “Sami is going to have a meltdown when she finds out.”
“She’s on house arrest, so that’s not happening anytime soon.”
“Spring break will end soon and she’s supposed to go back to school next week,” Aric reminded me. “If this isn’t taken care of by then we might be able to delay it for a few days, but there are laws about kids and school.”
“We’ll just make your mother home school her.”
“You joke, but I’m not against it,” Aric said. “What else did Cissy say?”
“Not a lot,” I said. “Things went off the rails pretty quickly. It was as if I couldn’t control my mouth.”
“Oh, surely you’re exaggerating,” Aric teased. “My wife is a demure individual who never insults anyone.”
“I honestly didn’t mean to say it,” I said. “It bothers me that Katie told Sami that, though. The one thing I didn’t think anyone could question about us was the fact we love each other. I always want Sami to know she came from a place of love.”
“She knows that, Zoe,” Aric said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Kids overreact. That’s what they do. Sami is strong enough to figure things out on her own. She gets that from you.”
Something Paris said at the ice cream shop niggled at the back of my brain. If I was laying myself bare here, I figured I might as well go for broke. “Do you think you validated me?”
Aric furrowed his brow. “Huh?”
“Do you think you validated me?”
“Like a credit card?”
“Never mind,” I said, shaking my head. “It was a stupid question.” I moved to pull away from him, but Aric grabbed my arm to still me.
“Tell me what you mean,” he prodded.
“Paris and I were talking about Sami’s need to be popular and I said I didn’t understand it because I never felt the need to be validated by others. She said that wasn’t true because I had to be validated by you.”
“Well, I would like to think we validate each other, but … I’m not sure what you want me to say,” Aric said. “I think part of you wanted to be validated, but it wasn’t only by me.
“Zoe, you were going through so much back then,” he continued. “You found out you were a mage and had no idea what to do with the information. Dealing with Will and the crazy Alpha Chis was one thing; killing your roommate was another.”
“I did that twice,” I reminded him. “Tara and Laura died at my hands.”
“Technically Tara died at Rafael’s hands,” Aric corrected. “I know what you mean, though.”
“I burned Laura alive.”
“In her own magic,” Aric said. “She was going to kill you.”
“What about what I did on the library lawn that night we got back together?” I pressed, reminding him of the first time I burned a woman alive. “My eyes started glowing and you were terrified of me.”
“I was never terrified of you,” Aric corrected. “I knew
you wouldn’t hurt me. You healed me that night. I was whipped to within an inch of my life. I thought I was going to die. You saved Rafael and me that night.”
“And I also let Mark go, and he took Rafael captive the next year and starved him.” Rehashing Covenant College history didn’t seem like a great way to spend the afternoon, but I was really bothered by Paris’ words. “Then I fed my ex-boyfriend to Rafael to save myself and let Mark go a second time. He retaliated by blowing up our engagement party and killing Scott.
“Now, I’m not an expert, but somewhere in all of that Paris thinks I needed you to validate me, and now I’m starting to think she’s right,” I said.
“Why is that a problem?”
“Because I’ve been railing on Sami to be her own person and it turns out I wasn’t my own person. I was your person. That makes me a hypocrite.”
“Oh, my Zoe,” Aric said, chuckling as he pulled me in for a hug. “Please don’t ever change. You’re not a hypocrite. You didn’t need my approval to do the things you did. You only wanted me to love you. There’s a difference.”
“But how can I tell Sami to be her own person if I never was?”
“You were always your own person,” Aric countered. “Then you became my person, too. One does not negate the other. Yeah, you’ve burned people alive and blown up compounds. You’re still the best person I know.”
I buried my face in the hollow between his neck and shoulder and sighed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I threatened a woman who might be innocent and I probably ruined Sami’s social life by calling Katie Dolloway a snot-nosed brat. I’m really bucking for Mom of the Year honors today.”
Aric kissed my cheek as he swayed back and forth. “You’re a great mother. I … .”
When he didn’t finish his sentence I glanced up and found him staring at a spot over my shoulder. I shifted my head and scowled when I caught sight of Sami’s dumbfounded face – and outraged eyes. She’d clearly overheard at least part of our conversation.
“You did what?”
“And here we go,” I muttered.
Seventeen
“Sami … .” What was I supposed to say to her? It’s not as if my behavior was something that made me proud. Of course I wasn’t exactly displeased with myself either. I’m a complicated person.
“I can’t believe you said that to Mrs. Dolloway!” Sami raged.
Oh, is that all? I thought she was going to ask about all the other stuff – like burning people alive. Whew. “You’re making it into a bigger thing than it is,” I said.
“It’s a huge thing!”
“Your mother did what was right,” Aric said, annoyed. “That woman is not nice.”
“What’s going on now?” James asked, his eyes reflecting worry as he joined us. “Why is everyone arguing?”
“Because Mom got in a fight with my best friend’s mother,” Sami said. “She called Katie a brat.”
“You saw these Dolloway people?” James asked, furrowing his brow. “Did you seek them out?”
“We went for ice cream because Paris’ baby was hungry,” I replied. “They happened to be there. I did not walk up to them. They walked up to us.”
“Oh, man! You got ice cream without me?” Things were crumbling in Sami’s world. That much was clear.
“I brought home an ice cream cake,” I said. “It’s in the freezer. I got the one with gummy sharks that you love so much.”
“Oh, score,” Aric said, brightening. “That’s my favorite, too.”
“What does that have to do with what Mom said to Mrs. Dolloway?” Sami asked. “You always say I have to be polite and respectful of people, but Mom never is.”
She had a point. “Sami, I didn’t mean for it to happen,” I said, holding up my hands in a placating manner. “She came up to us, and Paris was commenting on how she wasn’t fooling anyone with that bottle-blond hair, and I was already in a snarky mood. Her attitude irked me … and I remembered what Katie said about us at your party and it just kind of popped out of my mouth.”
“Your mother has impulse control problems when it comes to her tongue,” Aric said. “She can’t help it. It’s as if she has social Tourette’s. Think of it that way.”
“Thanks,” I said dryly.
“Don’t mention it.”
“I don’t know what that means. I think you’re just trying to confuse me,” Sami spat. “Katie is never going to talk to me again.”
“From where I stand, that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Aric said. “She’s a pain.”
“And she might be evil,” I added.
“You don’t know that!” Sami planted her hands on her hips, and despite the dark hair and eyes, for the first time ever I saw nothing but myself reflected back at me from her contorted face. “I’ll never forgive you for this!”
“Fine. I’ll eat the cake myself.” What? Food is a great motivator.
Unhappy with my answer, Sami spun on her heel and stormed toward her bedroom. I did a quick count to five and cringed when I heard her door slam shut. Ah, tweens. There’s never a dull moment.
“So, where were we?” I asked brightly.
James made a face as he shook his head. “We were talking about the Dolloways,” he said. “You have a wonderful way with people, by the way. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“I think it’s a gift,” I said.
“Did you do anything besides fight with this woman?”
Hmm. Should I lie or tell the truth? “I might have asked about the house and her ties to that family,” I hedged.
“What did she say?”
“That he was an uncle and she had no ties to the house,” I replied. “She seemed genuinely confused, although … .”
“What?” James prodded.
“I don’t know that I believe her,” I said. “I can’t decide. Honestly, I don’t know how to feel either way, so I don’t want to focus on her to the detriment of everyone else.”
“I think that makes sense,” James said. “Is that all? You called her kid a brat, asked about the house and then left?”
“Um … .”
“Oh, geez.” James pinched the bridge of his nose while Aric grinned. My husband was used to my mouth, so it didn’t surprise him that I’d run off the rails. “What did you say, Zoe?”
“I might have mentioned I thought there were squatters at the house and it would be prudent to do something about them or otherwise I would handle the situation.”
James’ mouth dropped open. “What?”
Aric tried a more reserved approach. “Baby, why would you do that?” he asked. “I mean no disrespect, but tipping our hand that way probably wasn’t one of your better ideas. You’re usually a genius, though, so not every decision can be a homerun.”
“You’re so whipped,” James muttered.
“I didn’t mean to do it,” I clarified. “It just kind of popped out. Also, I don’t think it was necessarily the wrong idea. I don’t think it was definitely a great idea, but now she’ll be afraid and wary of me if she is behind this.”
“And now she might hang back and try to lull you into a false sense of security until you let your guard down,” James snapped.
“That’s not going to happen because she knows I think she’s evil,” I said, clapping James on the shoulder. “You worry too much. I have everything under control.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Aric waited for his father to stalk out of the room before sidling up to me. “Hey, Zoe?”
“If you’re going to yell, I would rethink it,” I said. “I’m already in a mean mood after Sami and your father took after me.”
“I’m not going to yell,” Aric said. “I want to talk about that cake. You’re not eating it alone. You need to share it.”
“I got extra gummy sharks, too.”
“Oh, you really are the love of my life,” Aric said, pressing his hand to his heart. “Now reenact Cissy’s face when you went off on her. I’m bettin
g that was hilarious. Do hand gestures, too. You’re a gifted comedienne when you want to be.”
“WHAT’S for dinner?”
Sami was petulant when she met us on the back deck for dinner a few hours later. She had Trouble at her side and a pout on her face.
“Barbecued chicken, potato salad, corn on the cob and ice cream cake,” I replied. “You probably want to forego the cake I got while insulting your friend’s mother.”
Sami pushed her lips out until she resembled a duck. “I don’t want barbecue chicken.”
“Well, then flap your wings over to your dad and tell him,” I said, pointing toward the grill at the end of the deck. “I have a feeling I know what he’ll say, but I’m dying to see if I’m right.”
“You suck,” Sami muttered, dragging her feet as she moved in the direction of her father. “Daddy?” She only called him “daddy” when she was determined to get him on her side before going to war with me. “I don’t want chicken.”
“Then starve,” Aric replied, not missing a beat.
Sami’s mouth dropped open. “You’re mean!”
“I’ve been married to your mother a long time,” Aric said. “They say couples start to resemble each other the longer they’re together. I guess I should’ve expected this.”
“Ugh!” Sami stomped her foot on the deck. “Doesn’t anyone care what I want?”
“Sami, we’re all here because we care about you most of all,” Paris volunteered, holding out her hand to draw the tween closer. “We love you. I know it doesn’t seem like it right now … and I can just imagine how having Zoe as your mother feels like it’s the end of the world, but you’re going to be so thankful for her one day. You just can’t see it now.”
“She’s purposely ruining my life,” Sami sniffed. “She wants me to be unpopular.”
“That’s not true,” Paris countered. “She doesn’t care about popularity either way. She’s never been like that. She wants you to be the strongest person you can be. Do you really think worrying about what other people think makes you strong?”
Dying Covenant: The Complete Series Page 15