"I don't care." I don't. Why should I pretend that their opinion matters?
"Sadie, he has a child with another woman. Your father says he's one of them," she whispers the words in what she intends to be a hushed tone. Judging by the fact that almost everyone in the bistro turns to look at the vile harshness in her voice, I'd say my mother needs to work on her whisper techniques.
"One of them?" I repeat the phrase back to her hoping she'll hear it coming from me and recognize how completely horrific it sounds.
It flies right over her perfectly styled hair and into the ether. "Yes, one of them. Coral's people."
"Is that what we're calling them now?" I honestly can't believe she just said that. Did my mother honestly just refer to Cory's family as 'Coral's people?'
She nods frantically. "That's who they are."
"I don't know what that means," I begin before I stop myself mid-sentence. "Mother, what's going on? Why the problem with Cory's family?"
"Don't you get it?" The smirk on her face is unsettling. This is my mother. Isn't she supposed to be the person who loves and protects me? Isn't she supposed to want me to find my true happiness?
I shake my head slightly. "No, I don't get it."
"Your father thinks they're just using you," she says the words with so much conviction.
I'm going to have to point out that there's nothing any of them can gain from using me. "How so? How in the world are they using me?"
"It's your heart." She waves her finger in the air towards my chest. "Your father thinks they're using you to get rid of all of their guilt."
We're back to that again. How many people are going to insist that Hunter loves me because he still feels guilty about Coral's death? "That's ridiculous."
"You don't know everything, Sadie." She stands to leave. "You should ask Zander for the truth."
I can't believe she's resorting to that tactic. She's used it to manipulate people for years. "You want me to believe there's some deep, dark secret you know that Hunter hasn't told me yet?" It's almost laughable but I try to conceal my amusement.
"There is." She turns on her heel.
"Good to see you too, mom," I call after her. "Tell dad to fight his own battles next time."
Chapter 9
"Can I ask you something?" I stand in the doorway watching Hunter bend down in all his custom-fitted-suit-glory to pick up Cory's toys from the living room floor.
"Anything." He drops everything he's scooped up in his hands and turns to face me. "Sunshine, ask me."
It's been so long since he's called me that. Since the awkward encounter we had in bed about his trip with Cory, we haven't really talked. With my heavy exam schedule and his persistent need to be at a new restaurant that's opening in midtown, we haven't had time together at all.
"Do you think about her when you look at me?" It's a question I've never asked directly. I haven't had to. He's always made me feel loved and adored just for me. It's never been a question of whether that love was directed towards Coral's heart or me.
"Who?" It's the answer I wanted. I didn't want him to automatically assume that she was the woman I was speaking of.
"Coral." I can't look at him directly when I say her name. I can't. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to get myself to that point.
Tugging me into his body, he sighs before he answers. "No, never. Not once."
I wrap my arms around his waist, wanting to pull strength from him. "My mother said something about her." I don't want to confess everything she said. I don't want him to think that I put any weight in the words that she spoke to me.
"You saw her?" He doesn't try and hide the surprise behind the question. Naturally, he'd ask. I've complained to him for hours about how she's been completely not accepting of my relationship with him. I was shocked when she gave him my address all those months ago when he came back to Boston.
I nod and cling tighter to him. "At the bistro. She wanted to meet me to tell me that my father disapproved of my living with you and Cory." I hate the sound of the words coming from my mouth. I hate that she made me doubt this beautiful man even if it was just for a moment.
"She's just being your mom," he offers while his hand runs up and down my back. "They both want what's best for you."
"You're the best for me." I feel no doubt in the words at all. He is. He's always been the best thing in the world for me.