Page 41 of Push

Tanya barked a laugh. “Tobes.” She shook her head. “Are you dumb enough to say that horseshit to your wife?”

Had I? Maybe? Gwen and I had been fighting abouteverythingfor the last few months.

Tanya was still shaking her head. “Maybe it’s a good thing Gwen threw your ass out. Time for you to get a reality check and see exactly how much shit she’s been dealing with.”

“Is it really that much?”

“If you need to ask that question, you need to experience it yourself.” Tanya jerked her head toward the door. “Get inside, drongo.”

Wincing, I nodded slowly. No point in stalling forever. My mother’s wrath was going to be unleashed at some point. I shuffled to the door, the bottle of wine slipping in my hand from sweat and nerves. I was about to step through the gates of hell when Tanya called out to me.

“Oh, and just so you know,” she said. “Mother dearest is cooking beef Wellington for dinner.”

My hand froze on the door. “You’re joking.”

“Nope.” With a pointed look, Tanya added, “Withallthe trimmings.”

I grimaced. This wasverybad. My mother took out her frustrations in the kitchen. The fancier the meal, the angrier she was. Beef Wellington wasn’t an easy dish to cook. Translation: Mum waspissed.

“It could be worse, right?” My smile was shaky. “She could be baking a soufflé.”

Tanya smiled back, but there was nothing shaky about it. It was pure evil. “That’s for dessert. Mother dearest will probably serve the soufflé right after she serves us your ass on a platter.”

Her evil cackle followed me down the hall.

I’d never dreaded walking into the kitchen more in my life.

My mother stood at the island counter. Her dark hair was swept up in a bun, and the white apron that covered her colorful silk kaftan was pristine even though the countertop was a mess. She acknowledged me only with a flick of her eyes as she reached for the glass of wine perched next to the chopping board.

“Hey, Mum.” I bent down to kiss her, but she turned her cheek. I sighed and held out my peace offering. “Your favorite.”

Her eyes skimmed the label. She turned up her nose. “You were supposed to be here an hour ago.”

“Sorry. My appointments ran late.” I set the wine on the counter and turned to her with a forced smile. “Need any help with dinner?”

She picked up the knife. The sharp crack of the blade on the cutting board filled the awkward silence as she ignored me to slice more potatoes.

“Your hair looks nice tonight,” I said.

My mother blessed me with a withering glare and then returned to slicing her potatoes.

“So.” I dialed up my smile for one last try. “How was your vacation?”

Her hand clenched tighter around the wooden handle of the knife. “How was my vacation?” She stared straight ahead, her lips pinching into a frown. “How do youthinkmy vacation was, Tobias?”

I shrugged. “Fun?”

“Oh, yes, it was ariot. I particularly enjoyed when my friends came flying into the day spa, delighted to show me what was happening all over the internet back home.”

My jaw tightened. I should’ve known the gossiping harpies my mother called herfriendswouldn’t have missed a beat to twist the knife—even on a beach a thousand miles away.

“Mum, I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration.”Sort of… “It all blew over quickly.”Kind of…

“You didn’t think to warn me?”

It took every bit of restraint not to roll my eyes into next week. “I was a little preoccupied.”

“Yes, I suppose the whole world got quite an insight into how you spend your free time.” She turned a sharp gaze on me. “How could you be sostupid?”

---