Page 108 of Tail, Dark and Handsome: Celestial Mates
“Oh, of course.” He rolled his eyes with enough attitude to rival Zero. “You’re on the planet I always planned to immigrate to and just so happen to be at the same party. Have you been stalking me? This is sad, Marigold. If this is some cockamamie plan to win me back, it’s too late.”
She swayed back, not expecting him to be on the attack. She really couldn’t have verbalized what she had been expecting. Maybe an apology or a denial that his presence was anything more than a coincidence, but not this. “I didn’t—”
“The evidence says otherwise.”
“What evidence?”
His gaze swept over her form. “You could have at least put some effort into your appearance if you’re trying to win me back. You really need to move on. Obsession is not a good look on you.”
Mari set down her drink on the nearest surface, which happened to be the edge of the plant’s pot. She’d ignore the insult to her appearance and the accusation of being an obsessive stalker ex-girlfriend and slip back into charming hostess mode. Maintaining her calm demeanor would take more energy than Tomas was worth, but she absolutely would not give Chase the drama he wanted.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said with a smile. “I never had a chance to thank you. We’re not right for each other and maybe the stress of a wedding was overwhelming, or we felt like we couldn’t back out, but I’m glad we didn’t go through with it. Thanks.”
His brows rose, as if he had been expecting fire and fury, not gratitude.
Good. Mari took the opportunity to continue. “It’s great we had the chance to meet again. It gives us a chance to expel the negative energy between us.”
“Spare me your balanced life force crap,” Tomas said. “I’m so glad I don’t have to pretend to care about that anymore. Do you hear yourself? It makes you sound like an idiot.”
Mari took a step back. She herself wasn’t a deep believer in spiritual philosophies, not like Valerian, but she saw the value in liberating oneself from negative emotions. Stress caused ulcers and heart disease. That was science.
“We’re calling names? I have a special name for the kind of man who sleeps around with my best friend, borrows money he can’t pay, and is too cowardly to call off a wedding he doesn’t want.”
“Cowardly? If I tried to back out, your family would have strung me up by my balls. You were so focused on getting married that you didn’t particularly care to whom. I was just the sucker who showed up for a date.”
More of that statement was true than Mari wanted to admit. Mari knew that Valerian and Joseph probably would have looked for a little karma payback, but only in the spectator sense. And yes, she had been highly motivated to find her forever love. That’s why she went to Celestial Mates for her perfect match.
Perfect? A perfect fiasco.
“We met through a matchmaking agency. Thepointwas to get married, so don’t act like I pressured you into something you didn’t want. What about my money? I want it back.” She folded her arms over her chest, the fabric of the jacket tight across her back. “I know Chase is paying you to be here, so give me money back.”
His top lip curled into a sneer. “Always about the money with you, isn’t it? At least you got yourself a rich one this time.”
“What do you meanalways about the money? I’m not the one who ran off with someone’s life savings. Four times!” Maybe her voice rose in pitch. Maybe she was losing her tranquil center. Mari palmed the crystal necklace, willing herself to remain calm.
“All the new furniture! Everything had to be just so, and nothing was cheap. And did you actually pay attention to how much we were spending on dining out?”
“You were the one who didn’t like to cook. And what else were we going to do about furniture? Sleep on a mattress on a floor? Or maybe squeeze into the old single that I’ve had since I was a kid?” Mari had no furniture of her own, just the bedroom set she acquired when she was a teen. Of course they needed to furnish their apartment. “And you tricked me into signing a promissory note with the most notorious loan shark in the sector.”
Tomas rolled his eyes. “Nox is not the most notorious. Don’t be dramatic.”
“Right, right. I’m the one being dramatic here.”
“Sandria and I needed the money to start our life together.”
“You did what?” She had wondered about where the money went. What they spent—what she knew of at least—did not account for what Tomas borrowed. “I assumed you had a gambling addiction.”
“We have expenses. Tickets, housing, furnishings, all the bureaucratic fees and special permits they expect you to pay for. It adds up.” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t suppose you’d understand. You found someone to pay all that for you. Typical. I always thought you were pretty enough, but you’re not that attractive.”
She and Tomas had never argued, not once in their time together. At the time, she had tried so hard to be the perfect girlfriend for him, and then the perfect fiancée. She choked down her doubts and her questions, wanting to achieve some ideal of harmony. They agreed on everything and never quarreled.
After her conversation with Joseph, she thought they never argued because she didn’t care enough to be bothered. Now she realized it was because Tomas hid his nasty nature.
What she had with Winter was far from perfect, but it was real. They clashed, yes, but it was never hurtful or mean. He never insulted her as a person or implied that he couldn’t stand her. And that, she realized, was what Joseph meant about fighting well, having a constructive disagreement. They argued, tempers flared, but they came back together because they cared for each other.
Tomas, it seemed, loathed her. He barely kept his dislike off his face, and it was so obvious now that she wondered how she had missed it in the first place. Why had he even bothered with the farce of their relationship? She wasn’t an heiress or wealthy, so she did not understand what drew his attention, as he only seemed to care about money.
“Did you even like me at all? A little?” she asked, dazed.
