Page 3 of Mercy (The Sins Trilogy 3)
I gesture at the kitchen. “Want some coffee? I could start it right now.”
She starts to shake her head, then changes her mind. “Sure. I’d like that.”
The knots in my belly loosen slightly. “Okay.”
I go to the kitchen and start the machine, my hands slightly shaky as I dump whole beans into the slot. The coffeemaker grinds the beans, filling the kitchen with the bitter and sweet fragrance.
Soon, two perfect cups of hot java drip out. I pour it carefully, as though it’s the most significant task of my life, all the while thinking about what I’m going to say to Ivy. She doesn’t seem angry or upset. She actually seems calm, given the weird-ass crap she just witnessed between me, Mother and Harry.
The acceptance of coffee is a good thing, right? What the hell did Harry buy last night? I hope there’s something I can offer her for breakfast or something so she’ll linger longer.
I push her mug toward her. She takes a small sip. “Mmm. Good.”
“Glad you like it. Where’s Bobbi?” I’m paying her to keep an eye on Ivy. She better not be shirking her duties.
“Waiting in her car. In case you’re worried that she left me to my own devices, she brought me all the way to the elevator in the lobby. I asked her for some private time with you.”
I guess that’s okay, especially if it’s going to make it easier for Ivy to speak freely.
“So… That’s your mother.”
“Yes.”
I hate it that Ivy saw the scene. It wasn’t overdramatic or crazy, but the disdain and coldness Mother feels for me were obvious. Damn it. It’ll only add to Ivy’s reluctance to be with me. After all, how bad must I have been to be disowned and treated that way by my own mother?
“We ran into each other below in the lobby. I thought she came to see you, and felt bad about interrupting your time. But it doesn’t look that way.” Ivy frowns.
“I’ve been disowned. It’s no secret,” I say, resigned to the inevitable. We’ve never discussed this. Ivy never brought it up, and I didn’t talk about it. To explain why I was disowned, I’d have to tell Ivy the darkness of my past. I’d rather not. The only reason I got away with it—and Mother made it clear I got away scot-free—is that I was too young to be prosecuted.
“Was she like that when I was in Tempérane, too?”
I look away briefly, uncomfortable talking about my stained past when I couldn’t give her the answer. “I don’t know. I was studying in Europe when you were there.”
“Why is she saying she wants to adopt me all of sudden? Did she ever try to adopt me, and somehow had it not go her way?”
“I doubt it. My family’s rich and very influential. She could adopt as many children as she wanted. Father wouldn’t have cared.” He would’ve done anything to heal the gaping wound Katherine’s death left in Mother’s heart. Her fragile emotional state is his greatest worry.
Ivy grows quiet again, her expression thoughtful.
I don’t rush her. Let her digest what she’s seen and learned. I don’t want to talk too much and say something stupid—like remind her why we aren’t together anymore. Still, with each passing second my nerves become tauter and tauter. It’s worse than the Chinese water torture. My left thumb starts to twitch.
There are so many ways this can go.
I fucking hate you.
Don’t ever come near me.
You’re despicable, and I want you to know that.
Wow, you’re so much worse than I thought; why else would your mom hate you so much?
On the other hand, Ivy didn’t have to come all the way here to tell me how much she hates my guts. Maybe she’s going to hug me and tell me she was wrong to leave. That she loves me and we should get married ASAP.
Yeah, right.
I can’t handle the silence anymore.
“Do you want to talk about my mother?” I ask. Maybe she does. Just because I’ve avoided the topic of my parents as much as possible doesn’t mean she’s never thought about it. “If that’s why you’re here, we can.” I’ll do anything to keep Ivy here as long as possible.
