He didn’t want to leave her alone, but saw no choice. Getting to his feet, he followed her into the kitchen. His mother rounded on him. The anger on her face was clear. She poked him in the chest. “What the hell do you think you’re thinking?”
Before he could answer, she did.
“That girl has no idea who we are, what you do, or what she has just married in to.”
“Charlotte,” Maddox said, coming into the kitchen with the glasses. “This is what Abel wanted.”
“Look, she didn’t want to get to know me. If she knew the truth she would run from me. I’m asking for a couple of months, to make her fall in love with me. Maybe even get her pregnant.”
“You think that’s all it’s going to take? She’s a woman, Abel. We can run with our kids, even in this day and age.”
He shook his head. “Please, let me do this my way.”
His mother sighed. “You’re heading for a fall, son. I hope you understand that.”
She grabbed the juice from the fridge and entered the dining room.
“Do you understand what I’m doing?” Abel asked.
“I’m with your mother every step of the way. I lived what you’re doing, son. I’ve seen the pain I’ve caused your mother. The fact she is still here, loving me, is a fucking miracle.”
“I can’t let her go. I love her.”
“Then you’re going to have to work really hard to keep her. I work constantly, every single day.”
“This legacy fucking sucks!”
“Does it?” Maddox asked.
“We have to work at it. We’re in love before the women even have an inkling of what they feel for us. How is that anything less than sucky?”
“We have a gift, Abel. Unlike many other men, we know our soulmate. We know the woman we’re going to love for the rest of our life. This is not a curse. You don’t think our women fight just the same? They love us eventually. Your mother loves me, and she fights for me in exactly the same way. Stop seeing this as a curse, but a fucking legacy, which is exactly what it is.”
His father grabbed some fresh glasses, and made his way back into the dining room.
She’s on her own, asshole. Go to her.
Entering the dining room, he carried a couple of the glasses, placing them in front of people.
“What are you going to do? Stay at Abel’s?” Damian asked.
“No.”
“Yes.”
They both answered at the same time.
Abel looked at her.
“I have classes, and I don’t know where your apartment is. City driving is kind of scary,” she said. With each word she spoke, her cheeks bloomed an even deeper red. “Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. How about you stay with Betty and Lara during the week, and I’ll come by every single day, and then, um, on the weekend, we stay at my place?” he asked.
“That sounds good.”
“What are you doing about a honeymoon?” Lou asked.
“Honeymoon?”