“I didn’t hear your answer,” he snaps. “You know how I feel about you working there with Tyler. He’s a criminal. And he basically forced you to be with him publicly,” he says, repeating the story he told people because Tyler and I were seen together at the Harvest festival. Robert still hasn’t gotten over it and hates that I’d rather be with an ex-convict than him.
“That’s a lie you made up, remember? Please tell me you don’t actually believe that because it’s not true.” I want to tell him to go fuck himself too, but I don’t.
“Doesn’t matter because he’s still a loser.” He scowls.
Somehow, I’m able to play it cool, though it’s too damn early for his games. Maybe I’ve learned a thing or two from him manipulating me so much over the years. Knowing I need to change my tone, I decide to answer him. Or rather, give him the answer he needs to hear. Not because I want to please him, but because I want to stop talking about this and enjoy my morning in silence.
“I’m planning to hire someone so I can train them after the honeymoon. Then I can leave without putting my father in a bind. I know you don’t care about any of that, but it’s important to me. So there’s the timeline you want so badly.”
“Fantastic,” he quips. “Oh, and my mother wants to have lunch with you tomorrow to discuss the thank-you notes that need to be written and mailed out. She’s very concerned about things being done in a timely manner, and considering we got so many gifts, it’s gonna take a while. They should be sent before we leave on Friday.”
I haven’t even opened any of the cards or presents, and they’re all still in the living room. When he treats me this way, it puts me in a bad mood for the rest of the day, which isn’t fair to any of the customers who come into the shop.
“What time tomorrow?”
“I believe she said eleven sharp at the cafe downtown,” he tells me.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Robert planned this because his parents adore me so much. The deli is always busy during the week, so I’m sure he wants people to physically see me and his mother together. I half wonder if they know how much of a monster their son is or he got those qualities from them. Now that I think about it, it’s probably the latter.
“Okay,” I say. “Oh, also, don’t forget we’re supposed to have dinner at my dad’s house on Thursday at seven. He wants to wish us well before we leave for the honeymoon because I’ll be gone for ten days.”
Robert huffs. “Shit. I forgot about that.”
Of course he did. He’s only concerned about his plans, never the ones I had.
“It’s important to my father and me, so it’d be in your best interest to be there,” I say.
“Absolutely. I agree.” He grins, not realizing my dad knows the full story. “I’ll make sure to leave by two on Thursday so I can make it on time. If I’m gonna be a little late, I’ll text you. Never know how traffic will be.” Robert looks at the clock on the wall. “I gotta go.”
He stalks to me and places a wet kiss on my forehead. I don’t react until he’s out of sight, but then I wipe it away as if it’s poison.
I’m actually grateful the next two days crawl by because it gives me time to make plans. It’s been nice not having Robert around, but I miss being home, in my bed, and seeing my mother’s paintings on the wall.
Thursday at work is uneventful and we’re slow, which gives me too much time to think about dinner tonight. I won’t be happy until the food is cooked and Robert is sitting at the table. When it comes to socializing with my friends or family, Robert tends to find a last-minute excuse to bail. If I were to do that, he’d lose his shit, but if he does it, I’m supposed to accept it and move on.
The only reason I don’t think he’ll ditch tonight is because he wants to please my father and prove how perfect he is for me. Too bad Dad already knows the truth. Regardless, my adrenaline spikes thinking about us all being in the same room in a matter of hours.
After work, I think about how much I miss Tyler. We haven’t