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“It would be, if this was Cora sitting across fro learned to be a decent person It isn’t because you’re playing your bloody ga it”

Uh

Wow

Ouch

“Tor –” I whispered

“Caood I should just let go and allow myself to fully enjoy it Hell, who kno far you’ll take it YouI’ll really enjoy, like a bloody heir” I felt ht play it so well, I’ll enjoy creating that heir But, gods curse aet your way and, as hard as I try, I can’t stop it fro my eyes because for once in this cursed (literally) world (at least since the very beginning with Rosa and Aggie) I was enjoying myself and he just reminded me that I could not and why

To hide my tears, I looked away

“Crocodile tears, even better,” he muttered

Great They had the saying crocodile tears here Perfect

I sucked in breath through my nose, focused ood as I reo

I e) e to call, “Tor?”

“Yes, love”

I took another breath andyou a kiss for it?”

“You can ask it but that doesn’t ive it”

Of course

I nodded Then I asked it

“Can you please not call me ‘love’ or ‘my love’ when you obviously hate me so much?”

It was small, I almost missed it, but I was pretty sure I saw him flinch

“Cora –”

“Men call women who they care about that My Dad calls my Mom that He loves her Deeply He has for nearly four decades Please don’t sully that by using those words, words you don’t mean, on me”

He held my eyes and I let him Or, more accurately, I couldn’t tear mine away

Then he said quietly, “No”

I pulled in my top lip and bit it Then I nodded Then I looked out the

“I need to make some enquiries,” he told my profile

“Of course,” I whispered to the

“Don’t leave this table,” he co

I felt him move but didn’t look then I felt his heat at my side

“Cora”

I closed my eyes Then I turned my head and tipped it way back to look up at him When I did, his hand lifted to cup my cheek and he bent low and touched his h my heart

When he lifted his head, he esture was for the crowd