Watching her interact with the Queen is strange, no one has been able to calm Lexie down so well ever since her own mother died. Even Bear and Gears look astounded at Lexie's immediate tame personality, normally she would've gone straight for the woman with no boundaries and she would've torn her apart.
Riley is blissfully unaware of the tension and the brewing argument as everyone listens to Sonya's critique about the wedding plans. I lean on the back of the couch with Bear, Eva and Lexie on it and I watch as Eva leans closer to me, hopefully she's comforted by me just being here.
"They're here!" Riley is out of her seat in seconds, ushering her two sisters inside with a grin on her face. Loren is taller than Riley, though they look quite similar in terms of looks, while Millie is a bright faced, blonde haired stranger compared to them.
"Eva!" Loren cheers first, sweeping Eva into a hug. "Wow, I haven't seen you in years. You got even hotter, which is completely unfair."
"Thank you, dear. How is engineering? Riley tells me you make a lot of money in Germany."
"I make enough to be comfortable."
"I'm actually looking into some business in Germany, if you're available to freelance I would love your help."
"You know I can never say no to you." Millie then steps up to Eva, both the siblings adamantly avoiding their mother, and grins widely.
"Hello little troublemaker." Eva grabs her in a hug this time, rocking them side to side and then squeezing Millie's cheeks with a laugh. "You're just as adorable as you were when you were a baby. How did the audition go?"
"You mean the one you got for me?" Millie asks slyly, holding Eva's bruised hands gently. I look over at Sonya and see her silently steaming in her seat as she glares at the communication between her daughters and the woman she hates. "It went really well, I have a call back when I'm back in California."
"That's amazing. I still remember when you were watching Grease in my lounge and reciting every word of it." Millie then blushes and looks away, her eyes flicking over the room in curiosity. Riley then makes all of the introductions which Loren and Millie respond to enthusiastically, shaking hands and hugging and everything.
Still, neither of them have even looked at their mother yet even though they know where she is and she's tried initiating conversation many times since they got here. Eva drifts back over to me, leaving her seat for the siblings to settle in, and sits on the back of the couch, facing me with a smile.
"Are you going to talk to mum at any point while you're here?" Riley asks sarcastically. Eva's eyes widen, reaching for my hand immediately and bringing it into her lap as she keeps her back to the scene unfolding behind us. As I said, brewing argument and it looks like someone left the heat to high because it's bubbling over now.
"She is not our mother, she isn't yours either so I don't understand why she's here." Loren's words carry weight as Eva's back straightens in surprise.
"What are you talking about, Loren? I gave birth to you, I raised you."
"Dad raised me, you had nothing to do with it." I look at Eva, whose grip is continuing to tighten on my hand, her knuckles and her cheeks turning white. This is exactly what she wanted to avoid, it's why she's stayed quiet from the minute Sonya got here. Her panicked eyes flick up to me like she's begging me to put a stop to this, I don't have any power here.
"And what about Riley and Millie? They were raised by your father too I guess?" Sonya's voice is sharp, unrelenting and her glare is harsh despite the fact she's regarding one of her daughters. Loren's laugh is cold as she returns the glare tenfold.
YOU ARE READING
Mac (Riders of Apollo #8)
Romance"Are you going to kiss me or are you just gonna stare?" As if he needed the encouragement, he slams his mouth down on mine in a frenzy, his hands moving from the counter to my thighs and pressing himself against me completely. I try and overcome hi...
