Page 107 of The KING Review

“I’m not confused. I know exactly what I want,” I say. “I don’t need to justify that to you, or anyone.”

Marie rolls her eyes. “Right, because you’re the exception. I thought I was, too.”

“Yeah, except I didn’t gaslight him into thinking he’s some kind of evil, manipulative bastard. You want to play the ex-wife-victim card, go off—but don’t project it onto me. You’re not mad about Sera, you’re mad Grant might be happy.”

She barks a laugh, but it’s brittle. “You don’t know anything about me.”

I step closer, so our chests almost bump together. “Maybe not. But I know what it feels like to be told, over and over, that I’m too much. I know what it’s like to have someone try to make me feel small so they can feel big.”

Marie’s mouth snaps shut. For a second, I think she might actually back down—then she glances over my shoulder, eyes landing on something behind me. I turn, and there’s Grant—barefoot, hair wet and combed back. He’s trying for neutral, but I can see the strain in his jaw.

“Is everything okay out here?” His voice is calm, but there’s a tiny earthquake under the words.

Sera looks up from her xylophone, beaming. “Papa!”

“Hey, bug. I missed you.” He flashes a smile, and it makes me melt, but when he turns back to me, his expression flattens again.

Marie instantly flips into concerned-coparent mode. “You didn’t tell me you were seeing a student.”

Grant’s lips part, and his eyes fall shut for a moment. I want to cry about how disappointed he looks in that second, because he must know that the only way Marie would know that is because I mentioned it.

I want to take it back. I want to rewind time, stuff the words back into my mouth, and let Grant take the lead. He’s so careful—not just with me, but with everything. With his job, and the rules, and Sera, and the universe. I am not careful. I’m a hand grenade in a room full of glass, and I’ve just yanked the pin.

Grant goes to Sera first. He crouches, matching her height, and the way his face changes when he looks at her should be illegal. His eyes go soft, mouth tipping up. “Hey, there’s my favorite girl.”

She grins, throwing herself into his arms.

Grant lets her bulldoze him, head tucked down by hers, eyes closed as he breathes her in. I can’t imagine how hard it is for him to be without her for two weeks at a time.

I want to just indulge in watching them, but Marie’s eyes are knives. She’s got her game face on, and the instant Sera’s distracted with her xylophone again, Marie returns to the war.

“So, what is this?” she asks, gesturing between me and Grant as he steps up beside me.

His jaw flexes. “We’re dating. We were waiting to file the disclosure with Talan before telling anyone else,” he says. “You’d have known by next week. Ellie already knows.”

Marie’s mouth turns to a sneer, but she shutters it in a microsecond. “You know that’s a violation of the agreement.”

“It’s not, actually,” Grant says evenly. “There’s no clause about timing. Only full disclosure prior to integrating Sera into the home environment. Sera hasn’t met Neve in that context, except for one brief, accidental encounter—outside of this one—because you dropped her off early.”

Marie’s gaze slides to me, then back to Grant. “So, this isn’t just a casual thing?”

I see the way Grant looks at me. It is not casual. If he says otherwise after everything, I know it’ll break me. His lips part, but nothing comes out. I hold my breath.

“It’s not casual.”

Something tectonic shifts behind my ribs.

Marie rolls her eyes. “Are you sure? The last thing Sera needs is instability.”

I can’t stay quiet. “You’re projecting.”

It’s out before I can stop it. Grant shoots me a look—a single, sharp flick of the eyes. I can’t help it, though. I want to defend him. I want to defend Sera. I want to defend myself, too, but that’s a distant third priority.

Marie stares me down, lashes like blades. “You think you know what’s best for my daughter?”

I open my mouth, but Grant intercepts. “No one’s trying to replace you, Marie. Or destabilize anything. I’ve already discussed this with Ellie, but I hadn’t had a chance to discuss it with Neve—that’s why you didn’t know.”

Marie’s mouth does this slow, venomous stretch. “Of course.” She shifts her gaze from Grant to me. “Well. I know now.”