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She looks out the window again. “Is that all you see in me? Beauty?”
“No,” I say without a second of hesitation. “When I first saw you, perhaps, but now there’s more.”
“What, then?”
“I see the woman I want.”
She doesn’t look at me like I expected. “You already have me. But I think this relationship is only working because we’re stuck at home. Soon, your life will return to normal.”
“And what’s my normal, Zoe?”
“Travel, parties, glamor. And none of this is part of my world, Christos, except for work obligations. I’ve been thinking a lot these last few days. With the money from the contract we signed, I’m going to pay off all my parents’ debts and buy them another house. Then I’ll go after what I want for myself, after my real dream. I will no longer sign contracts with any other brands. You will be my last.”
In more ways than you can imagine, Zoe. You will be mine forever.
Zoe
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
WASHINGTON D.C.
“I can’t believeI’m hugging you, my baby,” Christos’s mother says, and I find myself smiling because the woman has no restraint when it comes to showing affection.
I watch his reaction. I thought he would be embarrassed by his mother’s over-the-top ways, how she even pinched his cheek as if he were still a little boy. But no. He hugs her, and the kiss he gives in return is long.
I feel my eyes fill with tears, thinking about my two mothers, the biological one and the adoptive one. I would love to get a hug like that too.
“Mom, this is Zoe.”
As soon as Christos parked in front of the mansion, she came running out to greet us.
She is petite, a little chubby, and has gray hair in a shoulder-length cut. She is not beautiful—yes, I have that flaw. Working so much among models who border on physical perfection, I end up analyzing everyone’s appearance, but she’s so full of life that she’s stunning. You can almost touch her lifeforce.
Finally, she lets go of her son and comes closer to me. “My dear, what a pleasure to meet you. I’m so sorry for the tragedy you went through. How are your parents?”
Contrary to what usually happens when I’m confronted with very direct people, I don’t feel uncomfortable. She doesn’t sound like she wants to be nosy, but rather she’s really sorry, concerned for my family.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Danae.”
“Just Danae. I’m not that old.”
“Right.” I smile. “Nice to meet you, Danae. They are as well as they can be.”
“I can’t even imagine the nightmare you went through, Zoe, but they’re all alive and that’s what matters. Now let’s go inside; Alekos is already complaining he’s famished,” she says, referring to her husband.
As if he knew we were talking about him, Christos’s father appears. It’s like seeing an older version of my boyfriend. The man must also have been drop-dead gorgeous when he was younger. Does Danae know how to shoot? If I had to be with her son for the rest of my life, I would definitely enroll in a shooting training course.
The thought spreads a good feeling through my chest, but I push it away. I wish I had more time with him, and I don’t intend to walk away from his life, but I also don’t want to delude myself into thinking we’ll be together forever.
“Alekos, come meet your son’s girlfriend.”
He comes but first stops and gives his wife a kiss on the forehead. Then I realize that, regardless of the man’s beauty, he is in love with this woman. There is no physical difference that outweighs that.
I look over at Christos and catch him watching me as his father hugs me and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
I smile awkwardly, but I am very happy with the warm greeting. Mike only had his mother, and the woman looked at me strangely the only time we saw each other.
I have serious issues with rejection and may never be able to fully get over them. Christos’s parents’ greeting makes my heart calm down, as I now have the courage to admit I was scared to death that they would treat me coldly.
