“But I have to go. You know I do!”
Lillian frowned. “Jared, that’s ridiculous. You need everyone with you to get her there safe. The second you land, you’ll be bombarded. They will do everything they can to keep her from somewhere they can’t go.”
I swallowed. It was so close. I’d always felt like we had plenty of time before the pandemonium started.
Claire sighed. “We can’t leave you unprotected, Mom.”
“What about Grant?” Bex said.
“Bex!” Jared yelled. His voice boomed throughout the house. Bex’s face turned red, and his eyes immediately fell.
“Grant?” I said, confused. “Grant Bristol?” No one said a word. All eyes were on the table but mine, which danced in every direction. “Titan’s Grant? Is a…Hybrid?”
“No,” Lillian said, cupping Bex’s shoulder. “He’s an Arch.”
I dropped my fork, and it clanged against my plate. “I don’t believe it.”
Lillian attempted to soften Jared with one of her sweetest smiles. “It’s not a bad idea.”
I turned to him, thwarting Lillian’s effort. “This isn’t something you thought I needed to know? Are you kidding me?” I wailed.
Jared’s expression turned desperate. “You can’t expect me to tell you about every angel or demon that passes by.”
“I work with him, Jared. I…I’m just baffled why you chose to keep it from me! This makes twice today!”
“What else haven’t you told her?” Ryan asked, enjoying the show.
Jared shot a death glare in Ryan’s direction. “It was his secret to tell, Nina, and it’s really not paramount that you know. In the grand scheme of things, it’s really minute. You’re being unreasonable.”
“Minute.” I stood up from my seat. “I don’t think asking for a little trust, or having the expectation to not be treated like an outsider in my own company or family, is unreasonable. I don’t think being upset to be the last to know that I’m pregnant is unreasonable. I am tired of you choosing what is and is not acceptable for me to know, only for me to find out by chance sometime later like a slap in the face!”
Jared’s eyes drifted to the floor. I threw my napkin to the table, stomping up the stairs to the bedroom in Oscar-worthy fashion. I sat on the bed, still fuming. A small knock at the door only amplified my anger.
“Go away, Jared.”
“It’s Claire.”
“I don’t want to talk to you, either.”
Claire, being Claire, walked in anyway. She sat on the bed next to me, crossing her arms. She sat silent for the longest time, and finally took a breath.
“I get it, you know. They don’t tell me nonessential information, either. It’s crap.”
“It’s demeaning is what it is.” I frowned in her general direction. “I’m his wife. I understand I’ve been the token human that doesn’t understand the rules of the universe, but for the love of all things holy. I know enough by now. He should trust me.”
“It’s not that he doesn’t trust you. He tries to keep your life as normal as possible. He knows how important that is to you.”
“It’s a moot point these days, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I would, but I don’t love you like he does.”
My mouth pulled to the side. She was fighting dirty. Jared loved me, and at times let that fact cloud his judgment. It was impossible to stay angry at him for it. Jared keeping Grant a secret from me defied logic. It simply didn’t make sense.
“He should have a good reason for keeping things from me, and he doesn’t have one.”
“It’s a very human reason, actually.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Grant’s been in love with you for ages. Why do you think Jack was constantly pushing him in your direction?”
“That doesn’t make sense, either. Jack didn’t want me with Jared because of the prophecy. He definitely wouldn’t want me with an Arch.”
Claire raised an eyebrow, and the same side of her mouth turned up. “What do teenage girls do when their parents tell them not to do something?” Claire said. “If Jack told you to stay away from Grant, you would have run straight for him.”
“Ick,” I said. “No one’s that stubborn.”
“You are.”
I sighed. “Why didn’t Jack use the same logic with Jared?”
“He didn’t have to. He forced Jared to stay out of sight. That solved the problem. Grant didn’t take orders from Jack.”
“Oh, yes, he did. I saw it on many occasions.”
“You saw what they wanted you to see.”
“Still doesn’t explain why he kept it from me,” I huffed.
“Jared might seem divinely perfect, but he’s human, too, Nina. He can make decisions based on the fear of losing you to someone else just like any other insecure boyfriend. It hasn’t been the first time.”
“He’s not my boyfriend any more.”
“Once he waited to tell you, it was something he’d kept from you. It was already too late, wasn’t it?”