Homelands Pt. 06 Ch. 02

"Don't wanna talk to you," she said, slipping her head under the water.

Of course, she had to come up for air not long thereafter. And she she did, he was still there. Apparently, he wasn't big on taking hints.

He hadn't set foot off the hardwood floor of her bedroom though.

"If you're not going to go away, you might as well come in."

So her father came and sat on the toilet. He had one of his nice suits on. Looking dapper. It was tempting to splash some bubble bath on it, but she restrained herself.

"Why didn't you tell me about the Eternal Garden?"

"Since when do you care about politics?" he asked.

"That's not politics," she said. "Not if Kurt and Liv and Aunt Zoey are coming home."

He smiled softly at her, like she'd said the cutest little thing. It was infuriating. "Sweetie, it's still politics." He undid his tie and slipped it off. "But, yes, I should have told you."

Then he did.

As he slipped off his shoes, shed his jacket, and unbuttoned his shirt, he explained the deal he'd made. Turned out, it really was political. Meaning the details were needlessly complex, boring, and confusing. She didn't understand why they'd have to start treating her cousins and Aunt Zoey like gods when they obviously weren't. Nor did she understand where all this quasi-religious stuff was coming from. But he assured her that it was the price they had to pay in exchange for Summer's protection. Only he hadn't even called it that. He'd said it was what they had to do to get under the Garden's "security umbrella." Veronica had probably heard that stupid-ass phrase before, but Annie sure hadn't.

That he'd been right to think she'd have no interest in the details did nothing to lessen her anger though. He could at least have told her that her cousins would be returning to Summer. She wouldn't have cared what the explanation was.

The only justification he offered was that he didn't want her to get excited about seeing them again if it wasn't going to work out. Apparently, it hadn't been certain until a little while earlier, when they'd reached a final agreement about all the little details.

Annie might have been more sympathetic to that if she was as emotionally attached to Kurt as Patty was, or as close with Olivia as Eric had been. She got along with her cousins, especially Liv, but she'd never been in love with either of them. Hadn't even had the chance to sleep with either of them. It would be nice to see them again, but if she'd started looking forward to that only to find out that it wasn't going to work out, she'd have gotten over it.

And she suspected that her father knew that.

Which meant that there was something he wasn't telling her. Either about the details of the arrangement or why it was necessary in the first place. Whatever it was, he was keeping it from her, but he'd clearly told Aunt Nina.

"So whaddaya say, princess? Do you forgive me?"

Annie gave him a flat look. Then she rolled her eyes and said, "I suppose so."

He stared at her for a few moments, those green eyes cutting to her core. No secrets were safe before that merciless gaze. Annie could only assume that her father knew she was humoring him. That she was still upset. But, thankfully, he didn't press the point.

"Good," he said. Then he stood, leaned over, and kissed her forehead. "Whenever you're ready, come done for dinner." His eyes lingered on her for a bit longer before he finally left.

She let out a deep breath and sank lower in the tub.

He was so handsome. So powerful and confident and in control. Fucking irresistible.

She could probably make peace with knowing that he told his sister things he wouldn't tell her, if he'd at least be honest about that. When she'd first moved in with him, that was exactly what she assumed the state of affairs was. Now, though, he'd gone and tricked her into believing that she was special, even though she wasn't.

It would take a lot more wine to figure out whether she could forgive him for that.