Amber had enough of this bullshit. She resisted the need for a witty comeback, squeezing Casper's hand once more, she smiled giving his mother a million-dollar, service counter worthy grin. The one reserved for rude older women.
"I cook. I clean and I can make an amazing steak and potatoes."
His mother glanced at her, pretending to just notice her presence. "How simple…" his mother drawled.
"Oh, I'm fantastic at Asian food. I can make teishoku for breakfast, prata for lunch and Cantonese steamed fish for dinner if Casper wanted," she bit out.
She left out the fact that Hikaru was a hundred times better at her in making anything Japanese. Oliver was certified amazing at Cantonese food because of a previous job at a restaurant. And they only got authentic prata from a famous Indian food store a few blocks down the street. She could make it, sure, only if she tried. But the nasty woman didn't need to know that.
"Surely, mostly pre-packaged and canned," she sneered.
How the fuck do you preserve prata?
"Oh, I know how to make it from scratch," she smiled. Then lost it as she continued to speak. "I'll have you know that I plan to handmake all weaning meals for my baby when it's a toddler and will only breastfeed it until it's fully weaned."
The woman went quiet at her words, scanning Amber with her radar-like eyes. And Amber's heart thumped hard at her questioning gaze. "And exactly what will you make for this child?" she interrogated with a mock lilt in her voice.
"Natto for health. A different mashed carb, protein and vegetable. Fruit for every meal. And something for texture play so it learns to use its hands." In her head, Amber was a controllable character bouncing on its feet as it faced the enemy, and she'd just launched a triple high kick to this damned woman. Thank God for all those baby reality TV shows.
"Your mother is Japanese?" Translation: I know it's a Japanese custom to handmake food for your baby, so you must be trained and peer pressured to do so.
"No, I'm just ridiculously determined to raise my child properly, if I have a child." It wasn't necessary for such dedication, and she knew that canned baby food was perfectly fine. But Amber wanted to do this for her future children that she already loved dearly. Plus, her in-laws seemed to love it when she was overly committed to child rearing.
"If you have a child," his mother echoed. "So you don't want one?"
God, Amber struggled to keep her real thoughts from exploding through her system. "I believe in being mentally ready for children. I'll take classes. And we don't have our home prepared, we're looking to buy one with a better environment." She smirked, knowing full and well that she was winning the argument. "Possibly a good nursery school that's close by."
"So that you can dump the child?"
"Like you?" she snapped out and then paled, realising that she'd fucked up, but still pressed on because she was already this close to ripping Casper's mother a new asshole. The audible gasp echoed but Amber couldn't hear it with the blood churning in her head. "It's good to start learning and making friends from a young age. But if the child doesn't want to study until it's of age, it won't need to study!"
The woman snorted, shaking her head. "A waste, but I suppose with your genes, it doesn't matter." Amber bristled, understanding her words to be attacks against her IQ. Oh fuck, Amber
"No, it's because I believe a happy child needs to play and have fun with its mother and father." She stepped forward, glowering up at Casper's mother. "So that it won't grow up, aloof and separated from its family." Like Casper. The woman's eyes narrowed. "So that it will learn and find passions and hobbies. So that it will grow happy and loved, and know that pursuing one's dreams in life should be applauded." Her skin burned as she grew more agitated. "So that it will understand what a real family should be like!"
"A real family? Do not lecture me about how I raised my son!" His mother glared.
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with being a hardworking successful businesswoman, but admit it you weren't even a part of his life." Her heart pounded, racing in her ears. "You dropped him into the arms of a nurse and left. You have absolutely no right to request anything from Casper, berate him or control his life! He may be your son in blood, but you've relinquished all that the moment you started treating him like a stock waiting to moon. And Casper is not a money-making machine or a damn gene breeding prized cow! But a living, breathing person!"
For a moment all went quiet as Amber's heart raced, her bravado seeping away, heat radiating from her skin and replaced with cold. But then Casper's mother laughed, incredulous barks as she shook her head. But Amber could see the waver of strength in her eyes and Casper's mother took a step back, hurt dancing in her eyes.
"I'll look for your grandmother," she snipped, backing down from the fight and taking a step away as she moved, disappearing into the crowd that were suddenly staring at them, whispers echoing through the room. Amber blinked, biting her lips and her eyes snapped to Casper.
Oh fuck.
"Fuck," she whispered to Casper. "I went off at her." His grip tightened as he pulled her away, moving them both to a spot away from the whispering. He didn't speak and she couldn't see him as she was dragged along, her eyes dancing over the ripple of muscle in his neck and the tic in his jaw. "Fuck. I'm sorry, please don't be mad."
He turned and she braced herself for the scolding, but was surprised to see his eyes shimmering with gold. It glistened, wet as he blinked and he sighed, but the smile on his face was warm like the sun on her skin.
"Amber…" his voice escaped his lips in a soft, defeated whisper.
"I'm sorry. God I—"
"I'm angry, you did everything you were not supposed to do," he continued, but his smile widened. "But love, it did feel good to hear you say that. I've never said that to her. I just couldn't."
"But you're scared," she realised, holding his hand as it continued to quake under her touch. God, she shouldn't have done that.
"Do you blame me? I don't know what they'll try to do if they get mad, but I don't care. I don't give a fuck if they get mad. You spoke the truth. Nothing, but the truth" Casper blinked back the frustrated tears. "I'm so weak. Jesus Christ, I'm so sorry Amber this is a baggage—"
"Oh, shut up, please, I'm just so glad you aren't like your mother. I don't know what I'll do if my soulmate wanted me to be some Harvard graduate of law with like ten awards, and a fucking badge from the president."
"I don't need badges and the awards to measure your worth," Casper groaned, meeting her eyes. "You're the most precious creature in the entire world."
They shared a moment of sweet silence, a peculiar electricity fizzing in the air between them. The situation seemed to act as a conduit to the already present sexual tension that buzzed between them, and she couldn't help allowing the horny supressed thoughts to now take root as her eyes scooped and salivated over her dimpled, sexy soulmate in his white blazer and skin tight turtle neck.
"I love how you quantified me as 'creature', so that I would know that I can't beat your PS5."
"Oh my God baby, please," his eyes flashed and they rolled as he held her hand, but the smirk on his lips told her that she'd torn him out of his sadness and fear with her words. "My PS5 can't make love to me."
"Oh, now we're talking…" she laughed, taking his hand to swing it, "let's go home."
"Casper?" the voice that echoed from behind them sent a wave of shock through her. It seemed to freeze the air, dulling the voices and the clatter of sound. She swallowed, confused as her body redrew, muscles spasming and cold sweat beaded on the surface as fear churned thick in her belly. She paused as Casper left her for that brief second, moving to greet whoever stood at the door.
Her head whipped, and her eyes widened as she caught sight of Casper air kissing a girl in greeting, his cheeks touching hers. And for a moment Amber's heart thundered, churning blood through her veins as her mind swirled. There was no way she would forget that voice. There was no damn fucking way. The words die in her throat the moment they surface and she gasped, choking as her body momentarily refused to breathe.
"My love, this is my cousin," Casper said as they parted and Amber completely forgot how to breathe. "Claudia."
And the girl smiled, lips curling, teeth revealed like the snarl of a wolf. Amber saw the flash of green from the exit. The splash of pink. The glitter of jewellery and the unmistakeable bounce of two fuzzy white earrings. And blood spilled as glittering gold flowed from her head. A single lilac crushed between the manicured fingers of a devil.
"Ambrosia," she purred, stepping forward to give her a sinister smile. And Amber almost died when she took her hand, squeezing it as she shook it in greeting.
"How nice to see you."
Pom Pom.
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