The-Wrong-Bride-Ares--Raven’s-story-(Maura,-Catharina)_bibis

look forward to, yet I always dread walking through this door.
“Ares!” Dad says, a smile on his face. His gaze drops to our joined hands, and he looks away
awkwardly as he pats Ares on the shoulder. “Got a great bottle of scotch for the two of us, my boy.”
Dad leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead before leaning in to whisper in my ear. “And I hid
some of those cupcakes you like in your room, sweetheart.”
I giggle, my heart warming. This is why I keep coming home, because the good still outweighs the
bad. “Thank you, Dad.”
“Ares, Hannah.” I look up at Mom, who freezes for a moment before raising her hand to her lips.
“Sorry, Raven. I’m so used to saying their names together.” She shakes her head and walks toward us.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she says, but she doesn’t sound it. Her smile is far more genuine when she
turns toward Ares. “I prepared the guest room for you, Ares.”
He wraps his hand around my waist and pulls me into him. “I won’t need it,” he assures her. “I’ll
share a room with my wife.”
Mom’s eyes drop down to his hand, and then she looks away, visibly uncomfortable. “Don’t you
think that’s somewhat… insensitive?”
Ares stares her down. “Insensitive? What is? To be spending a weekend in the same home as the
woman who left me at the altar? No, not at all.” He turns to me then. “You don’t mind that, do you? Or
we wouldn’t be here.”
I bite back a smile at the way he’s purposely misunderstanding her and subtly shake my head. I
love him for it, but I don’t need him to fight my battles, nor do I need to be reminded of their history
even more than I already will be.
“Come on,” I tell him. “Let’s go put our stuff upstairs.”
Mom watches us as we disappear up the stairs, and I can’t help but feel uneasy. It’s been years
since I last felt at home here, but I’ve never felt quite this out of place.
Ares pauses in the doorway to my room and smiles. “Hey, I bought you that little cupcake shaped
pillow.” He walks in and looks around in wonder as I sit down on my bed, seeing my room through
fresh eyes.
“I forget that you haven’t been in my room in years, if ever.”
Ares pauses, a hint of remorse flashing through his eyes. He walks up to me and kneels down in
front of me, his eyes on mine. “Tell me, Cupcake. Is there anything I can do to make this weekend
more bearable for you?”
I look into his eyes and sigh. “Shouldn’t I be the one to ask that question? Being here, around
Hannah. Isn’t it hard for you, too?”
“It should be, shouldn’t it?” he asks. “But it isn’t. It doesn’t affect me at all.” He reaches for me
and buries a hand in my hair before pulling me closer, his lips hovering over mine. “How could it,
when I’ve got you?” He kisses me then, his touch rough and demanding. Just like that, he melts away
my worries.
“Raven!” Mom shouts from downstairs.
I groan when Ares pulls away and drops his forehead to mine. “Come on,” I tell him. “We’d
better head downstairs.”
He presses another quick kiss to my lips before he rises to his feet and pulls me up with him.
Perhaps this weekend will be manageable after all.
Ares follows me down, and the front door opens just as we reach the bottom of the stairs. Hannah
walks in, pausing when she sees Ares. Her eyes flash with agony for a moment, and it hits me right in
the chest. This is exactly what it used to be like for me. I used to hate coming home, because I