Colliding With My Mate(Book #2)

Chapter 21

*Cara's Pov*
I just came back from my dress fitting with my mother. She decided for me to wear her dress that she wore when she got married. It had to be taken in because I was a little skinnier than she was when she got married. I had tried to make conversation with her to no avail.

"Was this your mother's dress as well?" I attempted when the silence between us became too unbearable.

"No." She answered.

"So why do I need to wear your dress? Shouldn't I pick my own?"

My mother's lip twitched in annoyance. Her eyes swept over me with hardly any interest."Is the dress unappealing to you?"

"It's not exactly my first choice." I told her candidly. "But then again, it doesn't really matter what dress I wear. It's not like I'm marrying Reid or anything." I sighed and felt my eyes prick with tears. I looked up at my mother to find her typical mundane expression transformed. She looked as if she'd wish I shrivel up and disappear. It was one thing for someone like Isaac or Steven to look at me that way, but my own mother?

"Please spare me your tears Caterina. Soon it will all be over." A faint cryptic smile tugged at her lips only to be replaced instantly with a passive expression.

"What was your wedding like?" I attempted conversation.

"Someone is talkative today." She noted. "What is it about weddings and mother daughter bonding?" She smirked.

Feeling revengeful I fired back."Well I'd hardly call this bonding and I'd hardly call you my mother."

"Very charming Caterina. I can ascertain that you are indeed my daughter, whether I want you to be or not." Like Reid, whatever insult I employed, my mother could easily issue a more severe one.

"Am I really that disappointing as a daughter?"My eyes watered even more.  "What have I done to you?"

"You insist on speaking even to your discredit and my severe displeasure."

"But-"

"Caterina! Enough of this." She scolded. "Time for lunch with your father. We cannot be late."

Next we went for lunch with my father. I was excited for lunch because I found him more kind and tolerable than my mother.

Father asked about the wedding dress shopping to which I responded it went well. My mother's face remained neutral and she only nodded.

As my parents discussed Royal matters, I played with my food and thought about Reid. I wanted to unblock him and mindlink him one more time, but that wasn't fair to him. I couldn't just keep playing with his emotions like that no matter how much I wanted to hear his voice.

Next we talked about my claiming to Petor. I would need to do it by tonight. Pre-wedding photos were to be taken tomorrow and the swelling and blood needed to be gone by tomorrow. I hated how much like a business transaction this whole thing felt but I'm a way it very much was a business deal. It was a quid pro quo in every sense of the word. I just found it so funny how none of my parents wanted anything to do with me once I agreed to their rules. They had once promised to train me and to teach me Morsk, but those promises were never fulfilled.They would say whatever to insure that I kept on the legacy. I was especially disappointed by my father, his affable personality completely changed before my eyes once I signed the contract. He could be just as cruel as Seraphina if he wanted.