One With My Rival

chapter three

This is a joke. It has to be a joke.

I kept my head low, eyes downcast on the table, arms crossed and positively reeking of anger as I listen to my mother and, I'm assuming, his mother chat away.

I can feel someone's eyes on me and I turn to pin Lucas with a glare that I can only hope would burn him to the ground.

"Nica" My mother calls and I turn to look at her, frowning at the face she's giving me. She subtly nods her head across her and I find myself straightening my posture.

"Oh" I clear my throat, bowing slightly.

"Sorry" I let out a nervous chuckle that quickly gets overpowered by my mother's obnoxious laugh.

"Busy day. She just got off of work" She explains even though I'm pretty sure she wasn't expecting one. Nicos' mom hums.

"You have a business Nica?" 

"Yeah" I breathe out, finding myself nervous mostly because people rarely ask about my job. 

"I do pottery and art and managed to make a small business out of it" 

"It's more than a small business" The genuine smile gets wiped off my face when Lucas speaks up. I turn to glare at him, daring him to continue. He levels me with the same look.

"Actually if I remember correctly, three of her works are currently displayed at a museum" I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, resisting the urge to lurch this fork at him.

"Is that true?" I snap my head back to his mom, taken aback at how surprised she looks.

"Uh, yeah it is" I sink back against my seat, heart pounding at the weight of all their attention on me. The weight of my mom's eyes sits heavier though. I can feel the pride radiating off of her even though she's a good few feet away.

Rich people and their stupid competitive asses.

I scoffed, crossing my arms once again.

"We don't have anyone in the family who's inclined with arts" She hums thoughtfully and my mother smiles, pleased.

"But I'm impressed with what you've accomplished with it" Damn fucking right.

I decided against saying it out loud and settled instead on giving her a small smile.

"I think she will be a fine daughter-in-law" Then it's gone.

A what?

"I'm sorry, a what?" I turn my head to look at my mother, three questions already at the tip of my tongue and I can feel more coming but it all fades into background noise as I take in her sheepish smile.

Oh.

Oh fucking-

"No" I deadpanned. I don't care if I'm rejecting whatever proposal she's made infront of the woman involved.

"The papers have already been signed though" 

A pregnant pause.

I stare at her, mouth slightly open as my brain tries to comprehend what she just said.

"Is this a joke?"

"Please tell me this is a joke" I look at the woman across us who's watching me with an amused expression that's achingly similar to-

"Do you even have any idea who that man is?" I hissed at my mother, voice low. I'm well aware that we're arguing about this directly infront of the people involved but I don't care.