76. Proserpina and Schwartz

Schwartz’s words made me feel alarmed. 'I wanted to talk to you.' When he said it so seriously, I looked at him, my lips parted in uncertainty. "Hey, chill!' he said, but his expression was sober. Now I was intrigued. Shooing the kids over to Beatrice, I indicated the wide kitchen windows where I could sit on a chair and no one would be within earshot.

After I was comfortably settled, he perched on the counter, gazing at his hands for a long time. I leaned my head back, folding my hands over my stomach. I was prepared to wait. Taking a deep breath, he went into his recital bluntly. 'You do know that Delano is ... that he cares for you, right?' he began unceremoniously.

I scowled at him, my plump mouth thinning. As I made to stand up and move away, he gripped my wrist. Staring at him, I looked down at the hard grip on my wrist. Schwartz had always been gentle, caring, and never the one to use brute force so I was startled.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sita Kumar tense. She unobtr