The Man Who Has No Heart (Soulless 2)

“For the most part.”

“She’s beautiful, but I don’t care for her.”

“That makes two of us.”

“How are you going to handle this with Derek?”

I didn’t want to get into that. “I want to convince her to move here.”

She made a disgusted face. “How about you convince her to give you full custody instead?”

Never gonna happen. “She’d fight me to the bitter end.”

“Too bad. You’re a much better parent than she is.”

My mother would think that even if I weren’t.

“What does she have to offer him? You’re the brilliant one. You’re the one who can help him with his homework, relate to him because you’re both so gifted. She can put him in front of the TV with the remote and walk away…”

I knew I was the one who could nurture Derek into reaching his full potential. Neither one of my parents was gifted, but they understood I had needs they couldn’t fulfill, so they’d dragged me to tutors, to special programs, everything I could possibly need. “When she’s here, I’m sure I’ll be able to do all those things.”

She scooped her fork into her rice. “Are you seeing anyone?”

I loathed the question. My dad never asked me stuff like that. She was a lot nosier.

“Come on, Deacon. You’re a grown man. I’m not prying.”

I didn’t like to talk about my personal life to anyone. I’d always been really private. “No.”

“You’re the most eligible bachelor in this country, so take your time.”

I’d be a bachelor for the rest of my life. I had one son whom I loved, and that was enough for me. “Are you seeing anyone?”

She laughed like the question was ridiculous. “No.” She held up her left hand. “Your father is still the man in my heart.” She showed off her wedding ring, an enormous rock with diamonds in the band.

“You’re young, Mom. You could get remarried.”

“Sixty-two is young to you?” she asked with a chuckle.

“People are living into their eighties, so you’ve got twenty years left to enjoy. You may as well do that with another person.”

She smiled. “So, you wouldn’t be uncomfortable seeing me with someone else besides your father?”

I shook my head. “No. As long as he’s a good man.”

She smiled. “My boy being protective of me…sweet.”

My father was gone, and now it was my turn to look after her, which was what he would want. I was glad she was in the city so I could help her with what she needed if Lily wasn’t enough, to comfort her on my father’s birthday, to possess his likeness so she would feel like he was still there.

“Do you think you’ll get remarried?”

“No.” My answer was immediate because I didn’t need to think twice about it.

“Ever?” she asked incredulously. “Deacon, you need a wife—”

“I don’t need anybody.” I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and I didn’t need company the way other people did.

“You don’t want to have more children?”

“Derek is enough.”

She looked disappointed but didn’t pester me about it. “Divorce is really hard. Breakups are hard. Losing a spouse is hard. It’ll hurt for a while, but one day…you’ll feel better.” She finished her food and watched me eat. “I was devastated when I lost your father, but in time…I got out of bed again. We all go at our own pace.”

I wasn’t heartbroken over Valerie. I was sick of bullshit.

She watched me like she expected me to say something. When I didn’t, she changed the subject. “Cleo is very pretty…”

My chest tightened when she was mentioned.

“It seems like the two of you get along well.”

She’d barely seen us together, so I assumed Tucker was whispering in her ear.

“She’s smart, successful, young—”

“Mom.”

She sighed, picking up on my tone. “Alright, alright. But you know I’m gonna try to set you up with someone…”

“Mom, I’m a billionaire. I have no problem getting my own dates.”

A couple weeks had passed, so I decided to try to get Derek out here. I called Valerie from my office since I didn’t have much privacy at home anymore.

She picked up after a couple rings. “Hey, Deacon.” She was in a better mood than the last time we spoke.

My hatred ran deep as a river, so it was hard to be calm. It was easier when I didn’t have to look at her face, but her voice was enough to irritate me. “How are you, Valerie?” That book told me to say her name, that it created a level of intimacy that wasn’t actually there.

“Good. Just been going to yoga, teaching Derek how to swim…stuff like that.”

“That’s great to hear.”

“You?”

I had to be somebody I wasn’t with her, had to behave the way she wanted instead of being myself. I fucking hated it. “My mom is living with me right now. She just moved to the city.”

“She did? She didn’t mention it to me.”