Black Oak Scorched by Monique Edenwood

Author:Monique Edenwood [Edenwood, Monique]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781777224943
Published: 2021-04-29T16:00:00+00:00

A couple of hours later, Kevin and I slouch on the berry-red sofa opposite his wall-mounted television above the mantel, sharing a bowl of seedless red grapes. After watching one of the most ridiculous reality TV shows ever concocted, I convinced him to put on a documentary about marine life. Watching the fish and seals and octopi swimming through forests of kelp to the soundtrack of soothing music loosens the black stone lodged in my throat since my fight with Cameron… The stone has also formed because of the thought of Cameron frequenting those extreme rooms at that place, and at the thought that he slept with Rose and didn’t warn her that Sebastian knew about her leaving him.

Sometimes it feels all too much for my heart to know how to handle. I should walk away from both of them, and I did try. I really did. From mid-August to late-December, I saw neither of them, and yet they stalked my mind despite my resolve.

As we watch a shoal of sharks circling a beautiful octopus hiding in a cluster of coral, I pick up my phone to text Christian to confirm that I’ll be spending the night with Kevin and to tell him he can go home. I know he probably won’t, but I prefer to at least tell him what I’m doing so he can switch off a little. My heart sinks to see no message from Cameron. I think of texting him but I did tell him I needed some space, so I would look like the world’s biggest ass if I didn’t give him some too.

Just as I’m about to press Send on my text to Christian, a shrieking buzz makes me jump and clutch the phone to my chest. “Jesus, that intercom of yours has issues!”

Kevin laughs as he gets to his feet. “It’s a really old system. I can’t change the volume.”

“It’s fucking disturbing!” I groan. “It sounds like a swan being strangled.”

“Thanks for the visual!” he chuckles.

“Are you expecting someone?” I ask.

“No, but Mr. waiter guy knows the code and he doesn’t always call first. Though, on second thoughts, he’s working tonight…”

“Oh, I can leave you two to it if you like?” I say in as loud a whisper as I can muster as he makes it to the door and out of sight.

I take another sip of cider which has my head buzzing—a welcome but unsustainable relief from the melancholy from earlier as I take in shoals of shiny fish swimming through stunning swirls of aquamarine. I glance in the direction of the entranceway where Kevin is talking to someone, before placing the empty brown bottle on the glass tabletop.

At the sight of Kevin coming back into my periphery, I Iook over at him only to see a man walking behind him…

I sit up straight, my heart fluttering wildly as the man slowly makes his way into the living room, coat off, those otherworldly eyes of his unflinching on my face.

Cameron.

“I, um, I’m gonna leave you two alone for a bit,” says Kevin as I lower the volume on the TV to almost mute.

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