Take You Away: A Novella by Ember Casey

Author:Ember Casey [Casey, Ember]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Romance, Anthologies, Contemporary, One Hour (33-43 Pages), Short Stories, Collections & Anthologies
Amazon: B00JQHB7NM
Publisher: Ember Casey
Published: 2014-04-18T04:00:00+00:00

LILY

Calder hasn’t said anything in three hours.

I’ve tried all of my usual tricks. Poured him a glass of wine. Slipped on my skimpiest lingerie. Wrapped my arms around his neck and sucked his earlobe into my mouth. But though those last two stunts definitely got some reaction out of him, he still won't talk to me about what’s going on in his head.

Not that I don’t have a few very good guesses about the matter.

Yesterday, he found out his sister was working at their family’s former estate. This morning, when we drove out to the grounds to bring her back, Louisa took one look at him and ran. We spent the better part of the day searching for her, but she’s long gone. We have no idea where she is. And we’re not the only ones who want to find out—Edward Carolson, the estate’s new owner, plans to hold her accountable for all the destruction she caused. I'm not sure whether he intends to have her arrested or sued for damages or—God forbid—both, but I know better than to ask Calder about the likeliest scenario. I can tell he’s spent the entire evening playing through every single possibility in his head.

Oh, I could rip Lou a new one right about now.

I couldn’t care less about whatever charade she pulled out at the Cunningham estate. But I care about Calder and how her actions affect him. I haven’t seen him like this since the last time we went out to his former home. There are shadows in his eyes tonight. Shadows I thought he'd left behind him. But it’s different this time. On our last visit to the estate, he had a complete breakdown—smashing a mirror, tearing up parts of the house. But tonight he's just silent, and somehow that’s so much worse.

I want to help. Make those shadows disappear. I want him to lose himself in me the way he did the last time Lou ran out of our lives. Family issues can be complicated. I get that. But I’m going to be his family now, too. He can’t just close me out.

Right now he’s sitting on the balcony outside of our bedroom, staring up at the stars. His brow is slightly furrowed, and his mouth is a hard line. I would erase every bit of tension from his body if he let me. If he allowed me in.

I’ve brought him his favorite wine again, just in case he changes his mind. He glances over at me when the bottle clinks against the glass top of the patio table.

For a second, his dark eyes are as distant as they’ve been all day, but then they seem to snap into focus. Some of the muscles soften in his face, and he reaches his hand out to me.

"I’m sorry," he says. "I don't mean to keep shutting you out."

I give a small smile as I grasp his fingers. His hand is warm and his grip is reassuringly firm.

"Don’t worry about me," I say, letting him pull me down next to him onto the floor of the balcony.

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