Told You So (Told You Series Book 1) by Heitzmann Kristen

Author:Heitzmann, Kristen [Heitzmann, Kristen]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Romance, Fiction
Publisher: bHd Books
Published: 2015-11-08T16:00:00+00:00

19

It had been a long time since he felt the closing in, the shutting down, the dead zone where only his art lived and breathed. He’d gotten careless, not only with Grace, but with Eileen and Cate, Mia, and others—most especially Eileen. Yet what hurt an hour ago now formed a dispassionate void, a gray haze like Tolkien’s Ringwraiths, not quite of this world. He let them take him to a place of austere thought, unmarred by emotional distraction. A familiar tomb.

Back in his place, it took three hours to fall asleep, but then he went deep. He woke with the sun and no inclination to run. His energy fed a single goal—finish the project, move on. He had coffee ready when Grace arrived, the script open and waiting. He could tell she wanted to talk, probably hoped for reassurance. He had none to give. “Ready to write?”

Her eyes looked luminous, her hair and skin velvety soft. If she wore perfume, it had no effect. She was a means to their mutual end.

She said, “I’m ready, but—”

“We left on a strong note yesterday. Let’s keep that going.”

The play took a dark descent. No surprise. Grace kept trying to elevate, to illuminate, but she must see the inevitable progression. The characters were exposed, and the interaction reflected the malice and futility of life stripped of ease and subterfuge.

Or maybe not, because halfway through the afternoon, she balked. “It’s not right.”

“It’s not comfortable, but it’s right.”

“It’s harsh, Devin, and you know it.”

He rested his hands on the table. “I agree. And it should be. We’re finally getting somewhere.”

She started to argue, but he saved the script and closed his laptop.

“We’ll leave it for today and take a fresh look tomorrow.”

She blinked. “You want to stop?”

“We’re at an impasse.”

“So we should brainstorm. Put our heads together and—”

He got up and walked to the windows. Hands buried in his jeans pockets, he looked down on the city. She’d said Peter kept himself aloof, and she was right. He knew what others didn’t. Far better to be contained, to thrive in the silences.

She joined him. “Talk to me.”

He shook his head, unwilling to waste his words.

“I don’t understand.”

“I know.” He moved his eyes from one part of the city to another. “We’ll pick it up again tomorrow.”

“I’m not talking about the script. What’s wrong?”

“We have two weeks to finish. I don’t want anything extraneous interfering.”

“Extraneous like friendship?”

He moistened his lips, but didn’t answer. When she touched his forearm, he shifted away.

She drew herself up. “I see.”

She didn’t. But if she thought so, more power to her. The door closed.

Her departure caused a relief as great as a buzzing fly going out a window. He took his phone from his pocket and called the first number. “How you doing, Dad?”

“Oh, you know. Working hard. Playing easy.”

Devin smiled. He needed this relationship intact. “Let’s catch a movie tonight. Your choice.”

That would have stunned Grace after telling her nothing should interfere. But this interaction was safe, this pastime innocuous.

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