The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay

Author:Kelly Gay
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery, Science Fiction, sf_fantasy_city, Romance, Fantasy, Thriller
ISBN: 9781439109656
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 2009-11-24T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

“Come on, you guys!” Emma called from the landing.

“We’ll finish this inside,” I told Bryn. “I want to know more about this legend.”

As we climbed the stairs, I looked up at my waiting family and was immediately struck by flashes of old memories, the times when we’d all come over to Bryn’s for dinner. And sometimes she’d come to our house, so Will could cook on the grill. I loved helping him, loved being outside, eating good food, drinking an ice-cold beer, playing in the yard with Em … just being happy.

An ache spread across my chest as I trailed Bryn up the stairs.

At the landing, Will turned to Emma. “Go inside with Aunt Bryn. I want to talk to Mom for a minute.”

“Okay,” she responded with a careless shrug, toting Spooky, and followed Bryn inside.

With Will and me on the landing, the small space quickly became claustrophobic. All six foot three rugged inches of him sucked the air out of the space around us. His scent wrapped around me—this morning’s cologne mixed with the smell of his skin.

He scrubbed a calloused hand over his stubbly jaw, sighing heavily. Wary, I leaned against the wall. He caught my gaze and held it with his. My stomach flipped. So much history with him. All the goofy names we’d said, the plans for our future, the way we so innocently believed nothing would ever come between a love so strong.

Yeah, right.

“So, you’re a wanted woman,” he said, not sounding surprised that I was in serious trouble. “Let me take Emma until this blows over. I can take some time off. We’ll go down to Disney World. I’ve been promising her we’d go.”

Actually, that didn’t sound like a bad idea. “She’d love that.”

He managed a tight smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “If it wasn’t for her, I’d stay and help you nail the assholes setting you up.”

“I know. But you’d be doing the right thing. Em comes first.”

“Em comes first,” he echoed.

In the break of uncomfortable silence, we heard Spooky screech and Gizmo let out a cry that resembled a chicken squawk. Things fell. Something broke. Bryn and Emma yelled.

“Sounds like Spooky just met Gizmo,” Will said, staring the door and wincing as a thud hit the wood.

“I should go help them.”

“Charlie,” he began before I could make a move to the door. I paused at the brief flash of desolation in his eyes. Then, they clouded over to firm conviction. “I can’t stop thinking about the other day. Me and you. We’ve got to deal with this, work things out.” He stilled completely, as though bracing himself. “Do you still love me?”

My nostrils flared. Blooms of heat stung my cheeks. Damn him! A riotous mix of anger and heartache flowed through me. He’d always been direct. It was one of the things I liked about him. But why did he have to bring this up now? And why did my body go all haywire lately when he was around?

He kept his features blank, but the muscles in his jaw worked overtime.

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