Edwin peered out the sidelight briefly and looked back to me with apprehension. "Go back to your room," he ordered, softly. His face was so stern, that I dared not disobey him, and he waited for me to disappear before opening the door.
My curiosity getting the best of me, I stood at the edge of the wall, just out of his line of sight. Edwin opened the door, but said nothing. I peered around the corner to check who it was. All I saw was Edwin disappear outside into the cold, closing the door behind him.
Someone had clearly wanted to come in, so why did Edwin step out? Was he expecting someone? A girl? A shot of jealously rushed through my veins.
Then I realized who else it could be. No. It couldn't be. Could it? When I heard his voice, my stomach flipped with excitement and worry. I could hear light banter, just outside the door, and things seemed to be heating up. Knees weak, I snuck down the stairs in an attempt to eavesdrop. I crept behind the door and leaned against the wall.
"What do you really want?" Edwin asked, with annoyance evident in his query.
"That’s none of your business,” Cam snapped. “This is between me and Abby."
"Well, she's in bed. Leave her alone. She'll call you if she wants to."
"I have to talk to her. Now. We didn't leave things right."
I could sense the pain in his words. He didn't even sugar coat them for Edwin. Sadness bloomed in my belly and tears regrouped in my eyes.
"Cool story, bro. Where's the part where you back the fuck off?"
I covered my mouth to silence my gasp.
"That's it." Cam lost his patience and forced his way past Edwin, who had been protecting the door like a royal guard. But Cam had taken him by surprise and managed to get one foot into the foyer. “Abigail,” he shouted, not knowing I was only a matter of steps away from him.
I held my breath and pressed myself flat against the wall, now only an arms-length away from the door. Only a millisecond passed before Edwin propelled himself back in the power position, territorially defending his castle. They bumped chests and then Edwin forcefully removed Cameron from the house. Neither of them seemed to notice me.
Edwin shoved Cameron away from the door and he stumbled into my front yard. "Give her some time, Cam. You did this to her. At least give her that."
I nearly choked on Edwin's words as they burned into my memory. The door clicked shut and, outside, Edwin continued to lay it on thick. It hurt to hear the man I loved getting hounded for loving me, but I wasn’t ready to do anything about it. He didn’t want me anymore.
I dashed up the stairs and down the hall to Edwin's room, as far away from the situation as possible. I had to get away. I heard the front door reopen and then abruptly slam shut. The dead bolt turned over and after a minute or two of quiet shuffling through the house, I heard Edwin start up the stairs.
Just now realizing the consequences of my retreat to his room, my mind started to flounder. I was lying on Edwin's bed, propped up by my elbow, waiting for his return. What if he got the wrong idea?
Edwin paused at my bedroom. The door creaked open. "Abby?"
"In here," I called.
He stepped toward his room and hesitated in the doorway. "Damn, I'm good," he said, praising himself. "I’ve already got you right I where I wanted you." His smile was big and lighthearted, but my eyes were wide and alarmed.
Edwin chuckled and casually approached the bed. "Relax. I'm only teasing. You really need to lighten up." He plopped right beside me, as if he'd already forgotten about what had just transpired between him and Cameron.
I relieved my dry eyes with a blink. "What did he want?"
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb, Eddie. I heard him. What did he say?"
"You should know. You were standing right there."
"Tell me," I threatened, but it was an empty one.
"I told you I would take care of it and I did. Cam's gone. Period. So, where were we when we were so rudely interrupted?" He stroked a playful hand down the length of my arm.
I shivered and yanked my arm away. "Eddie!"
Edwin was being fun and frisky. "What? We were all good until he showed up."
Ignoring his boyish stunts, I flopped back onto his bed with a sigh. “Thank you for getting rid of him for me. I'm not ready to face him yet."
Edwin slid up next to me and leaned in close again.
"Cut it out!" I ordered, pushing his shoulders back.
He barely budged, so I backed myself against his headboard to get some breathing room. I was feeling lonely and sad and confused, and was finding it difficult to resist his positive energy. I pressed my eyes tightly shut, hoping he would back off, but sensing again that he had moved closer.
My heart started to race. It was beating loudly in my ears, making it difficult for me to be rational. What did he see in me anyway? "I'm damaged goods," I whispered, knowing exactly what Edwin was thinking.
Ignoring my warnings, Edwin tucked his hand in my hair and kissed me again. He sandwiched me against the headboard, his hand cupping my head, making me feel wanted. I didn't kiss him back, but I didn't stop him either. He lingered near my lips, his breath warm on my lips.
"Sorry. I couldn’t help myself," he growled, then gave a more friendly peck to the corner of my mouth. “You look really kissable tonight, tear stains and all." He brushed his thumb over my cheek and leaned in for another kiss.
I rolled away from him and curled into a ball with my eyes clenched shut. "You know I can't do this, Eddie. I'm in love with Cam."
He pushed off of the bed, his anger mounting immediately. "I thought you broke it off with him. The way he was talking, it was like you told him to go screw himself. I thought for sure it was over between you."
"It is. But feelings don't just go away like that.” I snapped my fingers to make a point.
“Fine. I can respect that.”
It was late and I was tired. I sighed, and it turned into an overdramatic yawn. I stretched my arms over my head, then laid back, snuggling in. I didn’t want to be alone. “Can I sleep with you tonight?" I asked, without thinking any more on the subject.
Edwin raised his eyebrows playfully and smiled a wicked smile. "Absolutely!"
I scowled at him. "Don't push your luck. I'm tired and I want to go to bed. I'd rather not be alone right now. But if you’re going to be like that…"
Without another word, Edwin peeled off his long sleeved shirt and tossed it on the floor. He walked toward the door, every muscle in his wide back flexing as he reached for the light switch. When he flicked it, the room plummeted into darkness. Lightening flickered as Edwin dropped his pants to the floor, exposing a stunning body in fitted briefs.
The room was dark, but my eyes adjusted quickly. Tearing my eyes from him, I slipped under the covers and tucked them up under my chin. A cold rush of air on my backside told me that Edwin had joined me. I curled up in a ball and let out a sniffle.
Edwin wasn't shy about snuggling up behind me and, in a weak moment, I accepted his hand. I tucked our intertwined fingers under my chin and closed my eyes, wiggling my bottom to get closer, so I could soak up all his body heat. I didn't think I would actually be able to sleep, but I was surprised how much Edwin had softened my misery.
I focused on the rise and fall of Edwin’s chest, concentrated on the differences between our breathing patterns, his soft and steady, mine irregular and raspy. Anything had to be better than remembering how Cam had brushed me off earlier. But even with my fingers linked with Edwin's, my loneliness seemed to swallow me whole, leaving Cameron at the front of my mind.
Edwin must have sensed it and abruptly replaced that concern with another. "You know I still love you, Abs," he whispered. "That will never change as long as I live."
I loosened my grip on his hand and he squeezed my fingers tight, so I couldn't detach from him.
"That said, I understand how you feel,” he admitted. “I know what it's like to have a piece of your heart that you can never get back. I'll respect your f
eelings, but know this: He'll never love you the way I do."
CHAPTER NINE
"I DON’T KNOW WHY you torture yourself with these sad songs," Aliah said, immediately exchanging my I-pod for a local radio station. She found an upbeat song, turned up the volume and started to bop her head, while I drove us to work.
"I'm fine," I said, wishing it were true. I thought I’d be better by now.
"Yeah, you look fine," she said, sarcastically. "You need to get out more."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, cuz that will really help with my sleep deprivation."
"Maybe not, but maybe if you got laid you wouldn't be so uptight."
Irritated, I glared at Aliah. "It's been all of two weeks, Aliah. Give me a break!"
"Actually, it's been three. Three weeks, three years? It's all the same. Life goes on."
"You think you're my shrink now?" I asked, with a smirk.
"I wish. Then I could charge you for my advice."
Not long after hanging up my winter jacket, I had to pull it back out, along with my scarf and mittens. After Taylor went home sick, I was left to pick up the slack. As I armed myself for the frigid weather, Edwin stepped out of the copier room. His grin was contagious.
It was such a relief that Edwin didn't turn my life into a bigger mess than it already was. Ever since the night I had slept in his bed, he hadn't brought up his confession and neither had I. In fact, all of my friends were stepping up and making it difficult for me to sink deeper into the hole I wanted to hide in.
The walk past Cameron's office was getting easier every day, but I still fretted each time I had to. His support system didn’t seem to be as strong as mine and I hated to see how he struggled to get through each day. It was clear to anyone who cared that he was miserable.
Deciding I could use the fresh air, even though it was absolutely freezing outside, I started my short walk down the salt-covered sidewalk with the leather mailbag slung over my shoulder. The streets were bustling with mid-day traffic and I hurried to get the mail into the big red box before the postal workers emptied it for the day.
After scooping our mail out of the oversized box, I readjusted my gloves and set off again. The streetlight flashed yellow, but I was too impatient to wait. I hurried across the street and a car zoomed in front of me, nearly running over my toes. The car maneuvered in between two parked cars across the street, pulling into a no parking zone.
I continued to the curb and turned for the clear stretch of sidewalk, as the driver in the irritating car honked their horn. I flashed a glance at the car, but I didn't know who the hell it was. The horn honked again and again, and I started to think the driver was deliberately trying to piss me off.
"Hooonnnnnnkk!"
I stopped in my tracks and stared at the ignoramus, as the driver's blackened window eased down. A woman called out to me and leaned toward the window, but my eyes were too watery from the wind to see who it was. I squinted at the young lady who was now waving frantically for me to come see her.
"Abbbbbbbyy!" she called. "Get your ass over here!"
It finally clicked. I hadn't seen my cousin, Calyfa, in months. Or had it been years? She had kind of fallen of the map for a while, which was not at all unusual for her. I started to think maybe she had run off with some young, rich stud to live in a tropical paradise.
I ran to the passenger door and hopped inside the car, escaping from the elements.
"Stunned, or what?" she asked me, her smile bursting from her perfect little face. She looked so cute, her long, fair hair tucked in a stylish cap. "Bet you didn't expect to see me." She flung her arms over my shoulders and pulled me in for a hug.
I pulled away and checked out her new look. I was always so envious of her beautiful, almond-shaped blue eyes and natural beauty. And now, rather than looking like the girl next door, with her pin straight, blonde hair and long, angled bangs, she looked edgy and stylish.
"I didn't even know it was you. You look great. And where'd you get this car from?"
"My new man," she said, unable to hide her smirk. "He bought it for me. The bastard was just charged with fraud. He’d better make that go away before I do."
"Cally, you crack me up." It was like our relationship hadn’t skipped a beat and I loved it.
"What? He said it's not true, but I'm not getting involved with that shit. He knows it too. If he wants me to stick around, then he’d better fix it and fast. He's not going to drag me down with him."
I laughed and she stared at me, waiting for my all wise opinion, like the good old times. "Don't look at me. I'm not getting involved," I said, smirking.
"Don’t you want to give me some legal advice?"
"I've got some advice for you," I answered, with a sarcastic giggle.
"Screw you!" she snapped back. All the money in the world couldn’t get that girl to drop her potty mouth.
"So, where have you been?" I asked, stoked to hear about her life.
"I'm living in Toronto again. Just moved back to my condo. You know, the one I got as part of my settlement when I left Jase?" She smirked. "Poor bastard, should have signed a cohab agreement."
"You're such a whore," I teased.
"Shut up! I put up with him for two years. I earned it."
I laughed at her blunt honestly. It was refreshing. Listening to her life made my mine seem boring in comparison. The drama in hers was on a different scale altogether.
"What are you up to these days?” she asked. “You and Edwin still banging?"
I cleared my throat. "No. I found a new guy. He’s a lawyer at my firm. Cameron is his name." Realization flooded me. "Well, we were dating, up until a few weeks ago." I folded my leg under my butt and Cally noticed my discomfort.
"What happened?"
"I really don't want to get into it now, but it’s definitely over between us." I paused and looked out the window at the fresh dusting of snow being blown around in gusts. "I should probably get back to work," I said, avoiding her calculating gaze.
She nudged on my leg. "Before you go. Gabe owns a house in Haledon and I’m going to be there over the March break. Why don't you come out? There's a guest house and everything. You can even bring some friends, if you want.”
“I don’t know.” I really didn’t feel up to taking a vacation.
“Come on. It sounds like you could use a break. If not now, you could definitely use one by then."
"I suppose." I smiled at her and she knew it was a done deal.
Within days of telling Aliah about my plans, she had invited herself along, and Hunter too. Rumours started flying when Hunter decided to ask Edwin to tag along. What happened to this being my vacation?
Weeks later, when I least expected it, Cameron stalked up next to me in the lunch room. I didn't look at him, but I could sense he was staring, and he wasn't making it a secret.
“Is it true?" he asked, without waiting for my attention.
After refilling my water bottle, I turned to face him. "Is what true?"
"You're taking a vacation with Edwin?"
"I didn’t invite him. Besides, Hunter and Aliah will be there.” I wasn't crazy about the idea either, but what did he care?
"Sure sounds like a couple’s thing to me," Cam replied. "It didn't take him long to replace me."
I sighed and stared at the ceiling. "Cam, we're not having this conversation right now. Why do you even care? We're over. You made that pretty clear. Just let me live my life." I hated being so short with him, but he left me no other option.
"That's actually what I came to talk to you about. It's official, I'm leaving the firm. I signed a lease for the building I was telling you about downtown and it’s nearly ready."
“Good for you,” I said, saddened that Cameron was actually leaving my life.
"The paint is dry and I've already started to move some furniture in. It's looking pretty damn good. Contemporary. You'd like it."
I continued to ignore how he related every statement to me.
&n
bsp; “Yep. I've already given notice to Owen and he said he'd give me some leeway, considering the circumstances. March 31 is my last day, then I'm out of here."
I choked on my own saliva and coughed like crazy. At least I had a temporary excuse for the tears. Cameron smoothed his hand over my back as though he cared. Knowing he didn’t, I fumbled through my purse and found the box I had been carrying with me ever since the day I took his ring off my finger.
"I should give you this," I said, holding the box out to him, my hand trembling. It was so symbolic of the end.
He pushed my hand away. "You keep it. I bought it for you."
I sighed, near tears, my voice but a whisper. "I didn't keep the promise. I don't deserve it. Maybe you can get your money back."
I knew it was worth a small fortune and I couldn’t rob Pheobe of that money. I placed the velvet box on the counter next to him. He stared at it for a minute, then cracked the box open. He picked up the ring and held it between his thumb and index finger. He smiled, but there was no amusement there.
"I thought it was in the bag." He chuckled, again without humour. "I was a fool."
I lowered my gaze to the floor, unable to watch the sour events unfolding between us. A tear snuck from my eye, and I quickly wiped it away before he noticed. Cam returned the ring to its box and snapped it shut.
"You definitely have to come check out my new space," he said, trying to leave our conversation on a more positive note.
I smiled and nodded my head in agreement, knowing I would never follow through with it.
"My offer still stands too, if you ever change your mind."
"I won't." I could never work with Cam again. It still hurt just to think about him, and being with him now, having a casual conversation, felt so foreign to me.
He nodded, showing his disappointment. "It won't be the same without you." He took me by surprise and scooped my hand into his. My heart rate immediately went through the roof. He slowly lifted my hand to his lips and brushed a soft kiss on the back of my hand, just like he had when we first met. "I will always love you, Abby."
He squeezed my hand, but it didn’t stop the violent tremor from shaking through me. I swallowed back my tears as Owen walked into the room. Reluctantly, Cameron dropped my hand, then briskly left me.
A Twist of Fate (The Twisted Trilogy) Page 13