“I’m going to plead the fifth when I’m asked about you assaulting that car,” Shawn smirked.“The car deserved it,” I groaned, “The door is locked, and I need sunglasses.”Shawn’s brows pinched together before he reached up, removing the pair atop his head, and outstretching his arm. I walked over, grabbing the pair, and quickly placing them on my face. They weren’t my typical style, but it will do for now.“Why do you need sunglasses?” Shawn closed the distance between us, pushing the pair to the top of my head.“I might be hungover, and my mother might be projecting her insanely oppressive thoughts into my orbit.”“Chris didn’t make you one of his famous smoothies?” Shawn snorted.I scrunched my nose, and my tongue somehow tasted the disgusting concoction, “He did. But I’m not entirely cured, and I can’t handle saving face today around my mother.”“What is she on about now?” he questioned, never breaking eye contact. Normally this level of attention would make me uncomfortable if it
“I’d like to sit next to my wife,” James’ deep voice spoke through gritted teeth. The way he says the word wife with so much possessiveness sends a shiver snaking down my spine. My body reacts to the deep gruff of his voice, but I don’t want it to.I don’t want James to have an effect on me. I don’t want his voice to make my body shudder. I don’t want my thigh to heat where he now rubs against it because Shawn scooted down.“Sorry I’m late,” James whispers against my ear, sending another traitorous shiver throughout my body.My mother dips her head forward, “James dear,” she coos looking starry eyed, “I’m so glad you could make it.”Her fake kindness grates on my already tattered soul. But it’s not her I’m focused on. My father’s head is turned towards us, and his eyes are trained on James. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen him look at James in a way that screams his dislike for the man, but the emotion shining in his eyes is new.He catches me looking and instantly, his features so
“Are your sorrows drowned in grease and cheese?” Chris smiled with a mouthful of his burger.We’re sitting in his expensive car eating extra large meals from the local burger shack. I tried to protest both the food and the eating of said food on imported leather, but Chris wouldn’t budge.He’d actually said that his car liked the cheese, so I assumed that despite his perfect physical form; he did this a lot. Which was somehow disturbing on so many levels.“They’re definitely forgotten for now,” I dipped a fry into the large cup of melted cheese he’d ordered and shoved it into my mouth. “Leave it to some cheesy fries,” I wagged another cheese covered fry in the air, watching a glob of the melty substance fall onto his center console.He leaned forward, swiping his tongue against the leather before smearing his hand over it. I stared at him horrified, which only made him purse his lips, “What?”“I’m going to pretend that I didn’t just see you do that.”A large chocolate milkshake sat in
Chris popped his head through the door of my room, “Don’t forget your socks and snacks, brat.”“You grab the snacks!” I shouted as he rushed down the hallway. “Told ya first,” he shouted back, making me groan. Tonight was the final movie night for the three of us for probably…. Forever. My heart shattered into a million pieces last week when Shawn and Chris finally told me where they’d been accepted into college…. San Francisco…. Which just so happened to be thousands of miles away. They were my rocks. My everything. And I happened to be madly in love with Shawn. My brother’s best friend. The only man in my life who happened to be off limits. Well, there were plenty of other men off limits according to mother, but Shawn was a different kind of off limits. Glancing in the mirror, the puffiness in my eyes had finally gone down from earlier. I’ve dreaded this day since Chris asked me to have one final movie night before the two of them set off for their new lives…. Leaving me behin
I’ve been walking around like a zombie since Sunday morning. Every time I circle back to the events that led up to Rosalind saying goodbye; I want to pluck out my own eyeballs.I fucked up. Correction; I royally fucked up and then tried to pitch the line ‘I thought you would understand.’Onyx would have torn me to shreds. He wouldn’t have cared about the people around. He would have pushed forward to tell Rosalind what a piece of shit I was and a coward.When Marina called me, I hadn’t wanted to answer. My mind was strictly on Rosalind and our lovely evening. But the look in Rosa’s eyes when Marina called again and again pushed me to answer it. It was almost like a flash of concern at the fact that the phone calls kept coming.Marina’s sobs were nearly incoherent, but I’d made out enough of what she was saying to determine that I needed to go see her.Despite everything that she’d done; she was still my mate.But the longer I’d sat in the solitude of my office, drinking away the pain
Today had been a blur of patients. I don’t particularly remember names or faces; Simply the fact that I was here.I’d rescheduled movie night, feigning illness from the heavy meal that Chris and I shared, but I’d spent the evening curled up in the scentless bed at my old condo. I didn’t want to be here, treating patients and faking a smile, but we were short-staffed since Dr. Orth was out sick.My phone buzzed as I sat outside, sipping coffee on my lunch break.“Mrs. Wood,” my lawyer addressed me. “I was just giving you a brief call to let you know that the motion has been filed and a date has officially been set. Next Thursday at eight am.” He hesitated a beat, “James was served about an hour ago and signed for his paperwork.”It felt as if my heart shriveled up, and a gaping, empty canyon was all that was left. For a brief moment, I experienced what it would be like to have the love and adoration of James Wood. But like all good things, it seems they must come to an end.“Th… Thank
“When Chris and I were teenagers, you used to give us these pills,” I whispered, trying to maintain the strength to keep going. My father’s tone was anything but friendly when I’d mentioned them, but reliving the memory of that night created a need for answers. “They were some trial you were working on, but then once we turned eighteen, they just vanished. What were they?”My father cut into his steak slowly before dipping it into a runny egg and staring at me, “I think you are mistaken sweetheart. Maybe all of the stress you’re under has you imagining things.”I felt my brows pinch together, “No. I used to have these episodes. I remember hearing someone in my head. Almost like an inner voice, but it sounded different. When you put me on the meds, the voice stopped.”“Enough, Rosalind,” my father’s voice held a harsh edge to it as he carefully set his fork and knife on the napkins next to his plate, “I’m not sure what you are talking about. Voices and medications,” he shook his head,
The whiskey in my hand sloshes back and forth as my body trembles. I’m not sure if it’s anger, rage, sadness, frustration. Hell, it could be a combination of each and every one of those emotions.Bright orange stares up at me from my desk like a menacing monster. Thick with the contents of my torn up heart tucked inside.Every moment of the last few months replays in my mind, and I wonder if I was ever going to convince her to stay. I tried to demand that she stay. I tried kindness and honesty. I tried chasing her across the fucking country. But nothing was enough for her not to call of the divorce.Everything circled back to Marina and having two mates.“Fuck you,” I stared at the ceiling, hoping my message to the Goddess would find its way to her. She’d fucking destroyed my life.My forehead smacked the table as the scent of expensive alcohol seeped into my senses and then my skin.“Fuck,” I growled, sending the crystal glass flying across the room. It bounced off the impenetrable w