Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 72308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
That information seemed to mean something to her because she closed her eyes briefly and let out a sigh. “This is the part where you get to relish your victory. You get to say I told you so. You get to tell me how fucking stupid I am…”
I didn’t say a word.
The silence lingered until she raised her chin to look at me.
“I’m sorry.”
Her eyes watered, like that response was far more painful.
“I’ll talk to him.”
“Don’t.”
“I know how to—”
“I said don’t. Wouldn’t take him back even if he called me right now and asked me to come home. I mean…to his home.” She looked away again. “He’s hurt me too many times. I’m done giving him chances.” She gave another sniff, her eyes wet, her nose runny.
“Then why are you here?”
Silence. Long silence. “After I left Cap-Ferrat, I drove straight here. It was a long drive, and when I got to Paris, I didn’t know where else to go. I have to start over now, and I don’t even know how.”
“You can sleep here and worry about that in the morning.” I didn’t owe Camille anything, not when I already gave her everything. But I wouldn’t turn her away, not in the middle of the night, not when she was delirious in her sorrow. And I wouldn’t turn her away for my brother—because I knew he cared for her.
“That’s really nice of you.” She started to cry.
I reached my hand toward her arm, to give her the kind of affection that would make her feel less alone. Though my hand hovered there and never made contact. It was close enough that I could even feel the warmth of her skin. But then I pulled away and returned my hand to my knee.
She didn’t see it. “Despite everything he did and said, I know he cares about you.”
She released a scoff and a laugh mixed together. “Right.”
“I know he’ll thank me.”
“He won’t because you aren’t going to mention this to him.” She raised her chin and looked at me. “I kept my shit together until I was gone, and I don’t want him to know how much he’s destroyed me.”
I held her gaze.
“Please don’t tell him.”
“I can’t lie to my brother, Camille.”
“Please.” She pleaded with me with desperate eyes.
“I won’t go out of my way to mention it to him. But if he brings it up, I will.”
Her eyes moved past my shoulder, looking behind me.
I heard Elise’s quiet footsteps grow louder as she approached. I turned to look at her, wishing she hadn’t woken up.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, wearing one of my shirts that fit her like a dress. Her hair was a mess and so was her makeup, but through all of that, you could see the genuine concern.
Camille seemed paralyzed with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you had company.”
I always had company.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Camille said.
Instead of taking the seat beside me, Elise moved to my lap, her arm hooking around my shoulders. “You didn’t.” She turned to give me a look, a look that said my absence was the cause of her disturbance.
Camille quickly wiped her eyes with her fingertips. “It’s late… I should get to bed.” She left the couch and moved into the other room, looking for my butler to help her set up for the evening.
Elise and I returned to the bedroom, the fireplace cold. My lamp on the nightstand was on, so it wasn’t pitch black. I removed my bottoms and got back into bed as if nothing had happened.
Elise joined me, still in my t-shirt. “Did something happen with her and Cauldron?”
“He ended things.”
“Why?” she asked, surprised.
“To protect her, I guess.”
“Protect her from what?”
I gave a shrug. “It was just an excuse.”
“Then what is the real reason?”
I turned on my side and spooned her from behind. “Because he’s incapable of loving anyone.”
3
CAMILLE
I’d wound up at Grave’s apartment because I didn’t know where else to go. When I left Cap-Ferrat, I headed to Paris because that was where I’d spent my entire life. But once I got there, I didn’t know what to do next. My car was loaded with all my possessions, and I didn’t want to move all of it into a hotel or leave it in the car. It was the middle of the night, and I wouldn’t find a new apartment at that hour. Besides, I was too broken to even check in to a hotel anyway. Could barely get a few words out.
So I ended up here…back where I started.
Pathetic.
When I woke up the next day, it was past noon. I’d slept for a whopping twelve hours straight. My entire body was crushed with defeat. If I weren’t desperate to pee and starving because I hadn’t eaten anything since early the night before, I would have stayed put. I made my way into the hallway and then the dining room.