Read episode 27 here: http://bit.ly/allureserial
“Is that what you came to remind me, Demitra? Because if so, I assure you, it’s with me every second of every day.”
Another pinch.
Damn it.
I looked around his white living room and scowled at the bolt of familiarity that went through me. “Did you and Dorian hire the same interior designer or something?”
Calum walked around me, chuckling. “He copied me. I assure you.” Pausing near the entry to his kitchen, he looked at me over his shoulder. “Drink?”
“I’m okay. Thank you. Mind if we sit?”
“As you wish.”
Together, we made our way to his living room. He sat on the loveseat across from the couch, which I took as my signal to sit there. Once situated, tension settled around me. Calum made no move to initiate conversation.
As a matter of fact, he sat there, deadened, yet expectant at the same time.
He was waiting for me to let him “have it” on behalf of my friend.
Perhaps that had been part of my intention when I reached out to him and requested this audience.
Now that I was in front of him, seeing his own deterioration, I couldn’t find it in me.
Instead, I opted to go with my main reason for being there. “Why did you do it? Why’d you do that to her?”
Something akin to agony flashed in his gaze. “I didn’t mean to.”
“You didn’t mean to kiss your ex?” I asked, fighting back a wave of indignation. It was a common excuse used by guys—“I didn’t mean for it to happen”—as if they just slipped, tripped, and fell into cheating.
“My ex kissed me. I didn’t react. I . . . also didn’t pull away fast enough.” His fingers twitched, as if itching for his now empty glass on the coffee table.
Calum had a reputation for being self-contained. I grew up seeing him at certain events, especially if Dorian was present, and he’d always been that way.
The small cracks I was witnessing were more powerful because of that. This wasn’t a man known for, or used to, showing emotion.
“So you did have residual feelings for her. That’s why you didn’t pull back.”
He barked out a harsh laugh, white teeth highlighted by his black beard, his hazel eyes shining for a second in time. “Hell, no.”
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