CAMILLAAfter the previous day encounter and the kissâĶ I wasnât sure I wanted to be on the same team with Nathan.In all honesty, I wasnât sure exactly what I wanted.My lips still tingled from the memory of Nathanâs kiss, and yet, the feeling did NOT settle in the way I expected. It wasnât the passionate rush of desire or the warmth of something more. No, it was an unsettled ache, a reminder that whatever this was between us was anything but simple.I stared at the ceiling, my mind spinning in a hundred different directions. My thoughts kept circling back to that kiss.Why had he gone and kissed me?The last thing I needed was to get caught up in Nathanâs mess, in whatever internal struggle he was going through. I could not afford to lose myself in him. Not again. He had kissed me, and now I had to decide whether to let it go or pull back before things went any further.I dragged myself out of bed, staring at the clockâ7:00 AM. My meeting with Nathan was at 9:00, but I had a hundred t
NATHANI was stalling.Her apartment had grown quiet except for the rhythmic ticking of a clock on the wall, but I stayed seated at her table, watching her stack dishes in the sink. My car was fixed. My excuse to linger here was gone. Yet I couldnât bring myself to leave.She moved with a confidence that was uniquely Camilla. She wasnât trying to impress anyoneâĶleast of all meâĶbut damn, she did. I traced the curve of her spine with my eyes as she walked back into the living room, her bare feet soft against the floorboards.I should have been thinking about Eleanor. About Trish. About Alicent. About the cold-blooded satisfaction I would feel when the truth about Eleanorâs death finally saw the light of day. But all I could think about was how Camilla and how I should be apologizing to her.âYouâre awfully quiet,â she said, sitting across from me, tilting her head to study me.âI have been accused of worse.âShe rolled her eyes. âYou are always like this. Mysterious and brooding. You wou
CAMILLA âGood morning.â I started at him, unsure of exactly what I was looking at. Then it hit me: the smell. Warm and savory, the scent of something cooking drifted through the airâĶeggs, maybe toast. It was so out of placeâĶ he was out of place here. I moved, the motion sending a fresh wave of pain through my skull and a queasiness to my stomach. I groaned again, slower this time, trying to steady myself. âMorning,â I mumbled hoarsely, my voice barely more than a croak. He was standing by the stove, his back to me, a pan in one hand and a spatula in the other. His shirt was untucked, the fabric clinging to his broad shoulders in a way that made him seem even larger than usual. In my tiny kitchen, he looked impossibly big, like he didnât belong there, yet somehowâĶhe fit. âWhat are you doing?â I asked, my voice weak but laced with confusion. Nathan glanced over his shoulder, his profile catching the morning light. His hair was a little messy, like he hadnât bothered t
CAMILLAIt was useless feeling sorry for myself, I thought.The lighting in the club was low as I stepped in with my friend, Bella.âNot badâ I murmured.âTold youâ She responded triumphantly. âThis is what you need to get over him. Nathan Clark is an asshole and should dump him in the dust where he belongsâI wanted to correct her that he wasnât an asshole, he was merely disturbed but I did not.I was not here to sympathize with him or even think about him. I was here to have fun and that is what I am going to do.I was putting on a red dress and it complimented my eyes way more than I thought it would.âCome on, we should get a drinkâ Bella pulled me to the bar.The bartender winked at both of us and then asked what we would likeIt was at the tip of my tongue to say nothing but I was at a club, wasnât I?âSex on the beachâ I announced.Bella turned to me, surprise in her eyes. I was pretty sure she thought she would have to force me to drink.âI would have the sameâ She told the ma
NATHANThere was nothing to say as I dropped Camilla off at her home.I waited until I was sure she had gotten in before I headed in the direction of my mother in lawâs house.I pushed in Christianâs number, my teeth gritting as it rang.I was furious.I did not want to admit I was more furious at myself than anything.âHow did your date go?â Christianâs asked as soon as the phone line clicked.âSend me the name of the witnessâ I grunted.âWhat is wrong?ââSend the name, dammitââYou need to calm down, Nathan. Where are you going?ââTo settle this once and for allâ I told him. âNow send the damned number to meâI hung up before he had the chance to say anything or convince me to back away because I would not.I drove way above the speed limit, stopping only when I had gotten to the mansionâs gate.It brought back memories of family dinners where I had to defend Eleanor over and over again. Where snide remarks about the reason I was with her reached my ears and she said nothing about
CAMILLAâI did not think I was ever going to see you again, Camillaâ Sarah smiled as soon as I entered the restaurant.She wagged a finger in Nathanâs direction, shaking her head at him.âWith the kind of food you sell? I will be coming in here for a very long timeâ I smiled back.Nathan and I took our seats and waited.She had a queue as usual and I could not help the smile as I glanced around.âYou would have watched your father kill meâ Nathan commented.âI admit that would have made me feel better for a bitâ I told him.He appeared shocked but I could tell from the way his eyes twinkled with delight that he thought it hilarious.I had not expected he would go over to my parentâs house especially seeing as I wasnât there in the first place.My father however had called me when he arrived with a gun to his head and asked if I wanted to see him. I had hesitated just for the fun of itâI deserved thatââYes you didâ I agreed.âThank you for coming here with meâI nodded once.Sarah dr