Read Online Edge of Shadows (Shadows #1) by Cege Smith - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cege Smith
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He was just drunk.” Ellie was regaining her composure. She took a step back and looked up at Kevin. “Thanks for being a good friend. I am sure there is nothing to worry about. Jake is fairly harmless.”
“Yeah, sure. Just like all those movies on cable TV.” Kevin crossed his arms and looked at her pointedly.
Ellie could tell that Kevin wasn’t buying her excuses for a second. He had seen the knot on the back of her head the night she left Jake for good. “He doesn’t mean it. He’s sick. He’s a menace to himself, not me.” Ellie couldn’t believe that she was defending him. The words sounded shallow, even to her. But if she ever wanted to move on with her life she had to get over her failed marriage and move on. She was tired of being depressed and lonely.
“You are going to have to do something sooner or later if he keeps this up. You can’t live like this.” Kevin was pleading now.
“I’m sure this was just a fluke. Really.” Ellie shushed Kevin away. “I’ll be fine. We have to get this place ready for business.”
Kevin reluctantly returned to the storeroom. “You always know you can call me anytime if you do want to talk,” he said, turning back to face her.
“I do. Thanks, Kevin,” she said as she gave him her bravest smile. Her face fell the instant his head disappeared.
What was the matter with her? If it followed her usual suit, hysterics were next, and she couldn’t afford to fall apart now. Not after everything she had done to hold herself together all this time. No man was worth that. She repeated that in her head a few times. Then she squared her shoulders and raised her chin. Enough was enough.
Taking another deep breath, Ellie headed for the front of the store. She could see a bright orange aura peeping through the blinds. Melanie Wilson was pacing outside the door. She glanced at her watch. The store didn’t open for another twenty minutes. Sighing, she went to the door, unlocked it, and was promptly run over.
“Thank God you’re here!” Melanie exclaimed. She rushed over to her usual table and pulled a tablet and pen out of her bag. Then she sat down and started massaging her temples with her eyes closed. Seconds later a notebook slammed on the table and Melanie was scribbling words into it.
“How are you this morning, Melanie?” Ellie asked cautiously. With Melanie, you never knew what the reaction would be.
“Fine, fine!” was the snappish reply.
Ellie shook her head and headed for the counter, hoping to avoid any further conversation. The espresso machine wasn’t warmed up yet, so Melanie was going to have to wait for her caffeine injection.
“Ellie!” Melanie didn’t even look up as she yelled Ellie’s name across the room.
Ellie stopped her prep work and walked over to Melanie’s table. It was too early in the morning to shout across a room, and Melanie obviously wasn’t planning to move. Ellie forced a small smile.
“Yes, Melanie?” she said a bit too brightly.
“You’re going to this little dinner party that Linda’s having tomorrow night, right?” Melanie asked.
The question was unexpected. “Um, yes,” Ellie said.
“Good, good.” Melanie nodded as if in satisfaction. Then she looked up from her notebook. “I’ll see you there, then. Hopefully I can make some sense of this damn novel of mine before then. If not, I’m going to be drinking a lot. My damn editor won’t leave me alone and if I miss my deadline again I think I’ll just throw myself out of one of Linda’s lovely windows.”
Ellie had no idea of the right way to respond to Melanie’s tirade. “Okay, then. I’ll see you there,” she said. It seemed like the safest response.
Melanie nodded and started to rub her temples again. Then she picked up her pen and started scratching furiously in her notebook again. Ellie took that as her signal that it was all right to leave. She quickly walked to the back and grabbed Kevin’s elbow as he came out of the storeroom.
“Yeah, sure. Just like all those movies on cable TV.” Kevin crossed his arms and looked at her pointedly.
Ellie could tell that Kevin wasn’t buying her excuses for a second. He had seen the knot on the back of her head the night she left Jake for good. “He doesn’t mean it. He’s sick. He’s a menace to himself, not me.” Ellie couldn’t believe that she was defending him. The words sounded shallow, even to her. But if she ever wanted to move on with her life she had to get over her failed marriage and move on. She was tired of being depressed and lonely.
“You are going to have to do something sooner or later if he keeps this up. You can’t live like this.” Kevin was pleading now.
“I’m sure this was just a fluke. Really.” Ellie shushed Kevin away. “I’ll be fine. We have to get this place ready for business.”
Kevin reluctantly returned to the storeroom. “You always know you can call me anytime if you do want to talk,” he said, turning back to face her.
“I do. Thanks, Kevin,” she said as she gave him her bravest smile. Her face fell the instant his head disappeared.
What was the matter with her? If it followed her usual suit, hysterics were next, and she couldn’t afford to fall apart now. Not after everything she had done to hold herself together all this time. No man was worth that. She repeated that in her head a few times. Then she squared her shoulders and raised her chin. Enough was enough.
Taking another deep breath, Ellie headed for the front of the store. She could see a bright orange aura peeping through the blinds. Melanie Wilson was pacing outside the door. She glanced at her watch. The store didn’t open for another twenty minutes. Sighing, she went to the door, unlocked it, and was promptly run over.
“Thank God you’re here!” Melanie exclaimed. She rushed over to her usual table and pulled a tablet and pen out of her bag. Then she sat down and started massaging her temples with her eyes closed. Seconds later a notebook slammed on the table and Melanie was scribbling words into it.
“How are you this morning, Melanie?” Ellie asked cautiously. With Melanie, you never knew what the reaction would be.
“Fine, fine!” was the snappish reply.
Ellie shook her head and headed for the counter, hoping to avoid any further conversation. The espresso machine wasn’t warmed up yet, so Melanie was going to have to wait for her caffeine injection.
“Ellie!” Melanie didn’t even look up as she yelled Ellie’s name across the room.
Ellie stopped her prep work and walked over to Melanie’s table. It was too early in the morning to shout across a room, and Melanie obviously wasn’t planning to move. Ellie forced a small smile.
“Yes, Melanie?” she said a bit too brightly.
“You’re going to this little dinner party that Linda’s having tomorrow night, right?” Melanie asked.
The question was unexpected. “Um, yes,” Ellie said.
“Good, good.” Melanie nodded as if in satisfaction. Then she looked up from her notebook. “I’ll see you there, then. Hopefully I can make some sense of this damn novel of mine before then. If not, I’m going to be drinking a lot. My damn editor won’t leave me alone and if I miss my deadline again I think I’ll just throw myself out of one of Linda’s lovely windows.”
Ellie had no idea of the right way to respond to Melanie’s tirade. “Okay, then. I’ll see you there,” she said. It seemed like the safest response.
Melanie nodded and started to rub her temples again. Then she picked up her pen and started scratching furiously in her notebook again. Ellie took that as her signal that it was all right to leave. She quickly walked to the back and grabbed Kevin’s elbow as he came out of the storeroom.
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