Read Online Fifth Ave 01 - Fifth Avenue by Christopher Smith - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christopher Smith
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from Celina to Leana, then realized he was naked and drew a sheet to cover himself. “What message?”
Celina’s face was composed, but inside, she was furious. She leveled Eric with a look. “I don’t want to hear a word from you,” she said. “Not one word.”
“It’s not what you think,” Eric said.
“It’s exactly what I think,” Celina said. “And I don’t want to see you again. What we had is over.” She looked at Leana, who was standing now, holding the kimono shut with tightly clenched hands. “I just want to know one thing before I leave--what did I ever do to you to deserve this? Why did you tell that man to meet you here?”
Leana shook her head. She felt confused, embarrassed and ashamed. Never had she wanted this to happen. And yet it had. But how?
“Answer me,” Celina said. “I have a right to know.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Leana said. “I never gave anyone a message.”
The silence stretched between them like a dangerously fraying thread. Celina turned to leave. “I never expected you to tell me the truth,” she said. “You always were a liar, Leana. And a coward.”
Hand trembling, she opened the door and was about to step through when she stopped and faced her sister a last time. “You can pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about, but I know you planned this. I know you told that man to have me meet you here. I think you’ve been waiting years for this moment. To see me hurt.”
Before Leana could say anything more, Celina was gone.
In the silence that passed, Eric looked across the room at Leana. She was dressing. Behind her, Manhattan pushed up a glittering wall of glass and concrete.
“Where are you’re going?” he asked.
“After her, of course.”
“Don’t you think you’ve done enough?” He slid off the bed.
“I’ve done nothing, Eric. That’s the point.”
He looked at her incredulously. “You call having Celina catch us in bed together nothing? Are you fucking out of your mind?”
“If what she said is true, I call it being set up.” She slipped into her dress. There was a tiny rip in the back near the zipper. Earlier, Eric had torn it in haste.
“You know you’ve ruined whatever chance I might have with her, don’t you?”
Leana shot him a fierce warning look. “This was not my doing, Eric. I’ve told you that. Now, drop it.” She stepped into her shoes, walked past him to the dressing table and fixed her hair. She had to speak to Celina, she had to find out who had given her that message, she had to clear her name.
A thought occurred to her while she brushed her hair. Leana always had wanted to see her sister hurt--but never like this.
“I’m sorry,” Eric said. “I know you had nothing to do with this. It’s just that--”
“Apology accepted,” Leana interrupted. He was drunk. She didn’t want to hear him talk. She just wanted to leave this room and find Celina. Quickly.
“Who told her? Who knew we were here?”
She looked at his reflection in the dressing table’s mirror. “I’m not sure who told her. But I intend to find out.” She turned in front of the mirror, thankful that her hair covered the rip in the back of her dress.
“I’ll come with you,” Eric said, and Leana noticed as she faced him that he had put on his pants. The rest of his clothes were still on the chair beside him.
“You need to stay here,” she said. “Celina can’t handle seeing us both right now.”
She began to step past him. And as she did so, Eric pulled back his hand and struck her hard across the face with the belt he'd been hiding behind his back.
The blow took Leana by surprise and she fell to the floor, blood spraying from her nose and mouth, spotting the beige carpet. Before she could defend herself, before she even knew what was
Celina’s face was composed, but inside, she was furious. She leveled Eric with a look. “I don’t want to hear a word from you,” she said. “Not one word.”
“It’s not what you think,” Eric said.
“It’s exactly what I think,” Celina said. “And I don’t want to see you again. What we had is over.” She looked at Leana, who was standing now, holding the kimono shut with tightly clenched hands. “I just want to know one thing before I leave--what did I ever do to you to deserve this? Why did you tell that man to meet you here?”
Leana shook her head. She felt confused, embarrassed and ashamed. Never had she wanted this to happen. And yet it had. But how?
“Answer me,” Celina said. “I have a right to know.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Leana said. “I never gave anyone a message.”
The silence stretched between them like a dangerously fraying thread. Celina turned to leave. “I never expected you to tell me the truth,” she said. “You always were a liar, Leana. And a coward.”
Hand trembling, she opened the door and was about to step through when she stopped and faced her sister a last time. “You can pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about, but I know you planned this. I know you told that man to have me meet you here. I think you’ve been waiting years for this moment. To see me hurt.”
Before Leana could say anything more, Celina was gone.
In the silence that passed, Eric looked across the room at Leana. She was dressing. Behind her, Manhattan pushed up a glittering wall of glass and concrete.
“Where are you’re going?” he asked.
“After her, of course.”
“Don’t you think you’ve done enough?” He slid off the bed.
“I’ve done nothing, Eric. That’s the point.”
He looked at her incredulously. “You call having Celina catch us in bed together nothing? Are you fucking out of your mind?”
“If what she said is true, I call it being set up.” She slipped into her dress. There was a tiny rip in the back near the zipper. Earlier, Eric had torn it in haste.
“You know you’ve ruined whatever chance I might have with her, don’t you?”
Leana shot him a fierce warning look. “This was not my doing, Eric. I’ve told you that. Now, drop it.” She stepped into her shoes, walked past him to the dressing table and fixed her hair. She had to speak to Celina, she had to find out who had given her that message, she had to clear her name.
A thought occurred to her while she brushed her hair. Leana always had wanted to see her sister hurt--but never like this.
“I’m sorry,” Eric said. “I know you had nothing to do with this. It’s just that--”
“Apology accepted,” Leana interrupted. He was drunk. She didn’t want to hear him talk. She just wanted to leave this room and find Celina. Quickly.
“Who told her? Who knew we were here?”
She looked at his reflection in the dressing table’s mirror. “I’m not sure who told her. But I intend to find out.” She turned in front of the mirror, thankful that her hair covered the rip in the back of her dress.
“I’ll come with you,” Eric said, and Leana noticed as she faced him that he had put on his pants. The rest of his clothes were still on the chair beside him.
“You need to stay here,” she said. “Celina can’t handle seeing us both right now.”
She began to step past him. And as she did so, Eric pulled back his hand and struck her hard across the face with the belt he'd been hiding behind his back.
The blow took Leana by surprise and she fell to the floor, blood spraying from her nose and mouth, spotting the beige carpet. Before she could defend herself, before she even knew what was
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