Read Online Thin Lives (Donati Bloodlines #3) by Bethany-Kris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bethany-Kris
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with things like affection and gifts.
It would never be appropriate for Calisto to do something like that with any married woman, let alone his uncle’s wife.
“How close were we that I gave you a puppy and—”
“Friends,” she interrupted quickly. “We were just friends, Cal.”
Too quickly.
She would no longer meet his stare.
“Emma,” Calisto said, squeezing her wrist a little firmer. “If we were friendly enough before that I did these sorts of things with you, then why haven’t you told me? Or tried to sit down with me more just to chat? I would have appreciated the effort. Just because I don’t remember you and how you came about in this family doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”
She wet her lips, shooting another look at the doorway.
Why did she keep doing that?
“Hey, I’m right here,” he said.
Emma’s gaze snapped to his instantly. “I’m very aware of where you are.”
And she sounded frightened about that fact.
Scared that he was anywhere near her.
“Is there something wrong with me being here with you?” he asked.
“No, of course not.”
“You’re acting like there is, like you might get in trouble for just talking with me.”
Had something happened—had someone said something—that made her afraid to be near him?
Emma openly frowned, and briefly, Calisto was positive he saw a sheen of wetness in her green eyes before she was blinking the tears away. “I should go.”
“But—”
“I have to rest,” she said, repeating her earlier statement.
Not wanting to, but knowing he had no right to force Emma to stay and explain his confusion about their friendship before his accident, Calisto let her go. He took a step back, a wide step. It gave her lots of room to pass him by.
But at the doorway, she paused, glancing back over her shoulder at him. Her mouth opened to speak, like she was going to say something, but the loud, raucous laughter muffled from behind the closed door of Affonso’s office across the hall stopped her.
“What is it?” Calisto asked.
Emma tore her stare away from his, and she did it in such a way that told him it hurt her to do so. “I keep hoping …”
He tipped his head to the side, unsure and wary. “For what?”
“For something impossible.”
Calisto smiled. “Nothing is impossible, Emma.”
Her pretty features darkened with sadness. “Some things are, Cal.”
“Like what?”
Emma didn’t answer him, instead saying, “If something feels wrong to you, it probably is. If it doesn’t seem right, then it isn’t. Don’t trust based on loyalty and blind faith. He is not who you think he is. I just want you to know that, okay?”
Calisto wasn’t quite sure what to make of her passing remarks. He didn’t get the chance to question her on them, either, because she slipped out of the library without another word or look at him when she went.
Stunned, he stared at the spot where Emma had disappeared.
Her words kept ringing loudly in the back of his mind.
Their conversation was the most he had ever gotten out of Emma, and the longest time he had spent alone with her.
Well, that he knew of.
Calisto was just stepping out in the hallway from the library when Affonso and Ray appeared on the other side behind the opening office doors. Affonso looked Calisto over, and then behind him.
“Go on, old friend,” Affonso told Ray. “I’ll catch up.”
Ray went without question. Once he was gone down the hall and out of sight, Affonso turned back to Calisto with a smile.
It didn’t look true, strangely.
“Where is my wife?” Affonso asked.
Calisto straightened a bit. The first words out of his uncle’s mouth had been to question him on Emma’s whereabouts like that was automatically what Calisto would know.
Why would Affonso do that?
It seemed like lately, Calisto had far more questions than he had answers. He didn’t like that a lot of them seemed to be leading straight to his uncle.
And … now Emma.
He is not who you
It would never be appropriate for Calisto to do something like that with any married woman, let alone his uncle’s wife.
“How close were we that I gave you a puppy and—”
“Friends,” she interrupted quickly. “We were just friends, Cal.”
Too quickly.
She would no longer meet his stare.
“Emma,” Calisto said, squeezing her wrist a little firmer. “If we were friendly enough before that I did these sorts of things with you, then why haven’t you told me? Or tried to sit down with me more just to chat? I would have appreciated the effort. Just because I don’t remember you and how you came about in this family doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”
She wet her lips, shooting another look at the doorway.
Why did she keep doing that?
“Hey, I’m right here,” he said.
Emma’s gaze snapped to his instantly. “I’m very aware of where you are.”
And she sounded frightened about that fact.
Scared that he was anywhere near her.
“Is there something wrong with me being here with you?” he asked.
“No, of course not.”
“You’re acting like there is, like you might get in trouble for just talking with me.”
Had something happened—had someone said something—that made her afraid to be near him?
Emma openly frowned, and briefly, Calisto was positive he saw a sheen of wetness in her green eyes before she was blinking the tears away. “I should go.”
“But—”
“I have to rest,” she said, repeating her earlier statement.
Not wanting to, but knowing he had no right to force Emma to stay and explain his confusion about their friendship before his accident, Calisto let her go. He took a step back, a wide step. It gave her lots of room to pass him by.
But at the doorway, she paused, glancing back over her shoulder at him. Her mouth opened to speak, like she was going to say something, but the loud, raucous laughter muffled from behind the closed door of Affonso’s office across the hall stopped her.
“What is it?” Calisto asked.
Emma tore her stare away from his, and she did it in such a way that told him it hurt her to do so. “I keep hoping …”
He tipped his head to the side, unsure and wary. “For what?”
“For something impossible.”
Calisto smiled. “Nothing is impossible, Emma.”
Her pretty features darkened with sadness. “Some things are, Cal.”
“Like what?”
Emma didn’t answer him, instead saying, “If something feels wrong to you, it probably is. If it doesn’t seem right, then it isn’t. Don’t trust based on loyalty and blind faith. He is not who you think he is. I just want you to know that, okay?”
Calisto wasn’t quite sure what to make of her passing remarks. He didn’t get the chance to question her on them, either, because she slipped out of the library without another word or look at him when she went.
Stunned, he stared at the spot where Emma had disappeared.
Her words kept ringing loudly in the back of his mind.
Their conversation was the most he had ever gotten out of Emma, and the longest time he had spent alone with her.
Well, that he knew of.
Calisto was just stepping out in the hallway from the library when Affonso and Ray appeared on the other side behind the opening office doors. Affonso looked Calisto over, and then behind him.
“Go on, old friend,” Affonso told Ray. “I’ll catch up.”
Ray went without question. Once he was gone down the hall and out of sight, Affonso turned back to Calisto with a smile.
It didn’t look true, strangely.
“Where is my wife?” Affonso asked.
Calisto straightened a bit. The first words out of his uncle’s mouth had been to question him on Emma’s whereabouts like that was automatically what Calisto would know.
Why would Affonso do that?
It seemed like lately, Calisto had far more questions than he had answers. He didn’t like that a lot of them seemed to be leading straight to his uncle.
And … now Emma.
He is not who you
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