Page 31 of Abyss

I don’t drink often or much. On occasion, I’ll have a glass of wine or my favorite champagne, but I needed something stronger to get through this dinner.

And though I’m not proud of it, I’ve already exceeded my limit, including Silas and Corbin’s requested celebratory shot commemorating our professional relationship. Kavi didn’t partake in that, I noticed, sticking to the same glass of wine all evening.

I’m just signing the check, ready to head to our hotel, when Corbin’s words have my pen halting.

He leans in, centimeters from Kavi’s cheek, but my earscatch every word. “Care for another drink? There’s a bar next door, a popular Portland hangout.”

My pulse quickens.

Does this guy not see how unprofessional this is?

“Actually,” Kavi’s tongue glides over her bottom lip, “I’m a bit tired tonight. Perhaps another time?”

“Oh, come on!” Silas interjects, elbowing me, as if to pull me into convincing her. “It’s just one more drink. God knows I rarely go out. Let’s make the most of it.”

Corbin’s disappointment with his father inviting the two of us flickers in his eyes, but my attention is centered on Kavi. I can’t decipher if she’s really tired, or if she’s refusing because I wanted to call it a night.

“Kavi?” Her name rolls off my lips, forcing her eyes on me. “Are you okay with one more drink? It’s perfectly okay to say no.”

Her hesitant gaze assesses us before she nods. “Sure, that’s fine.” She smiles at Corbin, forcing me to look away as an unexplainable pang rattles my insides.

So, I guess that answers my question. Sheisinterested.

Fifteen minutes later, I’m standing next to Silas, feigning interest in our conversation, even though my gaze is fixed on my admin, chatting away at the bar with Corbin.

Country Western music blares from the speakers as chatter fills every nook and cranny of the small rustic tavern. The scent of aged wood and cigars envelop my senses, mixing with the smoky sweet aroma from the whiskey in my hand.

I really shouldn’t be drinking any more, but this whiskey is the only thing dousing the molten fire running through my veins.

Corbin takes a sip of his drink, offering it to Kavi, who’s holding a glass of Sprite. She shakes her head, and he relents, but not before tugging a stray wisp of her dark hair from her lips and tucking it behind her ear.

My molars threaten to crack.

He has no business fucking touching her.

Regardless of the fact that I can’t hear them, every laugh, every word between them rings in my ears like a cacophony. Every muscle in my back strains, the skin over my knuckles stretching dangerously as I do what I can to temper my nerves and my breathing.

What. The. Fuck? What is this feeling, and who is this unwelcome guest inside me, blurring my vision and creating a buzz inside my head?

It’s not the alcohol I’ve consumed all night—I know that for a fact. It’s something else entirely.

Excusing myself with a quick nod to Silas, I throw back the rest of my drink and head to the bar to ask for another.

I’m not drunk.I’m merelyslightlyinebriated.

My eyelids flutter as the wind hits my face, the city passing by in a rush of twinkling lights and discordant sounds. I recall asking our driver to open the window, needing the cool breeze on my warm skin, silently thanking the sky for staying dry.

I turn my head to the left when the flash of ebony hair waves inside the car.

Kavi brushes her hands over her biceps, trying to eliminate the goosebumps that have erupted there, and I take in her attire once more.

“I like what you’re wearing,” I say, leaning in to examine her peach-colored top and her black skirt.

Black like her hair.

Black like the evening sky.

Black like the jealousy that suffocated me from the outside in tonight. Or is it the inside out?

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