Whispered Curses

Kelly appeared in the nick of time, and I grabbed her hand, walking quickly away. She slipped an arm around me, not even asking, knowing that I’d tell her in a while.

Somehow my head turned back to stare at him for another blurry blink. It was the worst thing I could have done.

Eric nearly collapsed against the wall, his eyes filled with such a stunned, horrified expression that I began to really cry. Turning back, Kelly got me into a cab and home, where I could vent the horrors of my ruined potentially perfect relationship.

~ Chapter 10 ~ Eric ~

* Superstitions *

I knew there was no way I could simply tell Eden not to listen to her grandmother. Even though I knew that people didn't just spew out prophecies, and that superstitious thinking was illogical, I couldn't ignore her feelings. It was hard to dismiss some of the illogical things we believed.

She hadn't said why she thought her grandmother's declarations were absolute, so I couldn't try to figure out her line of thinking.

The only thing I knew with absolute certainty was that we belonged together. Admitting that to myself was downright weird.

I knew that somewhere down the road I would want to settle down, get married, and have kids. I wanted a house outside of the city. I wanted a family. A lot of people wanted that just because it's what we had been trained to desire. But I knew in my heart it's what I truly craved.

I didn't want any girl who would be a good mother. I wanted someone who would laugh with me. Someone who would smack my ass when I was in her way in the kitchen. I needed someone with sass, who wasn't afraid to throw it back at me.

I needed a sweet, pretty girl who never said a bad word unless she was in the throes of passion.

I needed Eden.

It wasn't just the nearly insane level of lust I felt for her. I adored her voice. I liked the way she looked at things as if she were analyzing them. I liked that she seemed a bit particular and fussy about a few things. She had a mind of her own. She wasn't trying to please me with every step.

To process all of this, I knew I was going to have to do something serious. Something that was probably unexpected, but she had to know that it would be coming someday. I’m sure Eden knew on some level that there was no way I could just let her go.

Friday evening, I called my sister and invited her over. Angie seemed a bit surprised, and arrived right away.

We always had a great relationship in life and business, but emotionally we had sort of been at arm’s length most of our lives.

Angie was only a year and a half younger than I, so we fought like cats and dogs through our teenage years. But once we hit our twen

ties and realized after university that we had the same goals, we’d become a solid team.

My sister was a financial wizard, and I trusted her completely. Building a company with her wasn't exactly easy, but it was steady. She always had my back. Plus, she had the added bonus of stealth.

It was disgusting that a lot of men in the business and construction worlds assumed that the woman in the black suit dress was some sort of assistant or intern. She heard everything, then used it to her advantage.

Watching men expect her to fetch coffee, then have her stand up to lead the meeting was brilliant. They were completely disarmed, and it usually dropped their poker faces.

Angie used it to her advantage every chance she got, and I often helped her. It was their own fault if they made any assumptions about her. It was often all I could do to stop from laughing in their faces.

As soon as Angie arrived, I led her to the couch. "Whiskey or tea?" I asked.

She flashed her usual smirk. Angie looked a bit plain from afar, with her dark hair skimmed back into a tight ponytail, and her classic but understated features. Then her eyes blazed, and she looked absolutely ferocious.

"I don't know what kind of conversation this is, so you pick."

Fussing around for a moment, I set two glasses with ice in front of us, and poured a generous shot and a half of smooth rye.

Holding up her glass, she said, "To us making sense of whatever has you so freaked out."

I nodded, as we drank. Setting down the glass, I got straight to the point. "I accidentally met the girl of my dreams. Her grandmother apparently says prophetic things, and warned her against getting into bed with the devil. She found out what my real name means, and now she's avoiding me."

Angie looked at me flatly. Then she picked up her glass, took a big swallow, and set it down. "Jesus Christ," she muttered. "The things you get yourself into."

"Yes, I'm a walking disaster," I said, rolling my eyes. "Problem solving mode, please. How do I prove to her that she should date me for a while?"