Black Forever (Obsidian 4)

“Calloway?”

He left the book open on his lap and faced me, his jaw stern and his eyes dark. Whether he was happy or angry, he still wore the same hard expression. Right now, I had no idea what was going on behind that beautiful face. Verbal responses from him were few and far between.

“You’ve been different lately. Is everything okay?”

He continued to stare at me, his eyes empty. His jaw was lined with a thick appearance of hair, highlighting the distinct angles of his face and his obvious masculinity. “Different in what way?”

“I don’t know…short, angry, hostile.”

He turned his head away and looked at the fireplace. The flames burned down to simmering coals, crackling once every few minutes. “I’m not angry with you, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Then are you angry at someone else?”

He took a deep breath like he was about to give a lengthy answer. But instead, he had very little to say. “No, not particularly. I’m just…this is who I am.”

“Yes, sometimes. But not all the time.” Lately, this was the only version of Calloway I’d seen. He was dark and brooding, seeming constantly displeased about something. Even though he didn’t issue threats or do anything to suggest he was unhappy with me, he still exuded this aura of threat. “Are you upset about your mother?”

“No. She’s lost her mind, and she’ll never get it back. There’s nothing to be angry about.”

Even if he was being sincere, I didn’t believe him. She wasn’t even my mother, and I was angry about it. “You know you can talk to me, Calloway. Whatever it is, you know I’ll listen and understand.”

He turned his head back my way, searching my expression. For a moment, his features seemed to soften, he seemed to become more human. But like a light switch, he immediately returned to his former darkness.

His silence ended the conversation, shutting me out like it had never happened.

Now I suspected something really was wrong, but he didn’t want to tell me what it was. The only person he would confide in besides me was Jackson. So maybe I would need to speak to him alone.

If I could figure out how to do that.

When Calloway was in the shower, I made my move.

Guilt flooded my heart when I grabbed his phone off the dresser and opened it. I felt like I was snooping around when I had no right to. It made me look like a jealous girlfriend who didn’t trust the man she loved. If he went through my things, he’d get an earful about it. I quickly found Jackson’s number then copied it into my phone so I could call him later. Just when I finished, the water in the shower turned off.

I panicked and abandoned the phone on the dresser. Then I hightailed it out of there and returned downstairs where I would normally be. The food was still on the stove, and I did the best I could to stop it from burning.

A moment later, he joined me in the kitchen in his sweatpants and t-shirt. He leaned against the counter and stared me down, his eyes cold. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood in silence.

I felt the sweat collect on the back of my neck, the adrenaline powerful. Did he know? Was that why he was looking at me the way? Or was I just being paranoid? Since he was constantly inhospitable, I never knew what Calloway was thinking. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

He continued to eye me in the exact same fashion, accusation heavy in his stare.

I finally turned to him when I couldn’t handle the look any longer. “What?”

He moved toward me and wrapped his arm around my waist as he stood behind me. His lips found my neck, and he kissed me slowly, showing me love when he’d just shown me displeasure. “You’re the only woman in my heart.” He kissed the shell of my ear before he walked to the kitchen table, leaving me standing at the stove.

I was frozen in place, holding the spatula in my hand but unsure what to do with it. My heart was beating so fast it was painful inside my chest. My rib cage vibrated from the force of my beating heart. I could feel my entire frame shake. Did he know I looked at his phone? Or was that just a coincidence? It sounded like something he would say for no reason. But it was also a huge coincidence.

I kept my cool and served dinner, doing my best to mask the terror gripping me by the throat.

Calloway stared at me across the table, his gaze piercing. Like he could see right through me, he stared me down. For an inexplicable reason, my neck felt hot, and I squeezed my thighs together. Seeing him look at me like that made me both turned on and terrified. Something about his power, his natural authority when he entered the room, made me turn into a woman with carnal desires.