Page 72 of Embers of Torment

"It's Marble Matrix. Momma's good at it. Aren't you, Momma?"

"I am, and I'm going to kick Jace's butt."

"Ooooh, Momma said butt," Lily laughed.

"Oops, you're right, sweetie. I shouldn't have said that. I'm bad," Ree explained, attempting to keep a straight face. She gotup from her chair and sat beside me on the couch. Her elbow found my ribcage when I continued laughing at her slip of the tongue. "Hey, Lily doesn't need any additional encouragement from you," she teased.

"Then you shouldn't have said it," I ribbed back. I turned my attention to Lily. "All right. I'm in. You'll have to show me how to play." I took the lid off the box and spread its contents on the table. The game appeared simple enough. It had a raised, dark gray, molded plastic board indented with gridlines. There was a deeper indentation at each intersection, where I assumed we put the playing pieces. The board came with four trays and a bag full of colorful marbles.

"It's easy. I'll show you." Lily randomly placed the marbles on the board, leaving the center unfilled. She handed me a tray. "That's yours. You put your marbles in it."

"But how do I get them?" I asked since there were no cards to draw or dice in the box.

"Like this." Using the blank spot in the middle, Lily slid a trio of marbles one space to the right along the grid, making the green marble fronting her group line up next to another green one. She pulled the two green marbles off the board and placed them in her tray. "See? You have to match the colors. It's your turn."

"Ahh, I get it. You move groups up and down or sideways along the lines, utilizing the empty spaces so you can match the colors." I slid a group of three marbles vertically up a line so my lead marble fell into Lily's vacated space, matching two yellow marbles. "I take the yellow ones, right?"

"Uh-huh. Now it's Momma's turn."

We continued to play the game, with Lily giving me pointers and Ree ultimately winning. After a second round, Lily went to the cabinet and returned with Clue Junior and Giant Spoons.The day became a fun-filled afternoon, allowing me a break from my misery.

Ree had me stay for dinner, which included hot dogs that she talked me into grilling. After a leisurely meal on the patio, I helped Ree clean up, then decided it was time to head home.

Reaching my apartment building, I parked in the garage and took the elevator upstairs. When I got to my floor, I changed my mind, finding the prospect of spending the rest of the evening sitting on my couch watching television wholly unappealing. I pushed the button for the eighteenth floor, figuring I'd relax on the rooftop while contemplating what to do about Della.

The outdoor lounge was relatively quiet when I arrived, although it was far from empty. A group of residents was hanging out in the kitchen area, and another two groups were taking up the tables by the row of grills. Others spread out across the deck, with one couple playing cornhole on the artificial grass.

I kicked back in one of the lounge chairs on the periphery and gazed at the sky, enjoying the last vestiges of a gorgeous sunset with the first day of fall only a week away. It was amazing how, as a kid, the days felt like they dragged by. In adulthood, it was the opposite. It was like you blinked, and the day was gone. Maybe it was because our adult lives were complicated or simply busier. Either way, the summer had flown by, with today being the three-month anniversary of my introduction to Della.

That was the day I met Adam for lunch, having recently moved back to Boston, and found Della sitting with him. She had intrigued me from the very start. Boisterous and blunt, Della had a colorful personality to match, and I knew right then that I wanted to get to know her better. In the months since then, Della captured my heart. And there was one thing I knew for sure.

I missed her.

Sighing at the unwelcome turn of events, I stretched my arms and tucked them behind my head while I scanned mysurroundings. One of the groups by the barbecue grills was leaving, the crowd thinning out a little at a time. I turned away to gaze across the harbor and noticed a woman sitting on a lounger in the corner.

It was Della.

She had her back to me and was unaware I was there. This was my chance, possibly my only one, and I had to take it.

Getting up, I stealthily crossed the space between us. Then I stood behind Della and watched her for a moment, my emotions slowly unraveling as I reflected on how badly I'd hurt her. My voice was raspy when I asked, "Della, can we please talk?"

Della jumped, my presence startling her. She sprung from her chair and spun to face me. Her eyes were cold, her composure edgy as her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. "No. I have nothing to say to you," she said, spitting the words between tight lips. She turned away, and I took hold of her arm.

"Please. Just let me explain. Five minutes. That's all. Then I'll leave you alone."

"No." Della shook herself free. "Stay away from me." She bolted toward the elevator.

I stood there, sapped of energy, as my eyes followed her across the deck. I felt lost, unsure how to remedy the situation and get Della to see past her anger and hate. I needed her to understand that I wasn't the person I used to be. I was the man she'd met three months ago, not the beast from our childhood.

I'd fallen in love with Della and would never purposely hurt her. I wanted more than anything to protect her and keep her safe. I also needed her to give me a chance.

But would she?

Numb, I trudged to the elevator, and like a robot, I took it to my floor. Once in my apartment, I flopped onto my couch in the darkened living room and closed my eyes. The minutes on my clock ticked by while I sat there, empty and unmoving. Then Ipulled my cell from my pocket. My fingers typed out a text as if they had a life of their own. I hit the send button and stared at my screen.

Jace: Della, you mean everything to me. Please don't shut me out. I'll do whatever you ask to make it right. Tell me how to fix this. Please. I miss you.

I waited, but no response arrived. Heartbroken, I tossed my phone on the couch and closed my eyes, willing myself to think of anything but Della.

---