Page 5 of Restoration

“That’s the pill you took. Just close your eyes and it will pass soon.”

I hope it will. I hope there wasn’t anything truly dangerous in the drug Kontessa gave him.

Damn the woman anyway. What was she thinking?

And how stupid can Edmund be to just blindly take what she offered him?

He’s way too old for that behavior, but he’s always kind of been like that. Letting life happen to him instead of taking initiative. Going along with what other people suggest so he doesn’t have to take decisive action.

“I fought with Kontessa,” he says with his eyes closed.

“I know. That’s what you said before.”

“She’s mad at me because I’m not any fun anymore.”

“Well, maybe her idea of fun isn’t really your idea of fun. Maybe you’re not a good fit for her.”

His eyes open suddenly and slant over to where I’m standing beside the bed. “Is that what you think?”

“Yes,” I say after swallowing hard. “I do think that.”

He lets out a long breath. “So what should I do?”

“Maybe think about what you really want. And whether this relationship is helping you get there. If it’s not, maybe the best thing would be to end it.”

I’m not sure where I got the courage to say it. Perhaps because I’m not entirely sure he’ll even remember what we talked about when he’s back in his right mind.

He closes his eyes again. I wait a minute, but when he doesn’t move, I think maybe he’s fallen asleep.

I’m turning to leave the room when he murmurs, “She’s not who I thought.”

I flip off the lights in the room and say before I leave, “Most people aren’t.”

two

“AUTUMN, I NEED YOU!”

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