Page 7 of Untouchable

Shit was going down.

“Dominic and I are no longer together.”

There was a collective silence, a heavy void that filled the space between everyone after Clara spoke.

“Meaning…” Chloe’s mother said and trailed off, her tone hesitant.

“Meaning we are no longer married. Meaning we’ve been divorced for three months.”

Chloe felt her eyes widen.

“Divorced?” Chloe’s mother said softly and looked between Clara and Dominic. “But you’re living together?—”

“Appearances,” Dominic said. “You know your sister better than anyone. You know how she has to pretend like things are fine … like she’s been doing since everyone has been here.” He took another swig from his beer. “No offense.” He looked over at Chloe and gave her a sad smile. “I didn’t even want to be here. But until everything is finalized with the financials and all that shit, we are trying to play nice.”

There was more silence.

Dominic and Clara weren’t together anymore. They’d even been divorced for months and hadn’t told anyone. Chloe had sensed something was going on between them, but never had she assumed it was this.

Dominic muttered something under his breath and left the fire, heading inside and slamming the door shut. Clara still stood there, now downing the rest of her wine. Chloe thought maybe her aunt would be sad, but she looked more annoyed than anything else.

“Why the divorce?” Chloe’s mom asked, standing and wrapping her arm around Clara.

“I’m not even getting into that,” Clara mumbled.

The two women headed off toward the lake house. Chloe’s father then got up and went inside.

And then it was just Jake and Chloe by the fire.

“Holy fucking shit,” he whistled under his breath. He got up and disappeared for a short while, but then returned with a duffle bag. He reached inside and pulled out a six-pack of beer, holding it up and wagging his eyebrows.

“Want one?” He held up his half-drunk bottle, but she shook her head.

“No thanks.” She was still reeling from what had just happened.

“Suit yourself.”

The time passed with her staring into the fire and Jake rambling on about bullshit while drinking beer after beer.

Chloe could tell the alcohol was starting to take effect by the glassy look in his eyes. She gripped the iron poker tight in her hand and pushed around the burning logs in the firepit, embers floating up.

“Want to go for that walk now? Shit, I know I need to clear my head from that little shit show that went down.”

Glancing at Jake, she shrugged. “Sure.” Yeah, walking might help clear her head and make sense of everything.

He took her hand and led them away from the light of the fire and deeper into the woods, within the tree line as they walked parallel to the lake.

“Don’t you just love this place?” Absently speaking to herself, she watched as the water gently stroked the shoreline. She turned to look at Jake when he didn’t respond. Before she could get a good look at him, she shrieked in surprise when Jake gripped her waist and pressed her against a tree. “What are you doing, Jake?” She tried to push him away. “Easy.”

He took a step back, his gaze roaming up and down her body.

“You are so hot, Chloe.” His voice was thick, his words slightly slurred. He reached into his pocket and pulled out three small liquor bottles.

She stared, appalled at him. “Where the hell did you get those?” Drinking wasn’t the problem in this situation—well, not the major one. She’d been to plenty of parties, had even gotten drunk herself on more than one occasion. But the way he was acting right now was not the Jake she knew.

“Took them from my parents' mini bar. Want one?” He unscrewed one of the caps and downed it in one swallow.

Never had she seen this side of him before. He was acting so reckless and uninhibited. “What the hell, Jake? Since when did you become a lush?”

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