Page 108 of Beyond Oblivion

The skin around his eyes softened, and the furious circles he’d been making with the sponge slowed. “You’re welcome.” He paused, trying to think of something to say. It was hard to watch, remembering when things between us used to be so easy. He was my best friend, and now he felt more like someone I used to know.

I glanced around, trying to keep my tone casual. “It looks great. You shouldn’t have done all this; you’ve just set a new bar.”

He didn’t look at me, continuing to scrub. “Keeps me busy, I guess.”

I walked over and stepped behind him, hesitating before placing my hands on his shoulders. His muscles were tight, and I kneaded my thumbs into them gently, trying to help him relax a little more before dropping the bomb. “You’ve been at this all day?”

“Pretty much.”

“Why don’t you take a break? Come sit on the couch with me,” I said, keeping my tone light. “We can see if thatLove in Full Bloommovie is on, or whatever it’s called—you know, the one where the no-nonsense city event planner is sent to a small town to revamp its struggling annual flower festival and clashes with the grumpy but ridiculously handsome local botanist who thinks she’s ruining everything… because Hallmark.” I reached out to him. “C’mon,” I begged. “Don’t you want to see sparks fly and petals fall?” I wiggled my fingers, coaxing him over. “Don’t pretend you don’t want to watch a predictable romance where the biggest conflict is whether the town’s flower budget can handle imported peonies.”

He stilled, his hands dropping to the edge of the counter as he tilted his head slightly toward me. “Camille,” he said, his voice heavy, “you have something to tell me. Just spit it out.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, but I could hear the guilt in my own voice.

He turned, stepping out of my reach, his eyes meeting mine for the first time since I walked in. “You’re buttering me up for something,” he said. “If you’ve got something to say, just say it.”

I swallowed, my hands falling to my sides as the space between us felt wider than it had a moment before. Not even before we fell in love did he treat me with that level of indifference. “I just want to spend time with you.”

His jaw tightened, the muscles flitting beneath his skin as though his old self was locked in a silent battle with the person he’d become. I knew he loved me, but now, any feeling of tenderness toward me seemed to unearth a deeper pain he wasn’t ready to face. And instead of letting himself feel it, he pushed it back, fighting it off like it was something dangerous, something that could undo him entirely. Vulnerability had become his enemy, and even though I stood on the other side of it, trying to reach him, he couldn’t see past the walls he’d built to protect himself.

“Fine. I talked to Thomas today,” I blurted out. His eyes flashed up to mine, and I immediately regretted it.

“Oh, did you?” he said, his tone sharp.

“He suggested we take a break. Go to the desert for a few days. Get away from everything. A hike under the stars sounds amazing, don’t you think? Can we? Please? It’s already booked, and—”

He threw the sponge into the sink with a loud thud, his expression darkening. “So, you’re sharing our problems with him now?”

“It’s not like that,” I said quickly. “He called the shop. He’s trying to help.”

“Help?” Trenton barked a laugh, but it was absent of humor. “Thomas of all fucking people. Are you serious, Cami?”

“He’s your brother,” I said, frustration creeping into my tone. “And he cares about you.”

“That’s not what this is about,” he snapped, stepping closer. “It’s about you talking to him and not me. You used to love him, Camille. And now you’re running to him when things get hard with us? And that’s after I come back intomyhouse to see he’s protectedmywife from the same dudes who knocked me the fuck out? Do you know how that feels?”

My mouth fell open. Not once had he ever spoken about my past with Thomas as if it were a threat. “It wasn’t just him; it was Travis, too,” I said, glad I inherently knew I couldn’t mention Liis being equally capable, because realizing his sister-in-law also had a hand in subduing my assailants would’ve sent him into a spiral. “And how are you upset that I’m not coming to you about any of this? I can’t! You’ve made that crystal clear! And, baby…” I said, taking a moment to control my volume and tone, “I’m not running to him,” I pleaded. “I’m trying to save us.”

“By telling him about how broken I am?” he shot back, his voice cracking. “By letting him see what I can’t even show you?”

“That’s not fair,” I said, my anger threatening to bubble to the surface again. “I’m doing everything I can to hold us together, but you won’t let me in. You won’t let anyone in!”

He stared at me, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. For a moment, I thought he might say something, but instead, he turned away, lacing his soggy fingers on the top of his head.

The silence stretched between us, thick and unbearable. I waited, hoping he’d let go of his anger and break, but he didn’t.

“I tried. You can’t say I didn’t,” I said. “But you act like you hate me! Am I just supposed to live like this?”

“Hate you?” he seethed, flipping around.

“You said you can’t stand to look at me!”

He pointed at me. “That isnotwhat I said. Not even fucking close!”

Tears began to stream down my cheeks. “This is it, isn’t it? This is what we are now.” I shook my head. “I can’t do it. I won’t.” I began to sob. “I miss my husband! You were my best friend, but he’s gone. I’m doing everything I can to keep our marriage together, and it’s like trying to hold on to water,” I cried. After wiping tears from eyes, I saw Trenton staring at me, unfazed. “Okay. I’m at the end of my rope. Just… go. It’s time.”

He blinked. “You want me to leave,” he said, more of a statement than a question.

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