Page 5 of Beyond Oblivion

Trenton rushed me from behind and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing my neck. “How were the girls?”

“It was… weird.”

His hands dropped to his thighs. “Weird? Weird how?”

I shrugged, pretending I wasn’t utterly mortified. “I don’t know. They were in the middle of something. I just dropped off the pasta maker and left.”

He waited a beat, dubious. “Zero words. You dropped it off and just… left.”

“No. There were words. Just awkward words. It was awkward.”

“Cami—”

“I know. I know it shouldn’t be,yearslater. I completely, totally agree with you. But it is. It’s weird.Andawkward.”

“What’s awkward?” Hazel asked, climbing onto the stool behind me.

“Something was awkward?” Sylvie said, rounding the corner.

“Beck was looking for you,” Hazel said, waving her away.

Sylvie’s russet eyes widened. “Damn. Sorry I spoke.”

Sylvie’s tightly woven cornrows faded from deep purple into turquoise in a smooth gradient, braided from her hairline into a sleek faux hawk before cascading down to the middle of her back. As she abruptly turned on her heels, her braids snapped over her shoulder before settling behind her. She was one of two new artists I’d hired since taking over—the other being her slightly younger brother, Beck.

I frowned. “That was rude. And you have a client waiting,” I said, turning to face her. “She’sbeenwaiting, actually.”

Hazel was unfazed. “I'm just trying to hear this story before I grow old, and my corpse starts decomposing.”

“It was awkward with her and Abby,” Trenton said.

“What?” Hazel said, her already high voice going up an octave.

“Liis was there,” I said.

Hazel’s eyes widened. “Ooooooh.”

“So?” Trenton said, shrugging one shoulder.

“Trenty poo,” Hazel began, “we all know you want to pretend what happened didn’t happen, okay? I get it. But it did. No one talks about it because you want to pretend it didn’t. So, it’s gonna be… well, like Cami has said thirty-seven times in the last three minutes… awkward.”

Trenton’s nose wrinkled. “Why are you two repeating words like you’re Dr. fucking Suess? And what happened? With her and Tommy? It’s not that I want to pretend it didn’t, I just don’t care. No one cares.”

“Liis cares,” Hazel deadpanned. “And that’s not Suess. Suess rhymes.”

“He also repeats words,” I said. “You have a client.”

“It’s a VCH,” Hazel said quietly. “I promise you she’s in no rush to get her clit pierced.” She smiled and waved to the fifty-something woman waiting patiently in the corner. “Be there in a minute, Kate!”

“No rush,” Kate said. She smiled while checking the top button of the white Oxford she wore under a pastel pink cashmere sweater.

Hazel turned to Trenton again. “Told ya. Listen, it’s an unresolved family matter. Everyone pretends it’s okay when the guys are together, but when the wives get together, it’s… there. Am I wrong?” She looked to me, so Trenton did, too.

My eyes bounced between them both. “It’s… like I said, it’s just…”

“Awkward, yeah, we know,” Hazel said, bored. “Why, though? I know why it’s weird for Liis, but why is it for you? Are you still in love with Thomas?”

“Hazel, what the hell?” I said, the blood under my cheeks boiling.

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