Page 90 of Devotion: Isn't What It Seems (Love Isn't What It Seems 1)

“Eve was always late,” she blabbed to everyone, batting her eyelashes to Lachlan. “I guess lost in her imagination or her books. She just couldn’t find a way to be on time.”

My head whipped back to her. How fucking dare she?

“I came back early,” I told her.

“What?” She threw her head back and laughed. It was so fake, and I wondered if others could see it too. “You were late for lunch. You missed breakfast. You are always late.”

“I came home early that night,” I locked eyes with her. I have had enough. Her pretending, her deceit. “The night Hunter and Hayden died I came home early.”

Her smile froze on her face, and she knew.

“What?” I swore it was the first time I heard my mom whisper in fear.

“I took an early flight,” I emphasized every word. “I came back home that night.”

There was an uncomfortable silence but nobody understood. But my mother finally did.

“Eve,” she appealed. “You know the past is best left there.”

I stood there, disgusted at her for always twisting everything to suit her. She always escaped unscathed while everyone around her carried the scars.

“I honestly don’t know how you can stand her, John,” I spoke to my stepfather but my eyes remained locked on my mother, challenging her. In a cruel way, I enjoyed watching her squirm, afraid people might find out what a piece of rotten flesh she was. “You must be a saint or trying for sainthood.”

I scoffed in disgust. “You won’t have to worry about your wife joining the sainthood,” I continued, “...because my mother will be in hell.”

“Eve,” Lachlan tried to calm me.

“Should we share, Mother?” I asked.

She paled. I think it was the first time I ever saw a full fear in her eyes and her posture.

It was Elise that spoke. “I don’t know what is going on,” her voice was soft and calming. “But Mother and John shouldn’t have come till Eve was ready.”

John unaware of what was going on, spoke up. “We haven’t seen her in over ten months. We are worried about her.”

No, John. You might be worried but my mother certainly isn’t.

He continued on. “We are a family. We need to stick together. Right, Darling?” he glanced at his wife looking for agreement.

“You know we love you, Eve,” she watched me like I was a crazy animal ready to snap. “We should all move on for better, new beginnings.”

“How fucking dare you say that?” I screamed at her. “You did it!”

Lachlan’s hands took my shoulders gently and I shoved his hands away. “Don’t touch me! And for once,” I snapped as I glanced at my husband, my anger and despair from the past enveloping me. “Just for once in your life, Hunter, would you take my side!”

If I thought the room was still before, now it was dead quiet. It was as if everyone stopped breathing.

As soon as the words left my lips, I knew I made a mistake. Lachlan went utterly still and stiff. He stood as an ice mountain, but underneath it there was a volcano ready to erupt.

How did Hunter’s name leave my lips? I called Lachlan by my dead husband’s name.

His grey eyes on me were cold. Without another word, he turned around and left the room.

Desperation inched its way through my anger as I watched him leave. Without another glance at the others, I ran after him, taking two stairs at the time.

I ran into our bedrooms and found him throwing his clothes into a suitcase.

“Lachlan,” my voice was shaking. I didn’t want to lose him. “Please, forgive me.”

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