Three Rivers by Chloe T Barlow Page B

those angry hands threw his laptop across the room. It broke into several pieces and scattered across the room.
    Griffen had suddenly fallen back into his own body just in time to feel his heart break into a million tiny pieces that exploded painfully out of each of his pores. In their place he was filled with rough, fragmented shards of self-loathing and regret .
    He eventually bought another laptop but the broken and jagged remnants of his heart never made it back inside his chest.
    And Griffen hadn't written a new word since.
    Griffen swallowed hard and brought himself coldly back to the present. He dreaded facing Jack's family and finally confronting his own failures head on. It was bad enough being back in this town but now he had no choice but to see the aftermath of his neglect of Jack.
    At first Griffen refused to come home because it reminded him of his brute of a father, but after Jack died, this city became even more horrific to him — turning into a living, breathing reminder of what a selfish failure he was. Seeing Jack's family would only drive that home more.
    He’d never been any good with feelings. He preferred the cold comforts of denial and instant gratification.
    Sex. Great sex always helped distract him from the pain, if only for a fleeting moment. But he didn't want that empty relief with just anyone. No, he needed to lose himself in a certain honey-haired lawyer, even if she was a bit of an ongoing flight risk.
    Griffen wouldn't be deterred. He would just need to get through little Johnny's party and then get back on the task of trying to find this woman again.
    And he would find her — in a completely non-stalker way, of course.
     

 
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FIVE

     
    Althea opened her eyes slowly and felt a pleasurable soreness she hadn't experienced in years.
    Oh yes, nothing like the feeling of knowing you had a fun nighttime workout , she thought with a lazy grin. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head and enjoyed the calm before the storm. Her mother would be arriving soon and Carol would be downstairs preparing for the party like a cyclone.
    After she'd showered and dressed she knew she couldn't delay the inevitable anymore. She would have to face Carol. Althea felt more than a little awkward when she walked downstairs and found her scurrying around the house, doing the final preparations for Johnny's party. Oh please don't let me have missed any beard burn or hickeys. It would kill me if Carol knew I had done something with another man. Ugh.
    "Carol, it's so good to see you. Thanks again for all your help."
    "Of course, dear. And don't you look lovely this morning! You must be so excited about Johnny finally making it to five, because you are glowing !"
    "Oh, uh, yeah, I slept really well. I am relieved to have all this planning done. Yup." Oh yeah, good cover Althea. Jeez.
    "Tea, honey, where are your rings?"
    Althea looked down at her bare left hand. She'd stopped wearing her wedding rings a year ago in an effort to come to terms more with Jack's death, but she still wore them around Carol to avoid just this moment.
    "Oh, well, I don't wear them as much anymore. It hurts to see them all the time."
    Carol glowered at her and Althea felt horrible. "Humph, well I guess it's up to you if you just want to disregard the symbols of your husband's love, but personally, I don't think it's right."
    "Carol, please..."
    Carol turned from her and started to fill the goody bags for their young guests. "No, you just do what you want." Her words were cutting and Althea could feel tears come to her eyes.
    "I'm sorry."
    Carol turned and hugged her. "You can go put them on later, no worries. By the way, sweetie, I invited a couple more people."
    "Oh? How many?" Althea breathed in and out slowly to fight off her emotions and started to do a mental catalog of all the food and hoped it would be enough.
    "Just two."
    "Phew, what a relief. That I can do."
    "Good, because I'm so excited for Johnny to meet