Heaven and Hell (Heaven and Hell #1)(40)

I finally shut up then I sucked in breath, continued to ignore the completely unmoving Luci and I waited.

Celeste didn’t speak.

Shit.

“Celeste?” I called softly.

Nothing.

I kept trying. “Are you disappointed in me that I… well, didn’t take your advice, especially when you were so kind, and that I, you know, kept from you I’m normal?”

That was when she spoke.

And this was what she said.

“Ma chérie, you are many things and one of them is not normal.”

I blinked at my knees again, not sure if this was good or bad.

She kept talking.

And she was doing it quietly.

“Thomas and I, we had a daughter.”

She said “had”.

Oh God.

Oh no.

Oh shit.

“Celeste,” I whispered.

“We lost her when she was twelve. She had leukemia. That was four years ago.”

Oh God.

Oh no.

Oh shit!

“Honey.” I was still whispering.

“She was blonde with green eyes.”

I closed my eyes which were green but still felt them fill with tears.

“Her name was Clémence.”

OhGodohnoohshit!

Celeste kept speaking quietly.

“I know you are not her. I know this. But that does not mean the last three days I have not enjoyed thinking that, if Clémence was still with us, grown up, grown beautiful and off on some adventure and she found herself where your mother lives, your mother would see her and think that she reminded her of you, take to her and share with her like I have with you, giving her something more than she would have found on her own, a gift, a treasure, what I hope I’ve given you.”

The wet spilled out of my eyes.

“You have,” I whispered brokenly because my voice was clogged with tears.

“And when you needed me yesterday, ma chérie, I must confess, not having my Clémence to share those kinds of moments with, I was more pleased you turned to me than you could ever be grateful I assisted you.”

Ohmigod! That was so nice, so beautiful and so freaking sad.

And it was so all of that that I felt my body jolt as my breath hitched with my sob and I also felt Luci’s arm wrap around my shoulders and her cheek press into my hair.

“And lastly,” Celeste whispered, “I am not disappointed in you. I know of this man, ma chérie, most everyone does. Thomas admires him and, I must admit, I do too. I suspected your secrets were dark, though I am sad to know what they are. But I am not disappointed in the least you are bright enough to see that all men are not like your husband and you are strong enough to take a risk that must certainly frighten you by trying again.”

My body jolted again as another sob tore up my throat, Luci held on tighter and at that moment, I heard a barked, angry, “What the f**k is goin’ on?”

I swallowed, Luci moved away and I twisted in my chair to see Sam stalking my way.

Yes, stalking.

Oh God.

Oh no.

Oh shit.

His eyes were on my wet face then they sliced to Luci and he demanded to know, “Who’s Kia talkin’ to?”

“A woman named Celeste,” Luci whispered and Sam’s eyes cut back to me.

“Is she upsetting you?”

“I –” I started.

He’d arrived and he bent, one hand to the arm of my chair, one hand wrapped around the back of my neck and he got in my face to ask, “Yes or no, baby, is she upsetting you?”

“Well, obviously, yes, Sam,” I answered, his face got dark, he made a move that my guess (what I didn’t know was accurate) was to pull my phone from my ear so I hurried on. “But not how you’re thinking.” I dashed my hand over my cheeks and finished, “We’re having a heart-to-heart a good one, I mean… uh, a bad one but a good one.”

Sam’s brows were knitted and his eyes were intense and he was clearly not liking me swiping at my wet cheeks and I knew this because his gaze followed those movements and that was when his brows shot together.

But now he was studying me.

I let him do it for a moment then whispered, “Honey, she’s still on the line.”

He studied me again. Then his hand slid from my neck to my cheek, taking my hair with it, his thumb extending to glide through the wet still on my skin then the pads of his fingers dug in briefly before he let me go and pushed away.

I let out my breath.

Sam said to Luci, “Girl, I need coffee.”

I said to Celeste, “I’m back and I’m really, really sorry.”

And Celeste said to me on an excited cry that was so far from her polished sophistication, my body jumped in surprise, “I approve ma chérie! Oh, I approve!”

“Uh… sorry?” I asked.

“He has a lovely voice, like velvet,” she observed.

I blinked again at my knees. Then I looked at Sam who was now sitting, eyes on me.

Then I burst out laughing.

Then, still laughing, I agreed, “Yeah. Totally.”

“He’s taking you out on the lake today?”

“Yes.”

“Lovely. The views from the lake are spectacular. Now, I know you’re busy but perhaps, before you leave, we can meet him, if only for a drink. Thomas would so enjoy that and I would too.”