Chapter 126: The Shadow Of Obsession, Part 14, Regrets

JAMES

Sleep escapes me. My green-eyed Love lying next to me, my friend beyond her, I toss and turn in the dark, my mind churning.

Georgie...

Family matters...

Michael was right to pull me away that day. He enjoys a drink as much as anyone but doesn't normally overdo it.

When did I last see him drunk?

?

When he believed he was losing Charlotte...

... to me...

He's right, partially at least. It helps blot out the worst for a few hours. And he went there with me. Stayed with me.

But it's only sticking-plaster over the wound...

... and there's a chasm inside me.

As pale fingers creep through the panes, I give up on sleep and moving as quietly as I can, pull on some clothes and head for the kitchen. Then, coffee in hand, I go outside to sit and stare.

What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare...

This spot, this view, normally calms me. The long slide of grassy slopes down the mountain, the lake below.

Soul food...