REST IN PEACE (EVA RAE THOMAS FBI MYSTERY #15) BY WILLOW ROSE – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Authors: Willow Rose
- Language: English
- Genre: Thriller / Suspense
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 4.9 MB
- Price: Free
FRIDAY MORNING IN COCOA
BEACH, FL
The morning light spilled across the kitchen counter, casting a warm glow
on the neatly arranged sandwiches, fruit cups, and carrot sticks. I sighed,
feeling the absence of a third lunch that no longer needed making. Olivia’s
departure for college had left a hollow space in both the kitchen and my
heart.
“Mom, where’s my history book?” Christine’s voice brought me back
from the edge of melancholy as she bounded into the kitchen, her ponytail
swinging with youthful energy.
“Did you check the living room?” I suggested, sealing the last sandwich
with practiced finality.
“Found it!” she proclaimed seconds later, returning to grab an apple
from the bowl on the table. Alex followed closely behind; his eyes were still
sleepy, but a soft smile played on his lips. He mumbled a grateful “Thanks,
Mom,” before digging into his cereal.
I glanced at the clock, tension knotting in my stomach. Any minute now,
Matt would be coming down. The anticipation felt like waiting for thunder
after the flash of lightning. And then, there it was—the rhythmic thud of
crutches on the upstairs floorboards.
Matt appeared at the top of the stairs, his jaw set in a hard line, eyes
narrowed with a familiar frustration. Every step seemed to echo his
bitterness, a stark reminder of the price he paid on duty—with me by his
side, unable to prevent the irreversible.
“Good morning,” I said, my voice treading a fine line between casual
and cautious.
“Is it really?” Matt’s response was terse and acidic. He descended the
last step with a graceless thump of wood against the tile.
“Sit down; I’ll get you some coffee,” I offered, reaching for the pot.
“I’m not hungry,” he snapped, maneuvering awkwardly to the table, the
crutches clattering against the chair legs.
“Matt, you need to eat something,” I pressed, feeling the weight of his
dark mood pressing in around us.
“Stop mothering me,” he retorted, a scowl etched deep into his features.
His anger was a palpable force, charging the air between us.
“Maybe if you didn’t act like a child—” The words slipped out before I
could stop them, igniting the kindling of our constant conflict.
“Act like a child? I’m not the one who needs to fill the silence with
pointless chatter because they can’t handle their daughter leaving for
college!”
His words stung, finding their mark with brutal precision. I gripped the
edge of the counter, feeling the sting of tears threatening behind my eyes. I
wanted to scream, to unleash the storm of emotions that whirled within me
—grief for Olivia’s absence, guilt over Matt’s injury that caused him to lose
a part of his leg, the suffocating helplessness.
“Maybe if you’d try to see past your own pain, you’d realize we’re all
hurting,” I managed through clenched teeth, my heart pounding with fury
and sorrow.
“Save it. I’m not the one falling apart,” he shot back, the venom in his
voice cutting through the remnants of family harmony like a knife.
“Mom, Matt, please stop,” Christine’s plea broke through our escalating
war of words, pulling us back from the brink.
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