Ari blinked again. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand, I’ve never...”
“Oh, of course. I’m Corentin. Tom’s brother.”
“Oh.” Ari nodded, trying to give the impression of knowledge. “Right.”
“You’re Ari.”
“Yes, well—”
“So, you’ve been in this place a whole weekend? Good for you. Can’t stand the place myself. Too much goes on here.”
Ari nodded, keeping one eye on Reine. “Yes.”
“Prefer things a little quieter myself. Keeps me closer to the old ones.”
Old ones?thought Ari.Does he mean Marnie? Marnie’s not ancient.
“Okay, well, I think Marnie is inside and—”
Ari was cut off by the sound of a door slamming, and both she and Corentin looked up to see Sasha stumbling in her heels across the gravel drive. She swore loudly when she lost her balance, then recovered and moved towards her car. She stepped into the vehicle with another profanity, slamming the door closed before starting the engine loudly, tearing down the drive and away from the house.
Ari’s stomach turned when she pondered what Sasha’s sudden departure might mean.
She looked from where the car had been to the front door of the house, where Tom stood. He wasn’t watching Sasha’s car depart. His eyes were only for her, and Ari felt a tingle run through her when she met his gaze and held his eyes.
“Ah,” said Corentin from next to her, his voice knowledgeable and rich. “Looks like I’ve arrived just in time.”
Chapter 20: Salmon
“So, you’re saying you broke up with Sasha, and the wedding is off?”
Marnie was staring at Tom, her eyes hard, her hands tightly clenched upon the polished mahogany of her desk. Standing over her shoulder, one hand stroking the gnarled ends of his tatty beard, stood Corentin. He was staring at Tom just as intently as his mother, but his eyes were softer, more like a worn shale to the steady diamonds of Marnie’s gaze.
“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying,” Tom replied, feeling distinctly uneasy. He’d always hated standing up to his mother, but when you added Corentin into the mix the situation felt a thousand times worse. It was as though all the vibrant energy Marnie exuded was magnified by two — although with Corentin there was an added dimension of disapproval and regretfully felt disappointment in Tom’s life choices. Not that he ever said anything to Tom. No, Corentin’s feelings manifested themselves entirely through sorrowful eyes and woebegone smiles and shared looks with their mother. Thank God Marnie only ever called for his brother in the rare moments when she felt out of her depth or out of control, finding in his presence a reassuring and calming sort of backup. Corentin wasn’t so much her son as much as a living and breathing emotional support blanket, Tom often thought.
“And Ari—”
“It wasn’t about her.” Tom immediately cut down that seedling of thought in Marnie’s brain before it sprouted roots and branches. “Not really.”
“Not really,” Marnie replied thoughtfully, sitting back and looking up to her brother. “Did you hear that, Corentin? Not really.”
“I heard him, Mom,” Corentin intoned, still gazing at Tom thoughtfully.
“Sasha’s gone back to the city,” Tom carried on, ignoring the weight of his brother’s eyes and staring at his mother. “Clearly we can’t live together anymore. So, I’m going to pack up my half of the apartment this week, although I’m going to pay the entire rent for the next eighteen months.”
“Well, I hardly think there’s any call for that—”
“I didn’t treat Sasha very well, Mom,” Tom said firmly. “Whatever you think of her, I proposed to her for all the wrong reasons. There’s no need for her to be financially impacted by my poor life choices. I won’t hear any argument on this. I’m paying her rent.”
A glimmer of something seemed to pass through Marnie’s eyes, magnified again as it spread to Corentin’s. Tom watched his mother and brother exchange a look, before Corentin cleared his throat.
“I’m sure you’ve made the right choice here, Tom.”
Tom stopped, taking a moment to process his thoughts, because Corentin’s words had almost sounded likepraise.
“Hmm.” Marnie leaned forward now, tapping her fingers on her desk. “Well then, you’ll be moving your things back here I take it?”
Tom swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous. “Actually, I — probably not, Mom.”
