When Darkness Comes Read online

  When Darkness Comes

  Beck Cummings

  Copyright © 2020 Beck Cummings

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual places or events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without proper permission from the author.

  Cover Design by Beck Cummings

  Cover Image by iStock by Getty Images

  Author Image by Laura Hood Photography

  ISBN 979-8-6186-8637-2

  For Mom and Michael Ray.

  You two never got to read the finished product, but always supported me and this dream.

  Thank you for always believing me.

  And a special thank you to all who have supported me along this journey.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  chapter 1

  chapter 2

  chapter 3

  chapter 4

  chapter 5

  chapter 6

  chapter 7

  chapter 8

  chapter 9

  chapter 10

  chapter 11

  chapter 12

  chapter 13

  chapter 14

  chapter 15

  chapter 16

  chapter 17

  chapter 18

  chapter 19

  chapter 20

  chapter 21

  The End.

  About The Author

  Praise For Author

  chapter 1

  Dread. The overwhelming feeling of dread came over me as I thought about the events that would occur over the next few hours. Maybe it won't be so bad after all... Oh, who am I kidding?! I am not one for big crowds and yet, here I am, about to be thrown into the masses by attending a nightclub. So totally NOT my scene. Sweaty bodies grinding to deafening music while intoxicated men try to hit on me is not exactly my idea of fun. Oh well, in the words of my mother, I must put on my big girl panties and deal with it, for the sake of my brother and future sister-in-law.

  Leaning toward the mirror, I expertly lined my lips in a fiery shade of red. I placed the cap back on my lip pencil and laid it on the granite countertop. Grabbing my black and white plaid make-up bag, I began to dig around in search of my favorite silver tube of lipstick.

  Gotcha!

  'Caught Red-Handed.'

  I have to admit that the name was definitely what pushed me to hand over my little gold Visa card in the first place. The fact that it was the perfect shade of red to compliment my ivory complexion merely sweetened the deal. The creamy rouge glided effortlessly across my lips and with a quick blot and the slightest touch of clear gloss, my make-up was officially done.

  I took a step back from the mirror to admire my work. My golden-brown hair was styled in loose curls that cascaded three inches past my shoulders, while my side-swept bangs accentuated my honey brown eyes and smoky eyelids.

  My "mirror, mirror, on the wall" moment was interrupted by the buzz of the doorbell to my Montreal loft. I left the bathroom and placed my hands on the cool metal of the door as I peeked through the peephole. Standing on the other side was one of my closest friends, Nicolette Beauchemin, or Nic, as everyone calls her. Archer and Cecile Beauchemin moved into the house next door to my parents' in the borough of Westmount before either of us girls were born. Cecile became best friends with my mom, Gena Tremblay, and they both became pregnant around the same time resulting in Nic and I being born a couple of months apart. 28 years later, Nic and I are usually attached at the hip and Nic just so happens to be marrying my older brother, Jean-Luc.

  "Sorry, girl. I promise I am almost ready," I said as I opened the door and stepped aside.

  Nic appeared to be walking the runway as she entered my apartment. Her espresso hair was straight and flowed to the middle of her back. She was dressed in a one-sleeved, black silk romper (which was bordering on the side of being way too short), along with a brand-new pair of killer t-strap stilettos that had me silently praising God we shared the same shoe size. She went with all neutral tones for her make-up this evening and her high cheekbones had the faintest dusting of rosy pink blush. In all honesty, if we weren't such good friends, I would hate her guts for how naturally gorgeous she is.

  "No biggie, Paige. It's not like it's your bachelorette party we're going to be late for. Besides, we're still waiting on Ally and the boys. They're upstairs in Matty's apartment," replied Nic, as she came in and perched herself on the arm of my gray microfiber sofa.

  I closed the door and walked over to my dining room to gaze out the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the borough of Ville-Marie. With the theatre district, Old Montréal, the Old Port, the underground city, and three universities, Ville-Marie is in the heart of the action. I fell in love with the area while attending Concordia University and knew that this was where I wanted to live after graduation.

  "I still don't understand why you're having this joint bachelor slash bachelorette party. I just don't know how

  much fun we're going to have with the boys tagging along." Or how much fun I'm going to have with my big brother watching my every move.

  I could see Nic's reflection in the window tilt her head to one side and I turned around to look at her just as she was opening her mouth to speak.

  "We just felt weird having separate parties. And, we thought it would be more fun if ALL of us went out to celebrate. You know, drink a little, and dance a little, TOGETHER. Excuse me for trying to enjoy my pre-wedding festivities." Nic said as she stuck her tongue out at me.

  I couldn't help but laugh at my friend. She is the epitome of style and grace and yet, here she was, doing something so childish.

  "I'm sorry, Nic. I'm not trying to ruin your night. Honestly! You know me, I just... Don't understand... weddings."

  Or marriage for that matter.

  There was a knock on the door and Nic got up to answer it. She paused and turned around to look at me. "I know you don't really believe in all of this, Paige. And, there are some days I can even understand your reasoning. But I just still hold out hope you will find that one person that changes your mind."

  My shoulders slumped as I looked down at my French manicure. Great! I think I am ruining one of the most important events in Nic's life and I can't seem to stop my own feelings from getting in the way.

  It's not that I'm not happy for Nic and Jean-Luc; it's quite the opposite in fact. I just don't really think that marriage is the right thing for me. Having fun and enjoying spending time with someone is one thing, but saying you're going to love one person and only one person for the rest of your life is ludicrous in my mind. In a world of 7,530,103,737 people (give or take a few), how can there be just ONE person out there for you?

  Snapping out of my thoughts, I turned to say hi to the rest of our friends. I hugged my brother Jean-Luc first. "Hey, Luc. 'Bout time you showed up. We might make it to Club Echo before last call." I said as I nudged his arm with my elbow.

  Jean-Luc is three years older than me, but due to our similar golden locks, nearly identical eyes and matching faint freckles across our noses, we are often mistaken for twins.

  "Oh, no! Don't blame me!" Jean-Luc nudged me back, his 6'3" muscular frame causing my eight-inch shorter self to momentarily lose my balance. "It's all Mathieu's fault. I swear with all the hair products he uses, he's a walking fire hazard."

  Mathieu Beauchem
in is Nic's 30-year-old brother and my absolute BFF. It's actually kind of strange we became so close, since he was Luc's friend to begin with, but we did. We just seem to understand each other on a different level. I admit I had a mad crush on him as we were growing up, but he always saw me as another little sister, nothing more. When I ended up at Concordia with him during his junior year, he kind of took me under his wing and kept a watchful eye on me, since Nic went to McGill with Jean-Luc. We would enjoy lunches together and pull all-nighters cramming for tests, which in turn, led to us becoming extremely close. He has always been there for me whenever I needed someone, and I have always been his number one fan.

  In fact, I'm the one who pushed Matty to open his own restaurant. He dreamt of owning his own business all throughout college, so after graduation, I told him to just do it. I promised to help in whatever way I could, whether it be taking reservations or waiting tables. I even offered to wash dishes. Okay, that's not completely true, but I told him that he definitely wouldn't be alone in this venture and it turns out that was all he needed to hear. Now, Les Deux Beauchemins' is one of the most popular restaurants in all of Montreal and Matty has skyrocketed to the top of the city's most eligible bachelors list thanks in part to the success of his business, but also in part to his stunningly good looks.

  Mathieu scoffed at Luc, furrowing his dark eyebrows ever so slightly. "I don't use THAT much!" He announced to the room.

  "Oh, please, Matty. We all know you can't live without your hair gel." Nic teased her brother who scowled and shot daggers at her with his eyes in return.

  There was no denying the truth, though; Matty always had perfectly coiffed hair. Tonight, his thick, inky black hair was styled into a very hip, very attractive fauxhawk.

  I couldn't help but chuckle as I walked over to Matty. "I can't live without your hair gel." I joked.

  Mathieu exhaled and pursed his full pink lips together. A lazy smile sprawled across his chiseled face and he drew me into his arms for a hug. I breathed in his scent; the mixture of his Armani Mania cologne, mixed with the faint smell of fabric softener was the same as always and was all Matty.

  "Just one of the reasons I love you." I whispered in his ear, as I gave him a quick squeeze. Okay, so maybe the hug lasted a little bit longer than most "friendly" hugs should, but I couldn't stand to pull away. There was just something so comforting about him, like he would always do anything and everything in his power to protect me.

  "It's nice to see you too, pretty girl." Matty's husky voice was low in my ear ensuring only I heard his greeting. His arms tightened around me and I smiled at his term of endearment.

  As I willed myself out of Matty's embrace, I saw something flash in his electric blue eyes. Was that a look of longing mixed with a hint of regret? Maybe I misread it altogether?

  Whatever the look might’ve been, it disappeared as I was pulled into a hug by our other friends, Ally and Jackson.

  "Alright, guys. Let's get moving! It's after 11 already!" Nic proclaimed as she made her way to the front door with Ally, Jackson, and Luc in tow.

  "Let me grab my shoes, and then we can head out!" I yelled as I hurried down the hallway toward my bedroom. I flipped on the light and rounded my queen size, white leather platform bed. I knelt in front of my full-length mirror and grabbed my black patent pumps, sliding them on before making a mad dash back into the living room. I was in such a hurry that I ended up running right into Matty.

  "Whoa! Slow down there, Speed Racer." Matty laughed, grabbing me by my shoulders to keep me from falling to the floor. His hands lightly skimmed down my arms until they came to rest at my elbows. The goose bumps his fingers raised from my flesh totally betrayed my cool and collected composure. I'm 95% positive he was just making sure I had steadied myself on my four-inch heels. Okay, more like 75% positive. 50% positive? Damn goose bumps! I don't even want to know what everyone else thought of this little encounter.

  I let out a faint chuckle and took a small step back from Mathieu. He shifted his weight, shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark wash jeans. I smoothed my black long-sleeved, backless dress, and took a much needed, mind-clearing breath. As I took in Matty eyeing my bare legs, I tugged the hem-line down as far as it would go, wishing there was just a little bit more fabric to this stupid dress.

  I took another deep breath and squared my shoulders. "Good to go."

  As I turned to follow my friends out the door Matty gently tugged on my hand. "Are you okay? You seem off... Or something."

  I hate that he knows me so well.

  I bit my bottom lip and looked down at my Jimmy Choo’s, suddenly finding them very enthralling.

  When I opened my mouth to speak Nic called out, "You two coming?!"

  "Hang on, Nicolette. Just wait by the elevator; we will be there in a sec." Matty replied assertively.

  I watched as Nic narrowed her eyes at her brother and then proceeded to dramatically exit my apartment, slamming the door with finality.

  "And the nominees for best actress are..." Matty rolled his eyes and gestured toward the door with his head.

  I let out a laugh. "Ha! More like, and the winner for best actress is..."

  Matty gave me a pointed look and I knew that our joking had not distracted him. I would have to explain my "off" mood.

  "Okay. I may, or may not have, said something to Nic that I kinda sorta regret." I turned my gaze back toward the front door and began to chew on the inside of my lip.

  "Oh, no." Matty raised his eyebrows in concern. "Please don't tell me. You told her you hate your bridesmaid dress, didn't you?! No wonder she's acting like such a brat! You know this is going to start World War III. What were you thinking?!" Matty ran a hand across the dark stubble on his chin while shaking his head in disbelief.

  "What?! NO! I love my bridesmaid dress! You know your sister is a total fashionista and I would so live in her closet if given the opportunity." I paused to take a breath and then continued. "I let it slip that I'm not a big fan of this joint party. And that opened the whole can of worms of me not really understanding... marriage in the first place." The final words came out in a mere whisper.

  Hopefully, he didn't hear the last part.

  Matty took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck, underneath the collar of his black canvas field jacket.

  He heard them. Damn.

  Matty closed his eyes for what seemed like forever and when he finally opened them, he looked right into mine. "We've talked about this before. You can't say those kinds of things around Nic. She gets defensive and thinks you are saying you don't believe her marriage will last."

  "I don't think that at all!" I interrupted, and then quickly found my fascinating Jimmy Choo’s again.

  "I know that! But, Nic doesn't get you like I do. As much as she tries..." Matty put two fingers under my chin, gently lifting it until I was staring into his blue eyes again. "I’m the one who was there when it all went down. I know why your view on marriage is so skewed. But you have to remember that Nic didn't get the whole story like I did."

  I nodded while tears welled in my eyes. I bit my bottom lip, trying to suppress the overwhelming urge to break down.

  Matty lightly brushed my cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Don't cry. If you cry, then I'll probably cry, and then the entire night will be ruined." His eyes were gleaming with humor.

  Pursing my lips to fight back the smile threatening to break through, I let out a soft sigh. "You're right. She doesn't see the same broken girl you do."

  "You're not broken." Matty hauled me into his body and gave me a tight hug.

  I couldn't fight back the tears any longer, and I began to sob quietly into his olive-green Henley. I felt like damaged goods, but my best friend didn't see me that way. His hug was my reassurance that I wasn't as alone as I sometimes felt.

  Matty leaned back and brushed away the tears from my face. "Hey, you know I'm not going anywhere, girl."

  I nodded, quickly swiping my hand across my face
to rid it of any stray tears.

  "I have a feeling that someday, all your theories on love will be proven wrong. Some lucky guy is going to come along and sweep you off your feet, and you won't be able to resist. Because I, for one, know that you have a big heart in there..." He pointed right to the middle of my chest. "Somewhere, wherever it may be." He smiled his big, boy next door smile, and winked at me.

  "Thanks, Matty. You always have such a way with words." I grinned and playfully punched him in his upper arm.

  He drew a hand over his chest and feigned injury all the way to the front door. “You coming?” He looked at me expectantly.

  I shook my head at him and held up one finger before darting back down the hallway to my bathroom. Touching up my makeup and returning to the living room at world record speed, I grabbed my keys out of my red clutch and followed Matty into the hallway.

  As I was locking the door to my apartment, I heard Luc yell, "Finally!"

  Oh, put a cork in it!

  "It was my bad. I needed to talk to Paige about a... Uh... Girl situation I have." Matty said to the group as he pressed the call button for the elevator.

  I watched the numbers lighting up as the elevator made its way to the fourth floor. We all heard a ding signaling its arrival and the doors opened to reveal an empty car. I whispered a thank you to Matty and gently nudged his shoulder as we entered behind our friends. Matty stepped to the front to press the parking garage button on the panel and then turned to resume his position by my side. He smiled, casually draping his arm around me and pulling me close to him.

  The short ride down to the garage was abuzz with excitement. A hushed conversation was being held by Nic and Luc in one corner, while Jackson, Ally, Matty, and I had an entertaining debate over which shots were to be consumed first. With all the valid arguments, the decision would just have to be made once we arrived at Club Echo.

  When the elevator doors opened, I was the first one to exit.