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“When I came home for your mom’s funeral. Saw you with Joshua. Saw that you leaned on him for support and that should have been my job, but I’d lost that right.”
I look away from Callum. I can’t stand to see the honesty of those words on his face. I’d always thought him so detached from me, so confident in his decisions. And I’ve been so bitter that he made those choices because it was what was best for him, not what was best for us.
My phone rings and I recognize Joshua’s ringtone emanating from my purse, my head slowly turning that way.
“Joshua?” Callum guesses and I nod. “Do you want to talk to him?”
I shake my head. “Not really. But I suppose I have to.”
Still, I don’t move from the couch. The phone rings four more times and then cuts off as he’s sent to my voicemail. My stomach clenches because I know Joshua won’t leave a message.
The phone starts ringing again. “He won’t stop until I answer.”
“I’ll answer,” Callum growls as he rises from the chair and starts for my purse.
“No!” I exclaim, scrambling from my perch. I rush past him and grab the phone. Clutching it to my chest, I add, “I don’t want him to know that you’re involved with me leaving.”
Irritation ripples across Callum’s face and once again, the ringing stops as it goes to voicemail. Only a few seconds pass as Callum and I stare at each other, and then Joshua calls back.
Inhaling a fortifying breath, I move to answer it.
“Speakerphone,” Callum orders quietly.
I have no problem with him listening. I know this won’t go well and Callum deserves to know what he’s just put himself in the middle of.
I connect the call and hold it out between Callum and me so he can hear. Joshua is the first to speak. “What in the fuck is going on, Juniper?” he snarls like a rabid animal. “I got a call from one of the nurses at your dad’s care home and she said there are new orders on his chart that my dad and I aren’t allowed to visit.”
Callum frowns, clearly confused over how that information got to Joshua so fast and in clear violation of HIPAA laws. I’m not surprised at all.
I opt for stalling rather than answering him directly. “Why are you so upset? You two never visit him anyway.”
I can practically hear the steam coming out of Joshua’s ears. “What are you playing at, Juniper? I can cut off funding to your dad as soon as I hang up the phone and he’ll be living in a hovel before the sun sets.”
A low sound of rage rumbles from Callum and I step away so Joshua doesn’t hear it. I give him an admonishing look and change the subject. “I’ve moved out. I’m not coming back.”
“What the fuck did you just say?” Joshua demands. “You better get your fat ass back to the house right now.”
I am by no means hurt by Joshua’s words. I’m healthy, athletic, strong and a bit curvy, but Callum is enraged. He reaches for the phone but I scramble backward and take the phone off speaker. I hold up a warning hand to Callum to remain where he is and hopefully my demeanor conveys that he needs to stay out of this.
I put the phone to my ear. “I’m filing for divorce.” I don’t take my eyes off Callum who’s fuming he’s so angry.
“You’re not leaving me,” Joshua says, his words calm and even. “Go home and we’ll forget this nonsense.”
“I’m not coming back.”
“Is this because of last night?” he demands. “Because goddamn it, Juniper… you know I didn’t mean to hurt you. You know my temper is short and you had to have known I’d react that way. Come home and I’ll make it up to you.”
I close my eyes, asking any higher being for patience. “I’m not coming back.”
“You goddamn fucking bitch,” Joshua screams, and it makes me wince as I pull the phone slightly away from my head. “You will regret doing this, Juniper. You’ll be crawling back on your hands and knees, begging me to let you in. But first you have to suck my cock before I take you back. You’re going to choke—”
My phone is ripped from my hands and I understand by the thunderous look on Callum’s face he heard every bit of that despite me taking it off speakerphone.
Putting the phone to his ear, Callum’s words are so frigid, a shiver runs up my spine. “You lowlife piece of shit,” Callum growls. “You come near Juniper and I will destroy you. Your days of terrorizing her are over. You’re going to let her have a divorce and you will give her a generous pile of money to pay for the misery you’ve inflicted upon her. If you cause her any grief or stand in her way, you will regret it. Am I clear?”
Joshua starts yelling again but I can’t hear the words clearly. Callum merely disconnects the call.
“Why did you do that?” I ask, aghast. “Now that he knows you’re involved, he’s going to go berserk. He’s going to come after me harder.”
