Caleb’s green eyes darkened with worry as he let out a long sigh. “What happened?”
I shook my head. “Ask your brother.”
He was about to press again when Anita stormed into the room. “Where’s Harper?” she asked.
“Outside with Cam,” I replied.
Caleb stood and crossed the room to hug his mom. “Morning, Mom.”
Anita patted his back absently.
When he pulled away, he asked, “Mom, why couldn’t Cam come in the house?”
Anita scoffed and scrunched her face, but didn’t answer. Instead, she stood there, eyes fixed on me, and my heartbeat picked up as I tried to figure out what she was thinking. Thenshe crossed the room, gave me a quick side hug, leaned in, and whispered, “I’m sorry. For what he did.”
Without waiting for a response, she let go and hurried toward the front of the house, leaving me sitting there, stunned. I blinked hard, fighting back the tears rising from the rush of relief that shook through me. Of all the responses I’d braced myself for, this wasn’t one of them.
Anita called over her shoulder, “Lock the door, will you?” She didn’t say whether she meant Caleb or me, as we both had a key.
Caleb stared at me, confusion written across his face. He had clearly heard what Anita said. “Sorry for what?”
Ignoring the question, I asked, “Can I go with you to the hospital?”
Caleb was a surgeon, like Cameron and their oldest sibling, Caroline. We all worked at the same hospital.
I wondered what it would be like once the divorce was finalized. Awkward, probably. Unavoidable, definitely. It was just my luck that we all worked in the same place.
Caleb hesitated, his expression uncertain. “Cameron’s outside waiting for you, isn’t he? He’s not going to be happy if you come with me.”
I grabbed my bag and stood, casting him a tired look before turning toward the door. “Okay. I’ll just get an Uber, then.”
Caleb followed. “Wait, Sloane. Alright, you can come with me.”
He walked beside me, still sounding a little unsure. “You know I don’t mind you coming with me, right? But... I don’t know what’s going on between you and Cam, and I’ve got a feeling he wouldn’t be thrilled if I got in the middle of it.”
“That’s alright, Caleb,” I said, eyes on my phone as I tapped for the ride. “Uber is fine.”
When I stepped outside, the cold morning air hit me like a reset. Cameron straightened from where he’d been leaning against his car, his expression subdued until he saw me.
“Sloane,” he called, walking toward me.
“Cam,” I said with a nod, keeping my eyes anywhere but on his.
I moved to the side, away from his car, but his voice followed me, sounding frustrated and tired.
“Come on, Sloane. This is silly. We’re going the same fucking way.”
I ignored him and checked the Uber app. No cars in the area. I might be waiting a while.
Caleb stepped up beside me after locking the door. “Just ride with me, Sloane. But fair warning, I’m driving Betsy. And you hate Betsy.”
Betsy. His ancient, lumbering black truck. He wasn’t wrong. I hated that thing. It sat too high, the climb was a hassle, and the engine rumbled loud enough to make my ears ring. But right now, it was either Betsy or standing on the curb, hoping a ride would magically appear.
I sighed. Apparently, today it was Betsy.
“Okay,” I grumbled, marching toward the truck. “Betsy, it is.”
Behind me, I heard Caleb say, “She asked me for a ride earlier, Cam. I’m sorry.”
