“Do you still need the number of my divorce lawyer?”
I paused, staring at the screen. I’d been thinking about this every night, over and over, but now it was real.
And it hurt.
I held my breath, and I replied:“Yes.”
I stood, turned, and startled when I saw Cameron sitting in the back, his eyes already on me.
Just like the old days.
When he wanted to be there for me but knew I didn’t want him to be.
So he kept his distance. Always close enough in case I needed him, never close enough to make me feel cornered.
I walked to the door, passed by him, and left.
Iran into Gabriel later that day. He was standing outside one of his patients’ rooms when I approached him.
“Let’s have that thirty minutes tomorrow,” I said to him. “If you’re still up for it.”
A slow smile spread across his face as he straightened up. He nodded. “Looking forward to it.”
“Okay,” I smiled back. “I’ve got to run.”
“Okay,” he echoed, still smiling as I turned to go.
I had another busy day until Caleb came to pick me up after my shift ended, taking me to his mom’s house.
He looked tired as he walked up. His hair was a mess, and the shirt under his jacket looked like it needed ironing.
Or maybe a wash.
He really needed a haircut.
And probably a woman to take care of him.
“Ready?” he asked with a yawn.
“Yes,” I replied.
We walked side by side through the stairwell, past the lobby, and out to the parking lot.
As we moved, I felt something behind me. A presence. Familiar in a way that made the air feel charged, like a faint current tugging at my chest.
I didn’t have to turn to know it was Cameron.
Caleb must have sensed it, too. He looked back.
“I’m taking Sloane to Mom’s,” he said to his brother. “She missed her.”
Cameron didn’t say a word, but I could picture him nodding.
We continued our walk in silence, Cameron trailing a few steps behind. When we reached the car, I climbed onto Betsy while he stood there, just watching me.
It was ridiculous, really, riding off with another man while my husband looked on, and all of us heading to the same place.
Cameron was still standing there even after the car drove away.
