Caleb tucks the flowers under his arm so he can sign. “I’m a delivery driver for the florist,” he lies to my son. A clever fib, which I am thankful for, because I’m in no way ready to try to explain to my son that I’ve been seeing someone aside from his father.
“I tried texting you to let you know I was here, but I got no answer,” Caleb explains to me.
Brody dons a confused look, his eyes flicking between Caleb and Marcus. “Dad, I thought you said you got a job with him on a boat, but he’s out making deliveries like you did? Are you guys fighting again? It's only been a couple'a weeks!”
Pardon me, but why thehellis there so much to unpack here right now? Like, what the actual fuck is going on?!
“Can someone please explain to me how you two know each other, and why exactly you have this animosity that Brody keeps bringing up?” I gesture between the men.
Marcus steps out around me, and takes the flowers Caleb passes to him. As he does, Harrison peeks in behind Caleb. He lives just a few houses up the street, so it’s customary, by now, for him to just waltz in. For what it's worth, Brody does the same thing there too.
“Um, hi. Can I come in?” Harrison asks sheepishly.
“Yep! Come on in, bud!” Marcus pipes up. “Let me go get changed real quick, and we’ll head on down to the waterfront. I don’t knowabout you, but I’m ready for some cotton candy for supper until we get to watch some giant sparklers blow up.”
The boys both giggle, the situation between the men suddenly forgotten when Brody hauls Harrison off to his bedroom to show him the latest and greatest video game he scored.
“Love you, Brody! Be good tonight for both your dad and Harrison’s parents!” I call down the hallway.
“Love you too, Mum! We will!”
I turn my attention back to Marcus and Caleb. “Someone want to start talking?” I quip, eyebrow raised.
“Can’t,” Caleb signs with a heavy dose of snark in his expression.
“No,” Marcus grunts at the same time. Then, he glowers at Caleb. “I toldyouI wasn’t going to say anything.”
“Yeah, you did, but I’m still trying to figure out if that was truly for my own benefit or because you’re continually just as chickenshit as ever.”
“Oh, well this is awesome. You two have clearly come to some sort of mutual agreement to keep secrets from me, despite not being able to see eye-to-eye onwhy,” I bite sarcastically. “You know what? It’s cool. Why don’t I just change and head to the gym instead? You both very apparently know each other and have some shit you need to work out amongst yourselves...”
“No!” Marcus snaps and Caleb signs at the same time.
I rear back. “Oh, so you both can also agree whatIdo? Abso-fucking-lutely not,” I huff. “Neitherof you are the boss of me, thanks.” I storm off into my bedroom, slamming the door behind me.
Seething over how I’ve been lied to by both of them, and unwilling to have some epic blow up with my son and his friend still in the house, I change out of my outfit and into something more apropos for the gym. The silence behind the closed door only serves to piss me offmore, since I know they’re probably having some heated discussion using only their hands. Marcus has never—and I meannever—kept anything from me, so the fact that he hid something like this from me hits especially hard.
And as for Caleb? Well, how can Ipossiblysee us going anywhere now that we’ve just gotten things off on a foundation made of sand? Fuck this. I knew I was getting in over my head, but even when it came to putting my career on the line, I turned a blind eye. How goddamn naïve can I possibly be?
I knew his green-flag persona was too good to be true, and I was on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop. That boot just hit the pavement real hard, and I’m about to exercise that carelessness out at the gym, by kicking the shit out of the punching bag just as hard. Thank fuck I’ll likely have the place to myself tonight.
I don’t spare either of them the time of day as I rush past them, snatching my keys up on my way out the door.
“Lo! Don’t go!” Marcus calls out to me. “Lauren, please!”
I ignore him, stuffing myself into my car and jamming the key into the ignition. Out of my periphery, as I turn my head to look over my shoulder to back out of the driveway, I see Caleb chasing after me as well—his hands gesticulating wildly. I ignore him too, not even sparing a glance to catch what he’s saying, as I speed off towards Forge Fitness.
“Geesh, what’d that bag ever do to you?” Micah quips, startling me from my assault on his equipment.
“Sorry,” I huff, letting my guard down. Sweat beads drip down my skin as I struggle to catch my breath. I wipe my forehead with my arm before resting both gloved hands on my hips.
“Don’t be sorry,” he replies, looking concerned. “Anything you want to talk about?”
I sigh, plunking my ass down on the fighting mats, tucking my knees up to my chest. He gingerly sits down near me—close enough to chat, but far enough away to signify he’s aware of my need for distance. In a way, I’m kind of sad that he and Marcus never worked out. I’ve always found the man wholly respectful, and it seems like we’ve had this easy friendship since I started coming here to his gym.
“Do you know Caleb Dupris?” I ask Micah, completely on a whim, as I remove my gloves.
He nods. “I do. I mean, I knowofhim. Hot guy that looks like Dean fromSupernatural?” He chuckles. “Hardnotto notice him, really. Used to come here, back when he moved to Ternbay. Not lately, though. Why?”
