CHAPTER14
An hour later, Megan was back at her family’s farmhouse. She stood outside in the late-afternoon sun, head tilted up to the sky, and soaked up the warmth. She still wore the light green dress but had kicked off her heels to stand barefoot in the grass.
She knew the moment she stepped inside to pack the rest of her things and load them into her car reality would sink back in, and she wasn’t in a hurry for that to happen. Rose had texted to let Megan know she’d arrived safely at Megan’s apartment but wouldn’t be staying the night – she wanted to talk to Henry and explain and then would stay at her parents’ house.
Selfish as it was, Megan was thankful Rose decided not to stay. Megan had her own emotional baggage to unpack and sort through, and it was time she finally faced it.
This last week with Caleb was a fever dream, a fantasy come to life. Until reality had crashed into them and held up a mirror to show it was nothing more than bad decisions.
She didn’t know how she would let Caleb go, how to open her hand and let the image of them happy together blow away into the ether. A piece of her heart would always belong to him.
“You really like to keep a man waiting, don’t you, Megs?”
Megan whirled to find Caleb leaning against the doorway to the farmhouse, arms crossed. Caleb still wore the dress shirt and slacks, but the top two buttons of the shirt were undone, and his tie was loose around his neck and hung down his chest.
“I –” Megan didn’t have anything to say. She hadn’t expected to find him here. There was no car parked in the driveway except hers. She wasn’t ready for this conversation, had hoped to have it later – over the phone. It was hard enough to decide not to continue things between them, but the thought of ending things with him in person was too much to bear. “What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you.” He didn’t move a muscle, but every single ounce of his attention was focused on her.
“Why?”
“I was worried.”
She wanted nothing more than to melt into his arms and let him comfort her after having to cancel her cousin’s wedding…on the morning of the wedding, at the church. But instead, she grabbed her shoes from the grass a few feet away and stepped onto the wraparound porch.
“I’m fine. I came to get my things. You can go.”
“I don’t think so.” He pushed off the doorway and blocked her path into the house.
Megan halted, her breath coming out in a huff. His arrogance grated on her already thin nerves. “Excuse me?”
“Megs, you don’t get to shove me away right now.”
“Stop calling me that.” She made to go inside but he didn’t budge. She should know better than to think he would simply move out of her way. No, Caleb had always been in her way in one shape or form.
“Will you listen for once?”
Outrage bubbled in her chest and throat, and she went to tell him where to shove it, but he cut her off.
“I was wrong. I should never have listened to Tucker. I should never have stayed away. I didn’t think you felt the same way. Not until our first night together, all those years ago. But then…” Caleb trailed off.
“Then you left,” Megan finished for him.
“Yes. Do you hate me for that? For pursuing my goal?” Incredulity laced his voice and flashed across his face.
“I don’t hate you at all.” She fought back tears. “That’s part of the problem.” Her voice broke and she forced herself to finish her thought. “I have never hated you, Caleb.”
He reached for her again. Megan let him take her hand. It was an effort to keep it from shaking.
“Why did you never say anything?” she whispered.
Caleb took a deep breath and met her gaze. “It never seemed like the right time,” he started. “And you’re my best friend’s younger sister. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
Megan tried to pull away, but he held tighter.
“I was afraid.”
She snapped her head up at his admission, at the vulnerability in his voice. It made her heart ache.
