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“We’re still going to the party tomorrow, right?” His hopeful question just makes me hate myself even more. Not only have I slept with Callum, but now he wants to meet the woman who confessed her love in a letter. I have to let him down twice.
“Maybe. I don’t know.” He huffs before leaving me alone with my tortured thoughts. I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do, but crying is the only option on my list, so I settle in for a good, therapeutic session of shedding tears before I even think about tomorrow.
* * *
My head is pounding as I wake up with the sun. It's barely dawn, and already, I wish the day would end. That some giant hole would open up and swallow me. I cried so long and hard last night that I made myself sick—more than once.
I heard Jensen pacing outside my bedroom door a few times, and I appreciate him more than he knows. I’d never vocalize that because he’d let it go to his head and become more unbearable, but I love him all the same.
Sitting up, my eyes throb, and I know I need to take something before I hop in the shower to clean myself up, or it’ll turn into a migraine. Stripping off my clothes, I put on a robe before heading to the kitchen and the Tylenol we keep in the cabinet above the fridge.
I stop short when I see two bodies on the couch. Jensen is lying down with Vivian spread across him. His hand is on her butt, and the other is in her hair. She’s lying between his legs with her head over his heart, and as much as I love seeing them together because I think they’d be an amazing couple, it hurts to look at her. Knowing she’ll hate me after she finds out.
Quietly backing away, I quickly grab the bottle and some water and tiptoe to the bathroom. Closing the door silently, I start my shower and chug down the water and Tylenol before jumping in.
The warm water soothes my aching muscles and calms the puffiness of my eyes from crying all night. Allowing the spray to swish over my face after washing and conditioning my hair, I’m not expecting to hear the door slam shut.
“Listen.” Vivian’s voice is far calmer than I expect. “I know you and Dad had sex.” I nearly choke on the shower water as my mouth hangs open in shock. “Trust me, I noticed the way he looked at you all summer, and I’ve known about your crush on him since high school. It was weird then ‘cause we were young.” She takes a breath and pulls the shower curtain back. “I need to know one thing.”
Wide-eyed, I ask, “What?”
“Do you still love him?” I can only nod because I’m feeling emotional again. She reaches in and shuts the water off. “Good, because I’d hate to have to be mad at you for breaking his heart.”
“What?”
She hands me a towel, and I wrap it around my body as she explains. “Dad was pissed when he woke up. He wouldn’t tell me why, of course, but then I heard him leaving you a voicemail…have you listened to it yet?” I shake my head no. “Good, don’t. Don’t read his texts either. Everything he has to say to you will be a thousand times better in person.”
“You don’t hate me?” My gaze drops because I can’t stand the thought of seeing animosity for me in her eyes.
“Ada, come on. I love you to death.Death, Adalee. Do you know what that means?”
“That we’re going to grow old together and rock on our porch, yelling at kids on skateboards before we croak.” It’s something we’ve joked about a hundred times before.
“Exactly. So, unless you’re secretly kicking puppies or selling children to sick old men, there’s nothing you can do that will make me hate you.” Relief overtakes me.
“So now what?” She drags me out of the tub and pushes me to sit on the toilet seat so she can towel-dry my hair.
“Now, you’re going to get dressed in the sexiest thing we can find, and you’re going to knock his socks off.” Her grin is so mischievous.
“What about the party?” I know how much she loves celebrating Callum’s returns from duty.
“It’s still happening. However, I’m making some adjustments. You’ll see.” She sing-songs the last two words, and if my heart weren’t about to burst, I’d be worried.
“How mad is he?” Callum can have an explosive temper. He’s never violent, but he’s passionate, and if what Vivi says is true, I’m really in for it.
“Do you remember the time we snuck out to go to the spring formal after-party sophomore year?”
“Oh.”
“Times that by about ten.” Her grin as she pulls me to my feet has me worried. “And after I’m done with you, multiply it by twenty because he’s going to eat his tongue.” She stops and turns to look at me. “I’m pretending this is some random dude and not my dad, by the way. It’s easier on my psyche.” Laughter bubbles out of me; it’s the comedic relief I need.
“I woke up alone,” I hear Jensen yell from the living room.
“Get over it!” Vivi calls back, but I don’t miss the way she blushes. “Don’t ask.” I bite my lip as we enter my room and prepare for another shopping trip.
CHAPTER5
CALLUM
