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Oh fuck.
I am not sure if this is going to be good or bad. Madison must sense my apprehension as she too steps forward with Julia.
“Lucy. Hi, I am Julia. I have heard so much about you. Do you mind if we step outside for a quick chat?”
Julia sets down her drink and hikes up her dress as she walks out onto the patio. She doesn’t even wait for Lucy to answer, but Lucy follows without question.
I begin to follow them, but Travis grabs my arm as he shakes his head.
“Let her do this.”
“Caleb, who was that?” Marie calls out as she observes her daughter’s body language from the window. Julia is pissed for sure but me and a select few, including her mother, would know that.
I am not sure how I will explain this situation to my future mother- in-law, not yet anyway.
JULIA
I SEE RED BY EVERYBODY LOVES AN OUTLAW
My hands are shaking as I walk outside on the patio. Lucy followed me out and it’s just us standing outside. I can see everyone looking out the window, but I know they can’t hear anything. That glass is thick, built to withstand storms. I exhale as I collect my thoughts.
“What the fuck do you want from Caleb? You already destroyed his heart. What more do you want to take from him?”
She rolls her eyes before she speaks, “You don’t know anything about mine and Caleb’s relationship.”
I hold out my finger to signal her to shut her mouth.
“Actually, I know quite a lot. Let me see, you couldn’t get pregnant, until you did and then lost the baby, which I am sorry about. Then you were depressed, started using drugs, fell into debt with the wrong people. They wanted to kill you both, you got cancer and then tried to kill yourself but freaked out and then you let Caleb believe you died but you didn’t die. No, instead you came back to life after five years to try and once again turn his life upside down. Because being mourned for five years wasn’t good enough, no you had to make him see a ghost of the life he used to have.”
Her eyes tear up as she bites her lip and taps her foot against the wood panels. Its freezing out here so this conversation needs to hurry up.
“What do you want? I will not ask again.” I step forward looking her straight in the eye. I have never been the violent type, but if she keeps coming after Caleb, I will resort to beating a bitch’s ass.
“I just want him to know how sorry I am. I don’t want any trouble Julia, truly. I am going back for surgery and treatment. My cancer is aggressive, and I am going to live with my parents until I get better, if I do. I just want to clear the air before I…go.”
She wipes the tears from her cheeks. All I see in her eyes is fear, regret and sadness. She shivers as she waits for me to say something. I grab her arms and pull her into me. Her body is tense at first but slowly she loosens up and holds on to me tightly as she cries. I never imagined I would be hugging his ex-wife, but here I am being the love bug I am and feeling sorry for her. Not everyone has the strength to survive this cruel world.
I look into the window and notice Caleb standing there confused as well. I nod my head signaling for him to come outside.
“Lucy.”
Caleb approaches with the same apprehension I had when I saw Lucy in his doorway. He doesn’t know what to do.
“Talk to him.” I let her go and walk up to Caleb. I kiss his cheek before I head back inside. I can feel Caleb staring at me, but I keep walking.
“I need a drink.” I mutter to Madison who grabs my hand and leads me to the bar.
Caleb and Lucy talk for about thirty minutes. I know because I sat at my island and stared out the window the entire time. All the guests left except for Madison, Connor and Travis. They are in the living room trying not to be antsy, but they can’t help but get up and check outside. Travis is dying to go outside to smoke but he doesn’t dare leave the couch until Caleb comes back in.
The sliding door opens and Lucy walks in as Caleb follows behind her.
“Thank you for hearing me out, Caleb. Sorry for intruding on your night Julia. I won’t be a bother anymore.”
Lucy holds her hand out to me and I take it. Her brittle hands are freezing but she smiles anyways before she leaves. I watch her walk out the door and Connor shuts it after her. We all turn to face Caleb. He exhales a breath that seems to be long overdue.
“Alright you nosy fucks, she apologized for everything. She is going to get mental and physical help, but she won’t be coming around here anymore. If she does, I will be pressing charges for harassment and suing her for emotional abuse and faking her death. She agreed, so that’s that.”
I wrap my arms around Caleb and press my ear to his back. “Are you okay?”
