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Over halfway down, the thoughts continue to pummel me. My feelings for Rhett grow like a plant reaching for sunbeams. I kick a rock from my path while recalling the startled butterfly wings in my stomach at his laidback smile or whispered commands. The way he calls me Rosie when he’s flirting and turned on.
Without Rhett, I don’t know if I would have been strong enough to remain in Arrow Creek. A few pleading phone calls from Eric and Caiti would have broken me down in a matter of days to weeks. But those dark nights sharing a meal, a front seat, liberating our demons and revealing our dreams, brought us closer while allowing me to heal from the mountains of guilt I’ve been harboring.
The problem is I’m still not where I need to be. I relied on a man for most of my adulthood for support, and when I left him with nothing but my dog and my belongings, I vowed not to fall headlong into that path again. Now my options feel thinner than a papercut.
Either allow Rhett to help me get on my feet or push him away until I’m ready, hoping he sticks around until then.
The crazy feelings soaring to life when he’s near scream option one, even though I’ve learned the hard way that fairy tales aren’t reality.
Those same crazy feelings whisper he’ll be waiting if I choose option two.
But will he?
With the way I left him and Tommy last night, I guess we’ll eventually see.
A warm droplet lands on the bridge of my nose, a foreshadow of what’s to come. Ghost and I break into a hustle while the rain escalates in frequency. The warm summer droplets quickly turn cold as the temperature plunges with the storm front.
The trailhead appears a few hundred feet in the distance as the first crack of thunder rings out. Ghost lets out a startled bark as we sprint for shelter. I slip across a wet, flat rock—a warning to ease my pace. Falling out here in the rain and breaking my neck doesn’t sound like a good idea. The recognizable song I set for Eric’s cell jingles from my phone in my back pocket, barely heard above the storm.
I let it go to voicemail, feeling an instant punch of guilt for not picking up when he’s so far away. I usually don’t miss a call.
The immediate call back stutters my heart. Even running through the rain, I dig the device out and punch the answer button.
“Hold on, I’m running through a rainstorm and nearly at my car.”
Silence greets me from the other end, and I take the lack of sound as an indication of patience. I dig my keys from my pocket as a quiet sniffle reaches me.
“Eric? Are you there?” I raise my voice to be understood above the torrent of rain. Looking down at my clothes, I smile at the soaking wet mess.
Before I can get the door open, a single word stops me dead in my tracks.
“Evie.”
The pure agony laced through my name slices me right open.
26
Rhett
A boom of thunder tightens the coil of tension in my gut. The sizzle of lightning that swiftly follows turns my grip on the door to white-knuckled. I lean half out of the foyer, gazing at the tree line at the end of the driveway as if I can conjure her to appear. A text steals my attention from the vacant concrete.
Law: Cami says she hasn’t spoken to her today.
I lower my phone to my side in a grip so tight I could crack the thing in half. Hours have passed since Evie text me about going for a hike. I left her alone, knowing how peaceful nature can be to tumultuous thoughts. A small part of me hoped she’d take the time alone to sort out what she wants for us. The other was just glad she’d texted me her plans at all after how we left last night.
In an attempt to quiet my own deliberations this morning, I played with Tommy, fed him lunch, and laid him down for a nap. The moment rain started pinging off the roof, I sent out a string of texts. I asked her to come over rather than ride out the storm in her car and promised I wouldn’t beg her to stay after the weather cleared.
Silence greeted me.
Thirty minutes have trickled by since and each minute beyond drags me further into a type of worry I’ve never experienced. I’m one of the lucky ones. Loss hasn’t touched me except in the form of adultery and divorce. This situation and the status of our relationship have me pondering the course of action least likely to overstep. The fear induced at her lack of response makes it impossible to think straight.
A nasty gust of cold air pushes forward, and I step back inside with a clear decision. She might be wanting a bit of peace, but ensuring her safety is my priority. The trail isn’t for beginners. Add in wet rocks and a torrent of rain, and there’s a strong possibility she’s hurt somewhere.
The fifteen-minute wait between asking Law to bring Cami over and their arrival sends my heart into overdrive. My hands ache from the number of times I’ve clenched them. Every rumble of thunder and flash of lightning heightens my apprehension until I’m about to sprint out the damn door. Only the thought of my son fast asleep in his bed holds me back.
The sound of tires approaching propels me out the door, throwing my arms into the sleeves of a water-resistant coat. Law’s truck pulling up the drive doesn’t quiet the static noise bouncing around my skull. An instant disappointment eclipses any hope that maybe she’d arrived after all.
“Tommy’s down for his nap,” I shout to be heard over the rainfall.
