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“Umm… is everything okay?”
“I’m fine. What do you want?” I snap, wanting to be alone so I can process my conversation with my mother.
“I thought we were being nice to each other now?” He raises his hands in surrender.
“Who said that? I know it wasn’t me.”
“Touché…” His voice trails off. “Dolores told me to come talk to you about something.”
I have a feeling I know exactly where this is going. I’m sure everyone in town knows that Finn is back in town, but the last thing I want to do is talk about it. Especially with Campbell. It’s awkward and, frankly, no one’s business.
“Not you, too.” I groan, wanting the ground to open and swallow me whole. “I know he’s back in town, and no, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“What? I mean, I’m glad Finn has come back safely, but Dolores told me to ask you about the girl who works at the bakery on Main.” My eyes snap to him, widening in surprise. “She seems like she hates me for some reason, and I’d remember if I met someone likeherbefore.”
I gasp loudly before slapping my hand over my mouth.This can’t be happening. Can it?This has to be an episode fromThe Twilight Zone. There is no way that Campbell has a thing for my best friend. I mean, there’s nothing inherently wrong with Campbell as a human being, but Peyton hates his guts on principle. Campbell broke my heart. End of story. She won’t give a shit that we have a tentative truce or that he apologized for what happened all those years ago.
“Peyton Atkins.”
“Anything else you want to tell me?” He raises his eyebrow in question.
“She’s my best friend, and you’re on your own. Good Luck with that.” I giggle softly, knowing that Campbell has his work cut out for him with this one.
“Ah, it makes sense now.” He shakes his head slightly before dropping down in the chair in front of my desk. “Are you going to church this morning?”
“Like I have a choice.” We both chuckle softly before falling into an awkward silence.
Campbell stares at me for a few moments, his head tilted to the side as if he’s trying to solve a math equation. “So, you’re okay with me dating your best friend?”
“Oh, you’re that sure of yourself, are you?” I lean back in my chair, not once taking my eyes off him. “Shift change is in about an hour. You can have your first shot at talking to her when we pick up the donuts for Sunday school.”
Campbell doesn’t say a word but nods his head before pushing to his feet and striding out the door, pulling it shut behind him just as my cell phone rings on my desk.
“Speak of the devil,” I grumble to myself as I check the screen and see Peyton’s name.
“My mom already called and told me. No, I have no idea what the fuck I’m going to do,” I say without waiting for her to say hello. I know… manners and all, but I don’t want to be having this conversation in the first place. I might as well get it over with as quickly as possible.
“You’re going to go to church service today with your head held high and make him regret the day he broke your heart.”
I moped around for days after I discovered Finn had gone back to Texas. Thankfully, Colt had given me a week of vacation, so I was able to wallow in my sadness. After two days of ignoring her phone calls, Peyton broke into my apartment, demanding answers. After making sure I got my spare key back, I told her everything. Being my best friend, she knew part of what happened, but I always kept back Finn’s name, not wanting to deal with the sympathetic looks and phone calls that I knew would come whenever he came back to town. And I was right.
“I’m fine, Peyway. Really, I am.”
“No, you aren’t,” she deadpans. “If I didn’t know I had a rush of people on their way here before service, I’d be on my way to you.”
“You don’t need to do that,” I whisper.
Even I can hear the quiver in my voice, so I can guarantee she can. I’m terrified that everyone knows about what happened by now, and the moment I walk into church service, everyone will be staring at me, ready to watch me crumble for the second time in my life. I know it’s irrational to feel this way, but that does make me want to make an excuse and not go to service at all, but then he wins. Magnolia is my home just as much as his.
“Yes, I do,” she chastises me. “I mean, you could always ask Campbell to pretend to be your boyfriend. Nothing like the thought of you back with your ex to have him begging on his knees.”
“That’s not gonna happen. Besides, he seems to have set his sights on someone else.” I giggle softly, wanting to tell her all about his and my conversation from a few minutes ago, but I refrain.
“I wonder who the unlucky victim is.”
“Hmmm…” I respond, not really answering her question.
There are exactly two things that Peyton will never tolerate. Cheaters and lying. She can’t stand it. There is no way in hell I’m going to lie to her about who he has his sights on. It won’t end well for me.
