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Opening the text, I hoped he wasn’t about to tell me he was coming home today and I had to pack up and go already.
You have plans on Thanksgiving.
That was all it said.I looked up and scanned the room.Had he heard my conversation on that camera of his?The phone dinged again.
Look to the left of the chandelier in the far corner.
I did as he’d said, and the phone dinged again.I dropped my gaze back to his text.
That’s it.
I picked up the phone and texted.
Thanks.I can now tape a piece of foil over it.
Grinning, I pressed Send, then looked up at the far corner and smirked.
That’s just one of them, Oakley, and foil doesn’t mute the sound.
I scowled at the camera before replying.
Whatever.I’m on the phone, but you know that.Are you saying you won’t be home on Thanksgiving?
I waited while the dots popped up to show that he was texting.
I will, but I won’t make it until right before lunch.Plans have changed.I need you to take Sarah to my mom’s.My mom will force you to stay and eat.If you don’t stay, she will blame me, and she won’t feed me, and I want my mom’s turkey dressing and pecan pie.
I reread that three times.He was telling me that he wanted me at his mother’s for Thanksgiving.I hadn’t misread that.
Okay, I can do that.
I hadn’t known what else to say to him.It had taken me off guard.
What are you making for breakfast?
I glanced up at the corner, unable not to, knowing he was watching me.I started to just tell him since he could hear me, then remembered that Hamilton was still on the phone.
I pressed Mute, then said to the camera, “Turkey-shaped pancakes.”
“I’ll have to check back in a bit and see those.”His voice came over the kitchen speakers, causing me to jump.Then, he laughed.
“You can talk through the thing too?”I asked, still staring at the tiny camera.
“Yes.I’ll call Sarah later.Make sure she has her phone with her today.”
“Will do,” I replied.
When he said nothing more, I unmuted my phone, then put it back on speaker.“Sorry about that.Didn’t mean to be gone so long.”
“No worries.So, about Thanksgiving?”he said.
I chewed on my destroyed thumbnail for a moment and almost looked at the camera.“I have to stay here through lunch.But I might be free that night.Depends on when I leave.It’s a five-hour drive after.”
I didn’t want to be free.I didn’t want to go see Hamilton.I wanted to be with Wilder and Sarah all day.Admitting that sucked.More than likely, I would go home, depressed.Drink a bottle of wine and watch Christmas movies, alone.
The moment with Wilder in the kitchen had stayed with me all of that day, making me question things.
But the next three days, there was no more talking over the speaker or texting me.All contact he made was with Sarah.What I had thought might mean he wanted me around hadn’t been that at all.He really had just asked me to stay for his mother’s sake.It’d had nothing to do with him wanting me there.
