Page 49 of The Damaged Hearts Bargain

The sex had been great, Cal put that to one side immediately. There was nothing wrong with their physical connection. If she closed her eyes she could be back in Lucy’s bedroom in a second, back in those few hours of beautiful perfectness. She should be feeling great, she did feel great, except for that underlying suspicion that the other shoe would drop at any second.

“Someone someone?” Syd asked. “Or just someone for now.”

“Someone for now,” said Cal without thinking about it.

“Huh.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” said Syd. “Except you sound… different. Lighter maybe. I don’t know. But I suppose if your normal six week rule applies then, well, you know what you’re doing, right?”

“I always know what I’m doing. Be honest, communicate well, leave things better than I found them.”

“Right,” Syd said. “So despite sounding like you’ve just won the lottery, or what I imagine a terrifically grumpy person winning the lottery sounds like, you’re going to be a-okay leaving this woman and going back to your old life?”

“Perfectly fine,” Cal said, going back to looking at the ocean. “You don’t need to worry about me.” Waves were creeping higher up the beach.

“So you say,” said Syd. “Well, you’re still in the land of the living. I’ll phone tomorrow or the next day.”

“No need,” Cal said, but Syd had already hung up.

Cal shoved her phone back in her pocket. There was no point philosophizing about things. Decisions had been made, fun had been had, and Lucy knew the rules just as well as she did. Besides, they were both leaving town.

But, as she walked back to the pub to change her clothes, a little piece of her soul wanted to be lying in Lucy’s sunny, warm bedroom. And a little piece of her heart wanted to hold Lucy in her arms.

“YOU LOOK LIKE the cat that got the cream,” Rosalee said, standing over Cal with her hands on her hips and a curious look on her face.

“Do I?” Cal asked, putting her beer glass down on the table in front of her.

People were dancing, the disco lights were glittering in styled hair, the wedding cake was looming over the buffet table, and Cal’s feet ached from salsa-ing.

With a huff, Rosalee sank down into the chair next to her. “Where is she then?”

“Who?” asked Cal.

“Your lady love.”

Cal turned to her, not sure what to say, and Rosalee laughed, actually laughed.

“You’re not as discreet as you might think. Besides, I’m a barmaid, I’ve seen enough love-lorn customers to know what’s going on with the two of you.”

“I’m not love-lorn,” Cal said.

“Are you not?” asked Rosalee. “Because you’ve not left her side all night, you can’t take your eyes off her, and she looks like you’ve cast some sort of magic spell on her.” She sniffed. “Not that it’s any of my business, I suppose.”

“She went to the toilet,” said Cal. “And no, it’s not any of yourbusiness.”

Rosalee sighed. “What are you doing here, Cal?”

“Cleaning out my mum’s house.”

“Not what I meant. You know what people think about you, and yet you’re here messing around with a girl that we’ve all come to know and like. It can’t last.”

“I wasn’t planning on it lasting?”

“So you’re just going to run away. Like last time?” asked Rosalee.

“Jesus, I can’t win, can I?” Cal said, blowing out a breath. “Everyone hates me and I should go back where I come from, but also I should stay and marry a Tetherington girl because otherwise I’ll break her heart.”

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