Page 75 of The Damaged Hearts Bargain

“Hello?” she said tentatively.

“I swear, if I didn’t know better, I’d think that the whole town was falling apart without me there. It’s sort of flattering, really,” Pen said in a crackling voice from the other side of the world.

“Pen?” Lucy said, collapsing back into her deckchair.

“I know, I know. But Billy told George and George told me and I can’t leave you sitting there all sad by yourself,” said Pen.

“George told you?” Lucy asked. “He’s forbidden all of us from any contact with you whatsoever, says you need privacy on your honeymoon.”

“Well, he’s been texting twice a day,” Pen laughed.

Lucy relaxed a little. “It’s good to hear your voice.”

“I wouldn’t let you do this alone, Lucy, you know that. Now, George has given me all the dirty details, whispered in secret by Billy over the phone when I assume he was making you hot, sweet tea because he’s English. And I don’t have all the time in the world, so let’s get down to business.”

“Right,” Lucy said.

“You’re sad and hurt and all the rest of it,” Pen said. “I need you to be honest now. Is there even a little bit of relief that this is over?”

“Not a shred,” Lucy said immediately.

“And I assume Billy has covered the ‘every relationship ends’ speech?”

“He has.”

“Alright, then I’m here to tell you that you’re a big, brave girl and nobody does things without your consent. If this is not an ending for you, then you should act on that.”

“What? I need to chase her down at the airport, that sort of thing?” asked Lucy, confused.

“Is she going to the airport?” asked Pen, more confused. “Where is she going?”

“No, I mean, never mind. What did you mean?”

“I mean that we all make bad decisions for ourselves everyday. Maybe your Cal has made a bad decision for herself. I’m not suggesting that you stalk her. I’m just saying that if it’s within your power to change things to make yourself happy, then youshould do whatever it takes.”

“Right,” Lucy said unsurely.

“If it’s not, it’s not. If this is an ending, then the hurt will fade over time. But we all get to write our own endings, Luce. Just look at me.”

“Right,” Lucy said again.

“And if I don’t go now, Ash is going to be the color of a lobster out there on the beach by herself. Look after yourself, Lucy. I mean that most literally.”

And she was gone.

Chapter Thirty One

Cal put her bag down at the bottom of the stairs and went to the bar.

“You’re off then?” Rosalee said.

“Might as well. The house is mostly empty now. No point in me spending money here and taking up one of your rooms,” Cal said. “Not when I can sleep there for the next couple of nights.”

“Then back off… to wherever it is you came from?”

“Something like that,” Cal said numbly.

It wasn’t that she wanted to hurt herself. It wasn’t like she’d gone into this thinking that she’d end up with a heart so sharp and jagged that it was cutting her from the inside out. Maybe the problem was that she hadn’t gone into this thinking at all.

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