Page 80 of Call It Home

“Everything fell into place a couple of days ago. I didn’t want to upset you needlessly before then.”

“Because keeping secrets is so much better,” I spat, my words dripping with bitter sarcasm.

“Cam, please don’t act like this.”

“Act like what? Like you’ve betrayed me? Act like the fool I obviously am?”

“You’re not a fool! Goddamn it, just listen for a minute. I’ve known about the property for a while now, but I didn’t want to think about leaving you. I figured it didn’t matter anyway because I didn’t have the money…”

He averted his eyes, and I knew he regretted saying the words the moment they fell from his traitorous lips, but it was too late to take them back. “And now you do? How? Where did it come from?”

“I got a phone call from Jared Carson last weekend.” He swallowed harder than usual. “He paid me for the dining room table design. He wants to replicate the pattern in some other places.”

My mouth dropped open. Any other time, I’d be celebrating that with him. But now, it was just another layer of betrayal. “How could you not tell me? All this time, I thought we were building something special—”

“We were, damn it! We are!”

“No. No, we aren’t. Because ‘special’ doesn’t keep these kinds of secrets. It doesn’t have an end date in mind.” I threw my head back and closed my eyes. “God, I’m such a fool. I should have seen it.” I let my head fall forward and held my arms out as I whirled around his small space. “It’s been right in front of me all this time. I just thought you were a minimalist. But this is a shelter, not a home. Everything about it screams temporary. Easy to pack.” I turned back to face him. “And you never wanted anyone to know. Now I know why.”

“Cam. Nothing is happening yet. We still have time. The land isn’t going anywhere.”

I heard the note of desperation in his voice. At least we were back to my shortened name.

I held up my hand. “I think it’s better if we take some time apart.” I laughed a little, but it sounded hollow. “I mean, that’s where this is headed anyway, right? Isn’t space what you always want?”

“What Iwant?” He practically shouted, his voice ringing in my ears. “Is that what you think?”

“What else can I think?” I hurled back. My chest tightened with the weight of his betrayal. I threw my hands up in the air. “Oh, my god. You tried to warn me this wouldn’t work, and I wouldn’t listen. You’re right. This is on me. At least tell me what is so important that you would choose to leave everything here to run back to Virginia?”

“My brother. For five years, I’ve had a plan to create a home for Trey. For when he gets out of prison.”

His words were like a bomb, detonating around us and obliterating my anger with it. I wanted to scream, to lash out at him for putting me through all this pain and heartache. But all I could do was stand there, staring at him with hurt-filled eyes, as the reality of the situation sank in. Our time together was over. I didn’t know why the pull to his brother was so strong, but it was strong enough to make him give up on us.

Or did I not understand it on some level? There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for my family. I’d want to hurt anyone who came between me and Chase, or me and Bristol.

“You mean for you and Trey, right?”

He grabbed my hands and pulled me to him. I tried to resist, but I couldn’t help myself. I sank into his strength, his warmth. Probably for the last time. “I have to be there for him. Please tell me you understand. My brother needs me.”

I pulled away. “I get it, Mac. I really do. But that pain won’t get any better if we drag this out. I don’t want that for either of us. Better to have a clean break now than to drag it out.”

He was shaking his head, his eyes the shade of green before a violent storm hit. “Cam,” he rasped, “please tell me you know this is hard for me, too. I never thought I’d feel this way about anyone. I’m not sure what falling in love feels like, but if it’s like the pain I feel right now about the thought of leaving you, then I love you, Cam. Please believe me.”

I blinked back tears. “I do understand, Mac. It’s why I would never ask you to choose differently.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. What did I think he would say? That he changed his mind? That he could see his way more clearly, and I was more important, after all? I ached with the need to go to him, to hug him and hold him and not let him go. The words were on my tongue to beg him to find a way to fix this, to change his mind.

But I did neither.

The silence in the room felt suffocating.

No matter what he chose, he was in a lose-lose situation. And I wasn’t going to make it harder on him.

Quietly, I scooped up my purse and left, closing the door to his cabin—and us.

Chapter32

Mac

---