Page 72 of Fire Island
A storm brews in the brilliant blue eyes I adore so much.
“Hey,” I whisper.
He pulls me into his arms and drops his head to my belly. I run my hands through his hair, not knowing what to say.
What could I possibly say?
He groans into my stomach. His grip falls to my hips and tightens. I drop into his lap and tilt his face up, forcing his gaze to meet mine. “Listen to me, Callum McCreary. You have done nothing wrong. None of this is your fault. Other people made decisions for you, and they took away your choices and they took away your son. You did not deserve any of this. Promise me you know this.”
His jaw feathers on a groan.
His face twists as silver lines his eyes. Then, on a ragged sob, it breaks, and I fold him into my chest. The only place I have to keep him safe. To try to soothe the hurt and pain tearing at him right now. I know how much he blamed himself for Ava’s death and how badly he wanted to be a father to the child he thought he lost.
This has to be destroying him.
And she stole it all.
Just to, what? Come back and rub it in his face?
Good lord, I want to?—
“Evie?” Em says from the dock. “You guys in there?”
Cal sucks in a breath as he wipes his face dry.
“Yeah, Em. Be out in a minute,” I call back.
“Iris needs you back at the café, only for a minute.”
Urgh.
What more can this sweet man take?
“Be there in a bit,” Cal calls out, standing as he slides his hands behind my neck. I look up into his sorrowful blues. “Come with me?”
“Of course.”
He presses a kiss to my forehead. We take our time wandering back to the café. When we push through the front door, Ava stands with her bag by the counter. The same place she was when Cal first saw her days ago.
She adjusts her bag on her shoulder as she clears her throat. “I wanted to apologize and say goodbye.”
Cal folds his arms. The deadpan stare he gives her is beyond cold. “Go on, then.”
“I—you should know... I never meant to cause you any inconvenience.”
“Inconvenience?” He steps toward her, releasing his arms to his sides. “I thought you weredead, Ava. For twenty fuckingyears. I mourned you. I mourned our son. This entire town turned on me. You destroyed my damn life.”
“Yes, well, I?—”
“You should probably wrap it up.” Emmett gives her a pointed look.
“I’m sorry I lied to you. I regret a lot of things that happened between us.”
Cal shakes his head. “Does he know?”
“Pardon?” Ava frowns.
“Does Reese know anything about me?”
