Page 79 of Take My Heart
‘Cam, I’m sorry about the wedding. I know you’re angry, but there are things we need to discuss and we can’t do that if all you’re going to do is yell at me.’
‘There’s nothing to discuss. You’re going to get your shit out of my apartment and you’re going to get my car out of wherever the fuck you left it and pay to have it restored to its original condition. When I’m back in Chicago, it better be parked in itsspot in the heated garage with the cover on. And if I see even the tiniest scratch, I’ll be taking it to the dealership to be repaired and sending you the bill.’
I wonder who told him about the car. It had to have been my parents. Nobody else knows.
‘I’m sorry about the car. It was an accident. The roads were really slick and it was snowing so hard I couldn’t see.’
‘If you hadn’t left the wedding, it never would’ve happened. Where the hell is it? Where’d you leave it?’
‘It’s in a ditch off the highway.’
‘I already know that,’ he snaps. ‘What I’m asking is where is it? What town?’
‘Haydon Falls. But it’s outside of town, like ten minutes away. Why are you asking?’
‘I don’t trust you to get it back to me. I’m going to hire someone to go get it. I’ll send you the bill, along with the bill for the repairs.’
‘Insurance will pay for the repairs.’
‘Not all of it. And you’ll be paying the bill for the towing company I hire to tow it back to Chicago.’
‘When are you doing this? I need to get stuff from the car before you take it.’
‘I’ll make some calls and see when they can get up there.’
I’ve never heard him this angry. It’s no use asking him to call off the lawsuit. He wants to hurt me, and hurt my family, to get back at me for calling off the wedding.
‘Who are you talking to?’ I hear a girl say.
‘Nobody,’ he answers. ‘Go wait in the car.’
‘Who’s that?’ I ask.
‘A woman who works with me. We need to leave for ameeting. I’ll deal with the car. You get your shit out of my apartment.’
‘When are you coming back to Chicago?’
‘I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. I want your shit out of my place by the end of the week.’
‘I can’t do it that fast. I’m not there, and I can’t get back there without a car.’
‘Then have your parents do it. I don’t give a shit how it gets done. Just have everything gone by this weekend or whatever you have there is being tossed. A guy’s coming on Monday to change the locks.’
‘Cam, I know you’re trying to punish me, but can’t you just give me a little more time?’
He doesn’t answer. I check the phone and see he ended the call.
Setting my phone down, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. It does nothing to help me relax. I need to do something. When I’m upset, keeping busy is how I calm down. I look around Brody’s house, noticing how messy it is with clothes on the floor and dirty dishes in the sink. He wouldn’t care if I cleaned, would he? He’d probably be happy about it.
I get to work, picking up the mess, doing dishes, dusting and vacuuming. It sounds strange, but I’ve always found cleaning to be relaxing. I’m the same way with organizing, so when I’m done cleaning I organize the fridge and kitchen cabinets.
I’m finishing up when Brody calls. I feel a rush of excitement seeing his name on my phone. All day I’ve been telling myself that last night meant nothing, that it was just sex, but if I’m being honest with myself, I think I’m having feelings for Brody. I was feeling this way even before the sex, butspending the night with him, in his arms, in his bed, made those feelings even stronger.
‘Hey, Brody,’ I answer.
‘Hey, how’s it going?’
‘Good. How about you? Are you getting a lot done?’
