Page 30 of Caleb's Salvation
“Out of desperation. I don’t know if that counts,” I pointed out.
“Or maybe Hope’s Point is growing on us,” Kate said with a smile. “I, for one, happen to like it up here. And you can’t tell me it hasn’t been good for Vivienne. Shelby says Vivienne’s really blossomed since she first got here. Don’t you think so, Cal?”
I looked to where she was sitting. Eating the fried cod Ty had bought her. Food he’d provided for her, when that had been my job for a time.
Yes, she’d fucking blossomed. Yes, she looked less like a waif with a baby in tow and more like a mother who could stand on her own two feet.
And she wasn’t going anywhere. That much was clear. Vivienne and Sam were part of this town. Part of this community now.
She was a grown woman on a date with a man her age and I found myself wanting to flip over the table I was so angry about it.
Was this the sign I’d asked for? Because it wouldn’t be out of character for Sarah to send the one sign she knew would piss me off the most. Just because she thought it was funny when I lost my shit.
I stood abruptly just as Jackson was returning with fish and fries. “I can’t stay.”
This, too, was becoming a thing with me. Running out of Bud’s like a…coward.
Like a fucking coward.
But I wasn’t going to stay here and watch Vivienne on her date.
Jackson put the food down and looked to Kate, who seemed to be holding back a smile. Did she know how this was affecting me? Did all of them?
Had I been kidding myself these past few months, thinking I’d been hiding my reaction to Vivienne?
Well, screw them. Yes, she might have affected me, but I’d stayed true to my vows anyway.
Did I need to, though? Did it matter?
“I’m taking the truck.”
“Yup,” Angel said. “No problem, boss.”
Had they arranged it that way? Was that why Jackson and Kate had come separately? Because they knew what was happening tonight?
Kate surely would. Shelby, too, because she was, no doubt, the one doing the babysitting.
Was this a set up? Was I supposed to see Vivienne like this? With her hair loose around her shoulders, fucking lip gloss on, all for another guy?
Fuck that. I grabbed my coat and headed out of the bar without looking at Vivienne again. Would she notice that I was gone?
Would she care?
I got behind the wheel of my truck and as soon the door was closed behind me, I shouted.
“Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
I pulled away from the bar, but I knew I wasn’t heading to camp. I hated that I knew exactly where I was going, and knew I wasn’t going to change my mind.
* * *
Vivienne
Ty pulled the truck up to my cabin and stopped.
“Thanks for a nice night, Ty,” I said even as I was undoing my seatbelt. Opening the door so he wouldn’t think I was lingering.
“Can I kiss you?”
