Page 79 of Tattoo My Heart
She stops talking for a moment, allowing me to process what she’s just told me.
“Finding out I was theHolidatesguy just proved that to her,” I conclude correctly.
“Yes,” Carrie agrees with me.
I press a hand to my chest, right over my heart. For the last few weeks, it’s been beating for Evie only. The thought of losing her may throw me into a tailspin of depression that I may never want to get out of.
“I love her,” I declare to our friends. “Not just that,” I make sure to clarify. “I aminlovewith her.”
“Yes!”
Carrie claps her hands together quietly so that she wouldn’t startle the baby.
“There is no way I am letting her go. And she is crazy if she thinks I would just walk away from her or from us. She is mine now.”
“Oh my gosh.” Carrie gasps for air, clutching at James’ arm. “This is so romantic. I love everything about it.”
James watches her carefully.
“I love you, too,” he tells her in a firm tone. “Just so we’re clear.”
Carrie looks at him, completely distracted and frazzled.
“Who said you didn’t love me? I know I have your love.” She leans over and kisses him hard on the lips. “But I want Evie and Cal to have what we have, too.” It’s as if she could read my mind from earlier when I thought exactly that. “They deserve it.”
“I’m going to get her back.” I clap my hands together, a plan forming in my head already. “And you’re going to help me with it.”
TWENTY-FIVE
Not hearingfrom Cal Prentice in days has been hell. He did text me after he walked out of my house on the day when I connected the dots and realized that he was in fact Khail from theHolidatesapp.
I never replied to any of his messages because I was still mad. In hindsight, I realize that I may have exaggerated. My reaction had been over the top.
The only excuse I can offer for my behavior is the fact that Cal had been so damn perfect up until then, I was looking for anything that would show he was the asshole I thought of him as from the time I was a teenager.
I try to block out the fact that I reacted now in the same way I reacted then. At least at the ripe old age of sixteen, being immature came with the territory. I have no excuse for my current state of crazy.
“You seem distracted lately, honey,” Nancy, my lone employee, calls me out on my poor attitude as of late. “Everything okay?”
“Eh,” I shrug and continue working on the arrangement I started two hours ago. I should’ve been done with it by now. It’s not that damn complicated.
Nancy gets right to the heart of things. “Is it Cal?”
“How do you even know about Cal, Nance?” I never asked her about it before.
She pats me on the cheek. “I’ve been around a while, girlie. Besides,” she smiles apologetically. “Bass told me about it.”
“Oh geez, he is such a tattle tale,” I tease.
Enough time has passed since I considered taking Nancy’s nephew to my mother’s party that I almost forgot about him. Now, the reminder of him only serves to bring Cal back into focus.
It seems as if anything and anyone I think of lately is somehow connected to Cal. It is messing with my head. I’ve been trying so hard to come up with a way to apologize to him, but nothing seems to be good enough.
“Did you two have a fight?” Nancy prods.
“Uh, yeah, we did.”
This is the first time I admit to her that me and Cal really are a thing. Or more likewere. We have to get back to the present tense, I decide.
