Page 135 of Everything Has Changed
Smooth, Spencer.I know it’s the wrong set of words when the lines between her brows deepen further.
Her eyes skip over my shoulder before returning to mine. “Is it a bad time?”
“Not at all,” I rush out.
“You seem a little flustered. I can come back.” She makes a small move toward her side of the hall. The thought of her walking away right now, especially with that sad expression on her face, has my chest pinching painfully.
I reach out, grasping her hand in mine. Light enough so she can pull away if she wants to, but with just enough pressure to let her know how much it means to be back in her orbit again. Even if only for a moment.
It’s true, because even if it’s a quick conversation, I’ll take whatever time she is willing to give me.
She stares down at our joined hands and I resist the urge to puff my chest out at the slight flush overtaking the apples of her cheeks.
“Do you want to come in?” I ask softly.
Gwen raises her face back up to me, tilting her head with her eyes roaming my face. She must see the eagerness I’m feeling, because shenods her head and moves inside the room as I gently guide her in, shutting the door behind her.
She fidgets with the strap of her bag, standing awkwardly at the island in the kitchen, looking anywhere but me.
“Can I get you something to drink? Wine, water, I can run out and get some ice cream if you want something sweet.”
A smile plays on her lips, though it doesn’t stick around for long. “No, I won’t be here long. I need to tell you something.”
A small part of me has hope that it has something to do with us, something good. I could use goodness right now, especially at the hands of Gwen. I know it’s nothing of the sort as she bites down on her lower lip, reaching into her bag to retrieve a folder.
“What’s this?”
She stares down at the item in her hands for a beat, then squares her shoulders and looks back up at me. The worry in her eyes almost brings me to my knees, and I can’t stand still any longer.
Closing the distance between us, I cradle her cheek with my hand, applying slight pressure to lift her face up.
She leans into my right palm as I brush my thumb over her skin. Later, I’ll obsess over how good it felt to have her back in my reach again, to touch her softness, but right now all I can think is why she was reaching out to me? What could have happened to bring her here with worry etched into her face.
“Baby, what’s wrong? You’re scaring me.”
Gwen’s intake of breath is sharp as a knife, and it fans across my skin on her exhale. Her hand reaches up to mine still holding her, turning her lips into my palm to give it a chaste kiss. The feeling of that featherlight kiss sends my heart into overdrive, only for it to race even more as she removes my hand and takes a small step back. It feels like my heart is trying to jump out of my chest and reach her itself.
Not that it’smyheart anymore anyway. It’s hers and always will be.
“There’s some news about your father that is going to come out tomorrow and I need to tell you before it breaks so you can prepare yourself.” She lifts the item in her hand up, slightly waving it for emphasis. “Actually, it might be best to show you.”
Handing over the folder, she tucks her hands in her jacket pocket when I take it. I flip it open, scanning the first page which shows screenshots of text messages. A quick scan shows it’s clearly two people planning to meet up at a hotel a few towns over. The next page is a bit of the same, only with promises to take care of the other person. There are a few more pages of text messages obviously between lovers, but I stop when I reach copies of bank statements and I’m more confused than ever. Until I see my father’s name on the account right above my mother’s.
“Why do you have my parents’ bank statements? And… Are these their private text messages?” I glance up to Gwen, finding her thumbnail between her teeth. I reach out, gently tugging it free, but she refuses to look up. Her eyes remain glued to the paper in my hand.
“Your mom gave them to me.”
“This doesn’t make sense. Again, why do you have these?”
Taking the front page, she flips it back up for me to see the first texts again. “These aren’t texts your dad sent to your mom. Look at the name.”
It takes a second of staring at the top of the page to register exactly what I was seeing.
Camila.
I reread the texts again with this new development, quickly realizing what was happening.
“My dad and Camila? What? How?” I look at Gwen, who is staring at me with wide eyes. “I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but again, why do you have these?”
