The actual café menu had been switched over to a tone of faded yellows, soft greens, and subtle blues for a softer feel. The font had been designed to be more legible and simpler.
“Aw, Evie babe.” Caleb smiled, looking up. “You designed all of this?”
“I did! And you encouraged me.”
Joey cocked her hip with her hand on the counter and the other on her hip. She sarcastically and spiritedly said, “Thanks, Caleb, for encouraging someone to point out how much I suck at things.”
“Oh, no one need that to be pointed out. They already know how much you suck at things,” he teased.
Together, they placed their orders and went to sit down on the brown sofa and listened to the rain outside the window. Caleb made small talk with the veteran with the guitar and politely asked if he could use it. The two gathered to talk happily while Caleb tuned it. Evie looked over as Mr. Eaton came to sit and she and Caleb scooted over to give him room. As she smiled, she looked over and noticed that Sarah looked unwell. It was like she was hiding her face.
Why, she seemed like she was dying inside of something. And then she got up and left. Evie tried to greet her before she left, but Sarah seemed like she was in a bad mood, and so she refrained.
The whole café lit up when Caleb turned to Evie and sang the song to her, Lady A’s “Need You Now.”
She absolutely blushed, laughing like a lovestruck little girl all over again. She was proud of him. He was singing without needing the whiskey!
And then they left, passed his exit, and carried on to Maple Street.
Evie’s heart radiated happiness. The rain came harder as Caleb slowed down, and Evie enjoyed looking out the window at all of the winter decorations at the end of people’s driveways and even up on their porches.
She felt colorblind to the world of pain and heartache now, but her heart could color all of those sepias and grays with the joy she felt.
They got closer to her house, and she began planning in her quiet mind what food she would cook for him after they made love. She imagined cuddling up on the couch with a banquet of anything she could throw together, or maybe he was gonna drop her off and leave. That didn’t happen either. At that point, even if she never got her Valentine’s date, it wouldn’t matter. Every day was like that with him.
As they walked inside, Evie saw a note wedged into her mums’ pot. She let Caleb go inside, but she picked it up and opened it up. It read…
“I guess I should’ve told you sooner. I’m sorry. I won’t bother you anymore, but I didn’t mean for it to get this far. I guess I should be brave like you and go after what I want and not settle for less than what I deserve. Can we please leave this alone and have you forgive me for what I did? I didn’t mean to ruin your life. You deserve him. You really do. I hope you’re happy, my friend. Love…”
Joshua Jackson.
Evie gasped and felt her head overcome with a crushing sensation. She looked across the road and could barely see Joshua sitting on his porch way up in the drive.
Joshua brought out his phone and texted her, “Are you going to report me to the cops?”
She gasped in shock and wrote back, “It wasyouwho did all of this?”
He wrote back, “Yes. I’m so sorry.”
She swallowed hard and settled down. Joshua would never have done anything like that unless he was inclined to. Something was wrong. She wrote, “It takes a hell of a lot of a man to admit this. No, your secret is safe with me. But why would you do that to me? You almost ruined my life and his.” She ended it with a sad emoji. It really crushed her.
Across the street, Joshua clutched his face. Sarah had cheated on him with Alan Moffet of all people, and no one knew. Sarah didn’t even know that he knew, and when he had found out Caleb was tailing Evie, he was looking for a hot recovery, and she was the best thing he could try to go after. He was hoping he would have gotten to her first, but he didn’t. And he tried to break them apart.
He wrote back to Evie, “I don’t wanna say because as you have said, the talking has gone far enough. I’ll deal with it. Let’s just say I was jealous. Caleb was a tough case that you broke. I hope the best for you and him.”
“Evie!” Caleb called.
“Coming!” she answered. Evie texted, “What happened? Why did you do what you did? Why did you tell Sandy?”
Joshua thought sadly about his wife and his situation. “Like I said, I have my reasons, but I now know what can happen to someone’s life if they gossip too much. I’d rather keep that between my wife and I.”
“Whose car was the black sedan?”
“It was Breanne.”
“Let me guess. You slept with her?”
Joshua frowned in shame on the other end. “Things get nasty in a small town. I’m sorry I got so jealous over Caleb having you. I know none of this probably makes sense, I just wasn’t thinking.”
