He doesn’t pry.
He simply trusts that I’ve made the right decisionfor me, despite everything. That’s what best friends do; they hold space for you when you need it the most.They believe in you.
I inhale, shuffling on the couch slightly when I shiver. “I found out who hurt me, Cay. The men who kidnapped me…”
The line turns deathly quiet. I pull the phone away from my ear to check that we are still connected.
We are.
“Do you want me to call your brother? I know he doesn’t know what happened to you, but I think it might be time. He can help–”
I cut him off. “He knows.”
“He knows?” He repeats my words, and I find myself reaching for my tea again, taking a sip when my throat turns dry.
“Yep, and it’s finally over.” I pause, shoving away the tear that rolls down my cheek and clearing the barbs from my throat. “It’s all finally over.”
He doesn’t ask any more questions.
And it’s not until I hear the creak of the large doors that I spin around to look over my shoulder. Tyler is moving toward me, a dark hoodie thrown over his body, black jeans at his waist. I turn away and whisper into the phone, “Hey, I’ve gotta go.”
Caleb clears his throat, then says, “Take your time, Cherry, okay? I’ve got the club. Cleo and Violet have the stage. Everything is cool. Just take all the time you need.”
Tyler steps up onto the patio and pinches my shoulder, goosebumps coasting over my skin. He walks in front of me and falls into the seat beside me.
I say my words to Caleb as I keep my eyes locked on Ty, “I appreciate you, you know that, right?”
Caleb laughs, and Ty drops his head between his shoulders.
“It’s entirely mutual. I’ll talk to you soon.”
The line goes quiet, and I pull the phone away from my ear, throwing it onto the glass table in front of me.
“Who was that?” Tyler asks, his voice croaky before he takes a sip from the water bottle in his hand.
I rest the soles of my feet on the cushion beneath my ass and hug my legs to my chest. Pressing my cheek to my knees, I turn to look at him from behind my arm, then I smile. “You haven’t changed a bit.” Licking my lips, I remove my cheek from my knees and place it on top of my arm. “It was Caleb.”
His dark eyes are as inky as a midnight sky, his hair much the same as it hangs down his forehead and over the top of his eyebrows.
“You’re pretty close with him, huh?” he asks, taking another sip from the bottle and clenching his jaw.
He’s a little jealous. I can see it, even though he tries to hide it. I just know my best friend too well.
“Yeah, I am,” I reply.
He diverts his eyes away from me, back toward the house, though I keep mine trained on him.
“I didn’t like it at first,” he states.
“Of course you didn’t.” I smile wider, reaching out and shoving his arm.
We both laugh, and he grabs my wrists, wrenching me right into him.
I cuddle into his waist, resting my head on his chest. He exhales heavily, and I move with him when he wraps himself around me tighter and places a kiss to the top of my head.I missed him so much.
“It’s finally over, huh?” he whispers, and I pull back, sitting up straighter, wondering how much he knows and what Harlen may have told him.
I look away, grasping the pillow to my side and hugging it to my stomach. My crossed legs flutter nervously.
