16. Eloise
16
ELOISE
“ H ello,” I answer my phone as I settle next to the fire in the cabin.
“When you didn’t show up to my game tonight, I at least expected to come home and find you in my bed,” Cal says, sounding none too thrilled that it’s almost midnight and I’m not home.
“Well…” I draw out apprehensively, knowing he’s about to get upset.
“Eloise.” Annoyance picks up in his tone at the precariousness he hears in mine. “You better be on your way back to me.”
“About that… you see, Dash got a flat tire earlier, and there was no spare. So I came to pick him up. We were going to come back to the house when he started telling me about the location he was trying to shoot. The next thing we knew, it was late and too dark for us to find the trail back down from our hike.”
“You’re stuck on the side of a mountain. I’ll fucking kill him. Why didn’t you call me? I’ll send a search party.”
“No, no, no. I’m fine. We’re fine. We found this old boarded-up hunting cabin. We have a fire and granola bars. As soon as it’s light out, we’ll walk back down. Oh, and I have your truck.”
“I don’t give a shit about my truck. I told you it was yours while you were here, but I do care that you’re not here. Where are you? You realize I’m not going to sleep at all tonight?—”
“I know. I’m sorry. I thought we’d be back.”
“Drop me a pin of your location.”
“Cal, it’s late. You’re not going to come and get me. You have a game tomorrow.”
“It wasn’t a question. I need to know exactly where you are. You’re out in the dead of night in the Canadian wilderness. What if something happens? Tell me, Eloise, how many bars of service do you have, or better yet, is your phone charged?”
The door opens, and Dash walks in with more wood to light the fire. “You’d be surprised. Dash is actually really prepared for situations like this. He had a battery pack and cell booster in his hiking bag.”
“So what you’re saying is he planned on getting stranded in the woods with my girl.” When I don’t give him words, instead choosing to silently roll my eyes, he demands, “Location now.”
I pull my phone away from my ear and drop him a pin, and Dash calls out, “We’re fine, big boy. I’ll have her back in the morning.”
“You should have it now.”
“You’re four hours away!” There’s a long silence before he says, “You were never planning on coming to my game, were you?”
“Yes, I was. Dash was only an hour away. I was going to bring him back to the house and come, but he needed these shots. He’s new at work and?—”
“And your mother got him the job. He has a job regardless of the shots. I thought after this morning and everything that happened, the one place you’d want to be is here. I thought for once maybe I’d be a priority.”
“Cal, that’s not true. You know I care.”
“Do I? As I recall, I’m the one who’s been chasing you. I’ve been chasing you since the day I met you. I don’t remember a day where I can say you’ve done the same.”
“Cal—”
“I gotta go.” He cuts the call before I can give him any more words.
“Trouble in paradise?” Dash says as I stare at my phone, stunned that he just hung up on me.
“I’m not sure you can even call it that. We haven’t ever reached paradise.” I stuff my phone in my pocket and add, “But yeah, he’s not happy.”
“Does he really believe there’s a chance you and I will hook up, or is it something else?”
“It’s a lot of things, but it’s mostly me right now. I let him down.” I dust the dirt off my ass and aimlessly start picking up things on the old workbench in the cabin. “He had a game tonight, and once again, I was a no-show. In his eyes, I chose you over him.”
A piece of wood pops loudly in the fireplace, and I turn to check where the ember has landed.
Dash’s regretful eyes find mine. “I should have called roadside assistance, but honestly, I thought a can of fix-a-flat would do the job.” He grabs a shovel and scoops up the stray ember, then tosses it into the fire. “I wouldn’t stress about it too much. It’s nothing a solid night of make-up sex can’t solve.”
I shove my hands in my back pockets. “He’s right. I’m an ass. I should have prioritized his game, especially after everything that happened this morning. We haven’t had sex in six damn years, and I left him holding his dick once again when his coach showed up with Blair. I practically pushed him into her arms this time, and for what…” I throw my arms up. “A hunch?” I turn around and kick an old watering can. “I don’t even know who I’m protecting anymore or why… I probably sacrificed my own happiness for a lie,” I say quieter but aloud nonetheless.
“What was that?”
Damn it. “I shouldn’t have said anything. Forget it.” Seriously, Eloise, what did you just do? I squeeze my eyes shut and bite the skin on the edge of my nail bed.
“No, Lou, I won’t.” He blows out a long, exasperated breath. “I mean, that was a lot of overshare. When we talked about everything that went down on the ride up here, you left out the part about what was happening before they showed up. That is definitely playing into his emotions right now. I mean, six years…” He starts to stumble over his words, suddenly uncomfortable. “Listen.” He tosses another log into the fire. “Look around. We have time and like it or not, you said something you can’t just take back.”
I stay quiet as I consider his offer. I said if anyone deserved my truth, it was Cal. I also promised him no more hiding; maybe this is how I get to a place where I can tell Cal that his father not only didn’t want me to have our son, but he threatened me and my family.
Dash pulls up an old footstool beside the fire and takes a seat. “I’ll start because on our hike, it was on my mind, and given the truth bomb you just let slip, I’m going to go out on a limb and assume the two issues you’ve brought up today, i.e., your past with Blair, and the secrets you just mentioned, aren’t unrelated. So here’s my hot take. Obviously, I don’t know Blair. What you’ve shared about her could be spot-on, and she’s just a spiteful bitch carrying on a tradition of hate for a vendetta she doesn’t understand, or she’s trying to get answers too.”
I flip over a bucket, set it across from him, and sit to warm my fingers. “I’ve considered that.” It’s possible, like me, she was given an ultimatum.
“People will turn into someone they’re not and blindly hurt others in search of the truth.”
I can’t help but notice the faraway look in his eye as he pokes the fire. “Why does it sound like you’re speaking from experience?”
He shrugs. “Because I am.”
I’m quiet as I wait for him to say more. The Dash I’ve known since I started visiting Copper Falls in the summers when I was young is a free spirit. He’s a master at keeping things lighthearted and putting a smile on your face. It’s rare to catch him like this, and because of that, I wait. That’s what a friend does.
“I’m adopted.”
My eyes widen in surprise. I feel like that’s something I would have known after all these years, but I suppose there’s a good reason I don’t.
“Bates and Pippa are as well. Our parents were never able to conceive naturally, and they couldn’t afford IVF. I knew from a young age that I was adopted after overhearing my parents talk about it on the back porch one evening after they thought we had all gone to bed.”
“I’m sorry, Dash. That must have been hard to hear.”
He shakes his head. “Surprisingly, it wasn’t, or maybe I was too young to understand it. But you know my parents. I haven’t met a person who doesn’t love them. I was never treated like anything but theirs, and neither were my siblings. My sister, or adoptive sister, found out at a young age, too. That one I felt bad about. I had an assignment in fifth grade where we had to put together an ancestry tree of where our grandparents came from. I had been staring at the assignment for a while, getting angrier by the second because I couldn’t answer any of the questions without lying, but worse, I realized then that I didn’t know who I was. When my mother asked me what was wrong. I lost it and said, ‘Because I know you’re not my real mom.’ I’ll never forget the sadness I saw on her face, and I twisted the knife and said I know you can’t have kids. None of us are yours. At that moment, Pippa peeked her head out from behind the couch. I didn’t know she was there.” His brown eyes find mine. “To this day, I regret those words. I couldn’t even tell you why I said them, but you know what kills me inside? She didn’t get mad at me. Instead, she got out of her chair, came around the table, wrapped me in the biggest hug, and said, ‘We may not share the same blood, but blood doesn’t make you my son. Love does, and there hasn’t been a day since I’ve had you that I haven’t loved you with my whole heart.’”
“Your mother truly has a beautiful soul. What happened with Pippa? Is that why you don’t discuss it? Did she not handle it well?”
“No, Pippa handled it fine. She cried a little but only because she wanted our adoptive mom to be her real mom. I know it doesn’t make sense, but I think in her mind, she thought our mom would love her less, as if knowing the truth would change things.” He shakes his head at the idea. “There are two reasons we don’t talk about it, the main one being we don’t want to hurt our mom, and acknowledging that we aren’t blood has always felt like an invisible divide, but the other was Bates. We kept it from him because we knew he wouldn’t handle it well, and the older he got, the worse things got.” Dash grabs the poker and stirs the fire.
“Worse, how? Isn’t he running your business while you’re away? I thought you guys were close.”
“It’s in the past now, but he saw something he shouldn’t have when we were in high school, and it almost tore our family apart.”
He grabs his backpack, and I think back to the summer I spent in Copper Falls while I was pregnant with Adler. Pippa went away for college, and I didn’t see much of Dash, and when I did, he wasn’t himself. Looking back, I thought maybe it was all in my head, my hormones morphing reality, but hearing this story makes me think whatever happened—happened around that time, and now that I think about it, Pippa hasn’t been home to visit in the past two years.
“Water?” He offers me the hydration pack from the backpack.
“Sure.” I take the pack.
“By the way, I thought you should know I texted Roe about that picture of Callum and Blair that was leaked to the press during our drive-up.”
“Really? What did he say?”
I’m sure Cal is doing his own investigating on that front, but when I left this morning, we were still looking for answers.
“Not yet.” He shrugs. “But they had a game tonight. I think he’ll get back to me when he knows something. I think he knows who leaked the picture, but he’s waiting for his proof to come through. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who’d flippantly say things if he wasn’t one hundred percent sure, especially given the stakes. I mean, come on. The team knows that picture is bullshit. While you’ve only met a few of Cal’s teammates, I know there’s zero chance anyone on the team is buying that photo. No one, including the Kings’ owner, has thought this through. I saw red when that picture came across my screen. I knew immediately Cal wouldn’t have signed off on that. You may be on the fence about his intent, but as a guy, I can assure you that man has it bad. All it takes is one look at him when you’re in the room, and it’s as clear as day. You are the center of his universe.”
I pass the pack back to him. I’m not oblivious. I know the way he looks at me, but somewhere along the line, I convinced myself it was an act because the alternative was a reality I couldn’t have. Dash takes a drink before adding, “I’m an outsider. No one here knows me. I’ve never met this Blair chick, and I have no leg in this game, making me the perfect unsuspecting spy. Let me help, Lou.”
I rub my hands down my jean-clad thighs and pull in a deep breath. I’m so tired of protecting something I know nothing about, and as more time passes, it’s really starting to feel like there was never anything to protect.
“You don’t have to say anything now. Just think about it.”
I nod as I stare at the fire and watch it sizzle and pop as it sparks to life. Dash shared something deeply personal with me, revelations his family holds close. If he can share something so close to his heart with me, why can’t I bare all my truths to the man I’m determined to spend the rest of my life with? I said I wanted more time, but I’m realizing now that was yet another excuse. I need to tell him the truth and make amends before the chance is lost. Tomorrows aren’t guaranteed, and I’ve waited long enough to reach for the future I want with the only man I want to give it to. It’s time to get my man.
“ H ow are you doing?”
“I’m good,” I answer, my breathing somewhat labored.
“Are you sure?” Dash asks, putting his hands on his hips as he stops a few strides ahead of me. “You’re slowing down.”
I wave my hand. “It’s nothing. My back is a little tight. I’m fine, really.”
I was already still sore from my fall, and because I didn’t plan on making this trip or walking as far as we did, I’m not wearing the right shoes. I’m wearing standard tennis shoes designed for fashion, not athletics, and definitely not hiking. For the most part, we stayed on the trails. Bruce Peninsula is breathtaking. The snow hasn’t been too heavy this year, but there’s ice packed along the shoreline of the lake, and in the shaded areas along the trail, there’s still snow the sun hasn’t melted. It was truly a sight to see, but last night, we did get flurries, and my toes are starting to go numb as some moisture has seeped on our journey back to the truck.
Dash meets me and drops down in front of me. “Come on, climb on.”
“No, I’m not getting on your back. Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not that much farther, right?”
“It’s not up for debate. I’ve already given Callum enough reasons to be pissed at me. I’m not trying to give him another.” He looks over his shoulder. “And I’ve been told this pretty face would look good in pictures, so I’d really not like to get into a fight.”
I strain my eyes and search the path in front of us, trying to gauge how much farther we have to go. “It can’t be more than a mile, right?”
“Exactly, which is why you’re getting on. I got you in this mess. Let me help you out.”
“Fine,” I relent with an exasperated sigh as I mount his back to climb on.
“Dang, girl, I didn’t realize how heavy you were,” he says the second he stands to his full height with me hoisted on his back.
“Are you serious?” I screech as I snatch his beanie off his head and slap him with it. “Put me down.”
He laughs as he starts walking down the trail. “I’m just kidding. You’re light as a feather like I knew you would be, now put my hat back on. I hate when my ears get cold.”
“That was a terrible joke. If that’s one of your one-liners to pick up women, I’d highly suggest you retire it.”
“I disagree,” he says as I put his beanie back on. “I mean, I picked you up, didn’t I?”
I’m just about to smart back when a mark behind his ear catches my attention. “Did you hit your head on something?” I say, gently rubbing my finger over the spot in question. I move some of his hair to the side for a better look.
“No, I’ve had that mark my whole life.”
“It’s a birthmark?” I question as its shape becomes apparent. “It kind of looks like an upside-down heart.”
“Yeah, that’s what my mom said. I can’t really see it, given its location.”
“Hmm…” I say, tugging his beanie over the mark and his ears.
“Why did you say that? Is it that hideous?”
“No, not at all,” I answer as my brain searches for a connection that’s scratching at the recesses of my mind. Why does his birthmark feel familiar?
“Do you have a birthmark?”
“I do. It’s not a cool, upside-down heart like yours. It’s on my ankle and very faint. If anything, it looks like discolored skin.”
“That sounds repulsive,” he says with a gag.
“Shut up. You’ve seen my bare legs multiple times, and you’ve never once noticed it.”
“You’re right, but I wasn’t looking at you like that. Next time you take your pants off, I’ll be paying close attention,” he teases.
“Hahaha, very funny,” I say before I pinch him hard.
“Ouch!” he says as he readjusts his hold on me.
“Hey, did Roe ever text you back?”
“No, but we still have a four-hour drive home.”
I groan in annoyance. I desperately want a shower.
“Look, we made it. There’s the truck.”
Thank God for small miracles. Now, if only I could keep this good juju pointed in my direction all the way home, that would be something. I could really use a break right now. I’m going to need all the good fortune I can get once we return.