38. Caleb
Caleb
I recounted the cases of liquor Amanda was sifting through.
It seemed like my liquor distribution sent me four defective cases.
Glass was broken everywhere and alcohol seeped from the boxes.
I ran my fingers through my hair, stressed.
This was the last thing I needed with Valentine’s Day the following week.
“Amanda, can you take pictures of all this?” I asked, going to get a mop.
Just the thought of all the hearts and flowers made my stomach lurch. I had big plans for Valentine’s Day. Plans that went awry in the matter of one afternoon.
Every time I thought back to Grace in her hotel room with that Grant asshole, I wanted to believe that nothing happened.
It looked bad, but all sorts of shit happened.
When I asked Grace point-blank if she slept with him, I wanted to think that I knew what her answer would be.
But I had to ask; there was so much uncertainty lingering around us.
Noelle’s bullies, Grace’s mother, her reputation, and then add my fucking employee googling her.
It all caused a strain, adding to us feeling disconnected from one another.
Not to mention she ran off, not even allowing me a chance to explain.
I thought she was done running. I wanted to believe Grand Haven was enough for her to stay. That Noelle and I were enough.
The look on Grace’s face when she said she did in fact sleep with that asshole will be forever ingrained in my mind. The shame and pure disgust was apparent. Even with all that, I still couldn’t stop loving her. I even felt the need to defend her to Grant when he spoke of her poorly.
But it was done, and I needed to move on and be a parent to my kid. She was the constant in my life. I knew she missed Grace too, but Grace chose her bed and now she had to lie in it.
“Are you doing anything for Valentine’s Day with Grace?” Amanda asked innocently, helping me sweep up the glass on the floor. “I haven’t seen her around here lately.”
Amanda had been blissfully unaware of town drama since cutting ties with Max.
She lived in her own little world and ignored all the chattering surrounding our small town.
Usually, I would be thankful to have one person who wasn’t a town gossip, but the last thing I wanted was to explain that Grace and I were broken up.
I hired her after Grace left. Nicky had just come back after his sabbatical.
He was going through a lot and didn’t want to talk about why he left town abruptly, only that he had to dial back his hours at the bar.
I needed the extra help. Amanda was saving up to leave Grand Haven and move cross-country so she jumped at the opportunity.
“No,” I said simply. “We aren’t together anymore.”
Amanda went to the garbage to toss out the remaining glass from the broken bottles. “Oh, so that’s true?” She gasped, her eyes becoming wide. “I thought the guys were just jealous of you.”
I shook my head and went to the register. “No jokes.”
I didn’t go into details on how I was the fool.
“CJ, why don’t you call her?” Jena huffed, bagging up my pastries. Noelle loved the cinnamon twist special, so I was planning to surprise her with one when I picked her up from school.
I shook my head. “Jena,” I warned. We had been having this same argument for the past month that Grace and I had been separated.
“It’s not that easy and you know it,” I added, grabbing the bag from her, inhaling the sweet smell of baked goods. Glancing behind me, I stepped to the side so Jena could start to help the other customers.
“It could be.” She shrugged before giving me a pointed look. “I liked her, and she loved you.” Jena turned and started working at the espresso machine.
I shouted a goodbye and exited the coffee shop, the bell ringing behind me.
Of course, I wanted to believe it was as easy as a phone call to fix Grace and me, but she slept with someone else. Someone she supposedly hated. Someone who represented everything I hated, everything I wasn’t and would never be.
I wasn’t about to air out my dirty laundry, and even though Grace cheated on me, I still didn’t want to tarnish her name. She already had her name disgraced once. I wasn’t about to do that again in a place she once considered a safe haven.
I opened the brown bag and dug out the croissant.
Just as I started munching on it, my phone rang.
It was Noelle’s school. My stomach dropped and I instantly knew something was wrong.
Ever since the bullying started with Noelle, I was a ball of nerves.
I hated those catty girls who were torturing my kid.
I felt helpless because in this situation I was at a loss of control.
Every time I picked her up from school, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I wasn’t ignorant to the fact that Noelle wasn’t herself lately.
I practically lived at the school, trying to come up with plans with the principal and teachers.
But there was truly only so much I could do.
Especially since the parents were assholes, like their kids.
I had Noelle scheduled to meet a child psychologist next week to come up with coping mechanisms and help her deal with the bullying.
Overwhelmed didn’t even cover how I’d felt lately. Being a single parent was hard. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t. I really thought I’d found a partner, somebody who “got it.”
I answered the phone, not knowing my life would change forever.