Chapter 23
23
Margot
N umb.
Margot’s whole body was numb from her fingertips to her toes. When she’d arrived at Liam’s, she’d almost expected him to fight for her. She’d wanted it, in fact. To have him argue with her and tell her she was wrong to break up with him would have given her something to cling to.
She’d even allowed herself to hope that he would throw himself in the path of her wanting to leave. He could have told her that he was willing to go anywhere she did. That was what men like Liam did in storybooks.
But he hadn’t.
Tears streamed down her face, so much so that her vision blurred, and she had to pull off on the side of the road. She jerked the car into park and pressed her forehead against the top of the steering wheel. All her fantasies about Liam and what he could offer her had been destroyed, and she had no one to blame but herself.
She’d done this.
Margot had been the only one to stand in her own way, and all because she’d let herself fall prey to her own terrible mental state. Quiet tears turned into sobs that racked her whole body. She lost track of time. A handful of cars drove past her, their headlights brightening the interior of the car momentarily.
There was nothing more she could do at this point. She’d told Liam what she’d come here for. It had worked out exactly how her father had told her it would. He’d been right from the beginning not to date Liam. A voice in her head told her she should be happy. If she really cared for Liam, then she was doing the right thing.
Now he wouldn’t be dragged into a life that he shouldn’t have to put up with.
Eventually, the tears stopped falling. The numbness reached her head, giving a strange sort of relief rather than the headache that had threatened to overcome her. She sat up and stared out into the darkness.
Right about now, her father would be waiting for her to return. It was a surprise he hadn’t called or messaged to check in. What would he do if she chose not to return home? That was a path she hadn’t considered.
What did he know anyway? He’d strong-armed her into all of this.
The only power he had was to kick her out of her home. But what if she didn’t return?
She wiped at her face, her thoughts whirling. Margot didn’t have to do what he said. All she had to do was find somewhere else to live—perhaps another job. She’d get better on her own, and then she’d prove to all of them that she was more than capable.
Margot sat up straighter. There was only one problem. She couldn’t think of a single place she could stay for the night except one. And the thought of returning to the Keagan ranch set her teeth on edge. If she did go back, she wouldn’t be able to let anyone see her. She’d have to keep quiet and hide her car.
The phone on the seat beside her lit up, and she frowned. That was another issue she’d have to take care of. Her father wouldn’t be against calling the phone company to have her tracked. Knowing him, he’d tell everyone that her mental state was at risk and she needed medical attention.
But Margot hadn’t hit that point. Not yet. Her father had only managed to convince her of it because she was worn out. She tightened her hands on the steering wheel. First, she’d have to find a place to hide her car. That was the first step. Then, she could sneak into Prada’s stall and stay there during the night. If she left before sunup, then she could make the rest of her plans.
With the car parked a good half mile down the road from the Keagans’ property and tucked away in a grove of trees and shrubs, Margot made her trek to the barn where her horse was being kept. The property was quiet but not completely dead. Critters scurried out from under bushes. Nervous birds took flight. Crickets serenaded one another.
With each step Margot took, she expected to grow more confident in her decisions. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. She drew nearer to the barn, and her thoughts immediately returned to the conversations she’d had with the two men in her life who cared for her.
Liam hadn’t seemed happy about her decision. He’d definitely been hurt. But he’d also practically pushed her to leave him. He didn’t love her. If he had, he wouldn’t have pushed her to do “what made her happy.”
Her irritation over that conversation continued to grow while she stomped through the bushes and pushed aside the grass. Her expectations had built him up so high in her head that she’d thought he actually wanted to be with her.
She’d been an idiot.
Trust was never something she should have given him.
And the worst part? She knew deep down she’d never be able to walk to his door and confront him. There would be no vindication for the loss she felt. She was too much in love with him to be able to do any of that.
By the time she reached the barn, she was crying again. This time, instead of tears of defeat, they were tears of anger. She’d allowed herself to fall in love with a guy who didn’t love her enough to fight for her.
Under the cover of darkness, Margot slipped into the barn and found her way to Prada’s stall. Her horse wasn’t bothered by her appearance. She shuffled to the side but didn’t make a scene—something Margot was incredibly grateful for.
Margot scooted to the back of the stall and leaned up against the corner. Now that she was here, she wasn’t sure how to proceed. She refused to believe she was in denial. That’s what her father would tell her. The anger had started to fizzle out. Now, she needed a plan.
There were still finals to take next week. All she had to do was stick it out until those were over. Whether she left Copper Creek or stuck around, she’d need to find a job. Who was she kidding? She wouldn’t be able to stay in Copper Creek. Between the threats her father had made and the possibility of coming in contact with Liam again, she needed a plan to leave.
Her eyes closed slowly, blocking out the small amount of light that the windows of the barn offered. She’d figure it out in the morning. She just needed some rest. Everything would seem easier after a good night’s sleep.
Something nudged her foot, and she moaned before rolling over. Once again, her foot got pushed, and someone cleared his throat.
Margot’s eyes flew wide, and she scrambled into a seated position. Her focus darted upward to find Caleb standing over her, his arms folded and a look that could kill. “What are you doing here, Margot?” He had a black eye and a split lip that looked to be on its way to healing. Seeing the evidence of Liam’s fight on Caleb’s face was a shock to her system, though the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. “I asked you a question,” he said gruffly.
She flinched. His voice said it all. He hated her. He’d never really liked her, but he definitely despised her now. Margot attempted to scoot farther away from him, but the wall prevented her from moving. Squirming beneath his stare, she wrapped her arms around her legs and avoided looking at him directly. “I needed a place to sleep.”
“That’s what your bed is for,” he said flatly.
“I can’t go home right now.” Margot flinched when she said those words. She shouldn’t have admitted to it. What if Caleb told Liam? Liam might be willing to let her go off and leave when she was doing well, but he’d step in when she was at her lowest. That much she could count on. And she wasn’t about to be a charity project.
Caleb didn’t move. She stared at his boots in front of her, wondering at what point she needed to dart out of the stall and make a run for it. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he’d go get Liam the first chance he got. Heck, Liam might already be on his way out here.
Her heart leapt into her throat. She couldn’t let Liam see her like this.
Caleb settled down into a seated position in front of her, his gaze still hard. She gasped when he did, startled by his sudden movements. That’s when she noticed Prada wasn’t in the stall.
The blood drained from her face, and she nearly launched to her feet. “Where’s?—”
“I put her out in the corral. Do you realize how dangerous it is to sleep in a stall with a horse? What would you have done if she got spooked in the middle of the night and trampled you?” The edge to his voice stung.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
“Don’t be sorry. Just stop making dumb decisions.”
Her eyes lifted to his. Did he know just how deep those dumb decisions ran? Probably not, or he’d be kicking her to the curb by now. “What do you want?”
“What do I want?” He shook his head and let out a dry chuckle. “So many things.”
“Why are you still here? Why haven’t you called Liam… or my father… or the sheriff?”
Caleb frowned, his jaw tightening. “First of all, I’m not your babysitter. Liam is in a rough place right now. He’s not exactly equipped to handle whatever crisis you’re dealing with.”
She flinched again.
“And somehow, I think I’d be the one to get in trouble if I called the sheriff. So, I’m trying to figure out what to do with you.”
A flickering of hope filled her chest but, just as quickly, was snuffed out at his next words.
“You’re sick, aren’t you?” By the way he said it, there was no pretending he meant that she had caught a bug. He meant it exactly how it sounded. She was dealing with a mental illness.
Margot looked away.
“Why do I get the feeling that you were on your way to get some help, but you got cold feet?”
“I don’t need help,” she muttered.
Caleb laughed again, but this time it was sadder. “Sweetheart, you’ve hit a wall. Even I can see that. I don’t know what’s going on, and you don’t have to tell me. But if you care about anyone but yourself, you’re going to get that help you need.”
Her eyes cut to meet his, full of fury. “How is my getting help going to show that I care about anyone else? It’s my life. I can do what I want with it.”
“I knew you were selfish. I just didn’t think you were this dumb, too.”
Margot’s mouth fell open. His words stung more than she’d been prepared for.
“Look, there are people who care about you, and Liam is one of them. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to you—even if it wasn’t his fault. I care about him enough not to get him involved. So that’s what I’m doing here. If, by some miracle, you can look outside yourself and realize that what you’re doing is going to affect a lot of people—hurt a lot of people—then maybe you have a chance to redeem yourself. It takes a strong person to admit when they’re wrong. The question is, are you that person?”
She hated Caleb for the words he’d spoken. But she hated even more that he was right. This wasn’t about her. For Caleb, this was about protecting his brother. And she was the thing Liam needed protection from.
Margot hung her head. Her car was a half mile away and she was too tired to walk there. “Do you think you could take me home?” When she peeked at him, he gave her a sharp nod. That was it then. She’d relinquished the last card she had left to play.