59. Callie
CHAPTER 59
CALLIE
A fter they leave, I sob until I finally go numb. My cruel mind keeps replaying every bit of the time I spent with the men, seeing it all through a new and torturous lens.
I remember how I thought they were so kind and helpful to come with me to the wedding, and to participate in everything, even optional activities, like the whiskey tasting. I thought they were doing it for me, but it was all for their own purposes. They were sneaking around behind my back the entire time, and I was just a means to an end.
Marissa and Ana keep me company all day. They make food for me and encourage me to eat, they put funny shows on TV, and when I want to cry, they bring more tissues and let me cry.
“I appreciate you both so much. Thank you.”
“Of course,” Marissa says. “It’s what friends do.”
That triggers more tears, and the two of them stay right by my side as I let out the emotion. When the crying subsides, I say, “I never expected you to be such good friends. I thought we were just roommates.”
“Gee, thanks,” Ana says with teasing sarcasm.
“No, I don’t mean it that way.”
“I know. I’m just joking.”
“It’s just that when I was with my ex, I never thought I’d have roommates again. I thought he and I would be getting married. Then he left, and I needed to find people to help with the rent. He’d cut me off from most of my old friends.”
Ana makes a face. “Sounds like a real prize.”
“How did things go with him at the wedding?” Marissa asks. “I almost forgot about him being there.”
I’d essentially forgotten about him, too. “He was fairly horrible. He cornered me at one point, but Miles appeared and shut him down.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, and Miles said some really nice things about me …” My words trail off as I remember. “I told the men all about my ex. I told them all the things he did to me, things I never told you—though I will, if you want to hear it.”
“That’s up to you, if you feel like talking,” Marissa says gently.
“At the wedding, Max and Miles were there for me. They played the perfect boyfriends. But how could they continue to deceive me when they knew I’d been hurt so badly in the past?”
My friends are quiet for a moment, until Ana says, “Maybe they were in too far by that point? And I’m sure it’s true that there’s a lot they’re not allowed to say.”
“It doesn’t excuse anything they did, Callie, but it was clear today that they care about you. They were hurting. If they didn’t care, they wouldn’t even have had to come over here.”
I shrug. It doesn’t matter.
“Well, I feel like a massive idiot for encouraging you to have fun with them at the wedding,” Ana says.
I shake my head quickly. “Don’t feel bad. You didn’t know.”
“You shouldn’t feel guilty about what happened, either,” Marissa says to me. “Because there’s no way you could have known.”
“Maybe we should all stick to book boyfriends,” Ana says, picking up a paperback from the top of the stack on the coffee table. This one has four men on it—four!—surrounding one woman. “Book boyfriends never do shit like this. Well … actually, they do, but they have good reason, and their groveling games are always on point.”
In the evening, I finally hear from Sadie. Not a call, just a text saying that we’ll talk soon, and that there’s a lot going on.
I can only imagine. The text isn’t exactly reassuring, but it’s better than no communication at all.
I’m so curious about how she’s doing, and how Adam is, but since I’m sure I’m a source of stress for her, I’m not going to push for information.
In the morning, my alarm comes early. It had been nice to sleep longer while I was at the resort, but it’s time to go back to work.
I’m actually grateful for the diversion, because I’d rather keep busy than sit around the house crying. My only concern is the possibility of Miles showing up at yoga class. Surely, he won’t. I hope. If he does, I’ll do my best to ignore him.
When I step out onto the porch and turn to lock the door, something catches my eye. It’s a small white bag with a coffee shop logo printed on the side. Inside, there’s an iced coffee with a sticker indicating it’s made exactly how I like it. There’s also an envelope with my name on it.
I tuck the envelope into my bag, and when I get to the health club, I offer the drink to the cardio instructor, explaining that I ended up with an extra this morning.
In the studio, I’m gratified when several of my regular students tell me they missed me. One comments about how strange it was that the man who’d been coming to class was also absent while I was away. I keep a blank face and agree that it is odd.
Thankfully, Miles doesn’t show up for class. Job done, the men have probably left town.
My shift at the sandwich shop is uneventful, aside from the introduction of a new sandwich, the Big Kahuna Daddy. I spend a good bit of my time telling customers about its contents: ham, pork tenderloin, bacon, and grilled pineapple. I take a couple of them home for dinner to share with my roommates, and it turns out to be pretty good.
After we eat, when I’m alone in my room, I fish the envelope out of my bag. It’s a full-page, handwritten note, signed by both Max and Miles. I consider not reading it, but curiosity gets the best of me.
Dear Callie,
We fully understand how angry you are, and you have every right to be mad as hell. We’re not going to try to tell you not to be angry with us. You should be.
But we need you to know that our feelings for you are real. Nothing we said to you or experienced with you was fake, except for things that related directly to our case.
We regret getting you tangled up in all of it, but we can’t regret that we had the chance to get to know you. The connection the three of us share is real, and it’s unlike anything we’ve experienced before. We think it’s worth fighting for, and we hope you’ll give us a second chance when you’re ready.
In the meantime, we’re always thinking of you.
After reading it twice, I fold the letter, put it back in the envelope, and tuck it into the drawer of my nightstand.
I don’t know what to think, and I don’t really want to think. I take a shower, and listen to a podcast for a distraction as I fall asleep.