31. Chapter 31
Chapter thirty-one
Rowan
Two Weeks Later
My stomach danced with nerves as I placed the last snickerdoodle onto a cooling rack.
“Want to talk about it now?” Poppy asked, not looking up from the delicate design she was icing onto a sugar cookie I’d baked earlier.
I blew out a breath and flopped into the chair across from my sister. “I think I’m in love with Cal.”
“No shit,” Poppy said, reaching for another cookie.
“I’m serious, Poppy. I haven’t been separated from Brad long enough to file for divorce. I can’t be in love with someone else.”
Poppy put down the cookie and glared at me. “You did not just lump Cal together with that dickface you had the misfortune to marry.”
“But we’ve only been together a little over a month. Plus, we broke up, so I don’t think you can count the full time.”
“So what,” Poppy said, picking up the cookie again like the conversation bored her. “When you know, you know.”
I watched her finish the design before I said, “It’s not that simple.”
“He told you he loves you, right?” Poppy said, placing the cookie carefully on the sheet of parchment paper where half a dozen more were drying.
“Yes,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “Every day since we got back together.”
“Then it is that simple,” she said, staring me down. “Tell him today.”
I shook my head. “Today is—”
“The anniversary of the worst day of his life. I know. And he asked you to be with him. If that doesn’t prove how much he loves you, I don’t know what the poor man has to do.” Poppy let out a sigh and reached for another cookie. “What time is he coming to get you?”
“Six,” I said, glancing at the clock on the stove. I wasn’t sure my nerves could handle another half hour of waiting, but I wanted to give Cal whatever space he needed today.
“Any idea what you’re doing?” Poppy asked like she didn’t know exactly where Cal was taking me or why.
I reached across the table and put my hand on her arm. “Want to talk about it?”
She shook her head and grabbed another icing bag to add detail in a different color. I watched her work, fascinated by her talent and speed.
Fifteen minutes later, someone knocked on the door, and I ran to get it. Instead of Cal, Aiden stood on the porch with his hands shoved in the pockets of his cargo shorts.
“Is everything ok?” I asked, my mind jumping from one scenario to another. None that put Aiden on my porch instead of Cal seemed good.
“Everything is fine,” Aiden said. “I’m actually here to see your sister.”
“Oh,” I said, opening the door wider. “Come on in.”
“I’ll wait out here, if you don’t mind.”
“Um, sure,” I said and went to the kitchen.
“Aiden O’Malley is on the porch. He said he wants to speak with you.”
Poppy looked as confused as I felt, but she set her icing bag on the table. I followed her to the porch, curious what was going on.
“Pixie,” he said, looking her up and down and frowning at her Grinch slippers.
“I’m sure most women fall apart at a good O’Malley once over, but I have dozens of cookies to ice,” she said. “What do you want?”
“I think you should be there today,” he said. “For Theo.”
“I think Theo would have asked me if he wanted me there.”
“What Theo wants and what he allows himself are two very different things.”
She took a step closer and poked him in the chest. “Maybe you should respect that what he’s telling you is what he wants.”
“Nope,” Aiden said, pulling his right hand from his pocket. A handcuff with red feathers was clamped around his wrist. He snapped the other end onto Poppy’s left arm.
“What the fuck?” she said, tugging at the cuff.
“Careful, Pixie, don’t want to mark you up. Unless you’re into that.”
“Rowan,” Poppy shouted. “A little help.”
Aiden chuckled. “The pair of you weigh as much as my biceps.”
Poppy drew in a large breath and screamed for Chris. He ran to the porch and skidded to a halt when he saw Aiden and Poppy handcuffed together.
“Hey, kid,” Aiden said as he somehow swung Poppy onto his shoulder. “Congrats on making the starting lineup.”
“Thanks,” Chris said. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Don’t thank him, idiot,” Poppy howled. “Stop him.”
“Quiet there, Hell Cat,” Aiden said, smacking Poppy’s butt with his left hand. “I know Principal Twillings lives on your street, and that man has no problem calling the cops on me.”
“Good,” Poppy huffed. “Glad someone would.”
“Um, you’re not going to hurt her, are you?” Chris asked, taking a step toward them.
“I swear on my nieces and nephews, she’ll be fine.”
Chris nodded. “Well, ok then. Coach said he’d love for you to drop by practice sometime.”
“Yeah,” Aiden said, smiling. “I just might.”
“Seriously?” Poppy squealed.
“He loves those kids, Pop. You’ll be fine.”
With that Chris turned and went back inside the house.
“Aiden,” I shouted when he started toward his truck. “Is this really necessary?”
“It is,” he said. He’d left the driver’s side door wide open and pushed Poppy inside. “The cuff keys are at my house. Hop over the gear shift, Pixie. Don’t think Theo would appreciate me reaching between your legs to change gears.”
“You’re a pig,” she shouted.
“Word of advice,” he said as he climbed in after her. “Don’t tell Theo unless you want to go ninety the whole way to my place.”
“Noted. Also, I might be small, but hurt my sister, and I will hit you so hard you’ll pee blood for a week.”
“I’d expect nothing less,” he said and slammed the door. He drove off, and I stood frozen in the yard until Theo pulled up. Cal jumped out of the passenger seat, but the smile slid from his face when he saw me.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Aiden just kidnapped my sister,” I whispered, “But don’t tell Theo.”
Cal chuckled. “We better go before she murders him.” He opened the rear passenger door of the extended cab, and I took a seat in the back beside Skye.
“Hi Theo,” I said. He nodded, his hands gripping the steering wheel. I expected Cal to climb into the front, but instead he walked around the truck and slid in behind Theo.
“Go sit with Theo,” he said, and Skye slithered through the opening to the front. She put her head in Theo’s lap and stretched long across the seat.
Cal gripped Theo’s shoulders and squeezed them. I wondered why, if he was so upset, he was driving instead of Cal or me.
“Alright,” Theo said gruffly. “Go cuddle your woman, not me.”
Cal laughed but I caught Theo’s eyes in the rearview mirror. Theo nodded and an understanding passed between us. No matter how together he seemed, Cal needed me.
I scooted to the middle and buckled in before grabbing Cal’s hand in mine and resting my head on his shoulder. His muscles relaxed as he traced calming circles on my hand. We were silent the entire way. Once or twice, I thought of starting a conversation to break the tension, but both men had their mouth set in grim lines, like they’d fall to pieces if they opened them.
We drove to the old Crawford farm, down a rutted dirt road, past the farmhouse to a large barn that had seen better days.
Poppy and Aiden stood in the field, still handcuffed together. She’d swapped her Grinch slippers for an enormous pair of work boots that were obviously Aiden’s. Theo slammed on the breaks and threw the truck into park. He exploded from the driver’s seat so fast Skye jumped and barked.
“What’s going on?” Theo shouted, stalking toward them.
Cal ran after him, and I opened the passenger door to help Skye down.
“Greetings, Theodoros,” Aiden said, lifting his arm, and by extension Poppy’s in the air. “A little help Cal.”
“What the hell are you up to?” Cal asked but laughed.
Aiden reached into his left pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. “Your choice, Pixie. You can be handcuffed to me or Theo.”
“Why don’t you play with each other,” she said, and turned her face away.
“Sorry, Poppy,” Cal said snapping the handcuff to her right hand.
“You don’t deserve my sister,” she said.
“Don’t I know it,” he said. “Theo?”
Theo blew out a breath and stepped close enough to be snapped into the other cuff. “You really don’t understand triggers, do you, Aiden,” he said.
“Key to this set is in my pocket,” Aiden said, holding up the arm connected to Poppy.
“Aren’t these things universal?” Cal asked.
“This pair is for kink,” he said, looking at the arm attached to Poppy. “The other are the kind correctional officers use.”
“Man, you really don’t get triggers, do you?” Cal said, unlocking the cuffs that bound Poppy and Aiden together. “You could have at least put him in the fluffy pair.”
“Rowan,” Poppy said. “Are you sure you like Cal? He’s giving off mad creeper vibes. And his best friend is a lunatic. Not you, Theo,” she added softly.
A smiled tugged at Theo’s lips. Cal glanced at Theo and patted Aiden’s shoulder. The bond between the three of them, forged in so much pain, brought tears to my eyes.
“Good job, you’ve made Rowan cry,” Poppy huffed.
Cal’s attention snapped to me, and he hurried to where I stood with Skye, his forehead scrunched with worry. “I know this is weird. But I think Aiden was right to bring Poppy. If you think she’s uncomfortable, I’ll make him give me the key now.”
I shook my head. “She’s only fighting because Theo didn’t ask her himself. She wanted to come.”
Cal nodded and pulled me into a hug. “Thank you, for being here. For being you. I wish Logan could have seen us together.”
“Me too,” I whispered.
He stepped away from me, his face anguished. “It’s my fault he died. I was the DD that night, but I got trashed after Avery broke up with me.”
“Bullshit,” Theo shouted. Poppy jumped, jerking the cuff that held them together, and Theo softened his voice. “I was the one driving. The accident was no one’s fault but mine,” he told her.
“Stop being such a fucking martyr,” Aiden yelled. “As much as you’d like to take all the blame, Cal and I have just as much guilt as you do. Logan was sitting in the backseat behind you, Theo. If he’d been wearing his seatbelt, he would have walked away like you did. I’m the reason he wasn’t buckled in. So go ahead and claim the accident as yours, but Logan’s death is on me.”
“Neither one of you should feel guilty,” Theo said.
“You went to jail for a year,” Cal yelled. “You’re a convicted felon. I ruined your life, brother. I ruined Aiden’s. Everything happened because I broke my promise to drive. No matter what you say, Logan would be alive today if I hadn’t.”
He drew in a stuttering breath, turned to me, and fell apart. He sobbed into my shoulder, pulling me so close I could feel every thud of his breaking heart as I rubbed his back. I couldn’t imagine holding so much guilt, so tightly for ten years.
Across the field, Poppy gripped Theo’s hand as silent tears ran down his face. Aiden stood alone, staring at the barn. Skye took off toward him, bumping into his legs. He knelt and rubbed her head.
“I love you, Caleb Cardoso.”
Cal squeezed me harder and sank to the ground, pulling me into his lap. “Thank you,” he said between sobs.
For loving him? For telling him? For giving him something beautiful in this moment, this place? It didn’t matter. We didn’t need words. Not anymore. But that wouldn’t stop me from telling him I loved him every day for the rest of my life.