The Quiet Between

Chapter Four Sloane

Chapter Four

Sloane

Morning at Anita’s house was unusually quiet.

I sat at the kitchen table with Harper, picking at my breakfast while she chattered softly beside me.

Across the room, Anita moved around the kitchen, wiping down counters, rearranging things that didn’t need rearranging.

She was always in motion, always doing something, like stillness made her uneasy.

There was something different in the way she kept glancing at me. Her eyes looked heavier than usual, her expression tight, and every time our eyes almost met, she looked away.

She looked troubled.

And I didn’t need to ask why.

Cameron must’ve told her about the separation last night. The twist of anxiety in my chest tightened, and I kept waiting for the moment she’d turn around, sit across from me, and say the words I was bracing for—that she blamed me. That this was my fault.

Hearing those words from her would shatter me.

I wasn’t sure I had the strength to bear it.

I understood she was his mother, that her love for him ran deep, no matter his faults.

Still, what I needed more than anything was for her not to hate me.

Not to shut me out. Especially not after Cameron had already left me.

Anita disappeared into her bedroom to get ready, as she’d be walking Harper to school. It was only a few blocks away from her house. Meanwhile, Harper kept asking, “Where’s Daddy? Isn’t he coming to see me?”

It was just another part of the act Cameron and I played every day.

He’d come home in the mornings while Harper was still asleep, and in the evenings, he stayed just long enough to tuck her in before leaving again.

On weekends, he’d take her to the mall or the park, then drop her off like nothing was different, blaming work for why he couldn’t stay.

We’d been doing this for a month—pretending, avoiding, trying to keep the truth from settling in her little world.

I chewed my pancake with trepidation, eyes fixed on Anita’s bedroom door, bracing for the moment she’d come out and finally say that, starting today, I wasn’t welcome here anymore. After all, Cameron was her youngest and favorite.

But before that could happen, Caleb—Cameron’s older brother—walked into the kitchen, his voice slicing through the quiet.

“Why’s Cam waiting outside? He said Mom wouldn’t let him in.”

I looked up in surprise at the tall man, who seemed only half-awake, his hands tangled in the overgrown strands of his hair as he wrestled it into a messy little bun.

He wore his usual combo: a worn leather jacket layered over a rumpled shirt and dark jeans.

He clearly just rolled out of bed, but there was still that lazy, effortless swagger everyone knew him for.

“He’s out there freezing his ass off,” he added, already heading for the table.

My eyes darted to the front door, confused. Why hadn’t Cameron come inside?

Caleb plopped down next to Harper, kissed her cheek, then swiped a strawberry off her plate. Harper shot him a death glare, but he just grinned, tweaked her nose, and winked.

Then, as if Caleb’s words had just sunk in, suddenly, Harper’s face lit up. “Daddy? He’s outside?” she squealed, excitement spilling out of her. She pushed her chair back, jumped to her feet, and bolted for the front door.

She yanked it open and let out another squeal, probably spotting Cameron standing there.

A small smile tugged at my lips. Despite everything, I knew Cameron loved his daughter deeply, and Harper still deserved that love.

I sighed and glanced away, feeling Caleb’s gaze settle heavily on me. “What?” I asked.

He shrugged. “What happened with you two?”

I shrugged back. “That’s a question you should ask your brother.”

Then his eyes fell to my hand holding the fork. “Where’s your wedding ring?”

That was a loaded question that I needed a moment to think about. But I answered with the truth. “I gave it back to him.”

Caleb’s green eyes darkened with worry as he let out a long sigh. “What happened?”

I shook my head. “Ask your brother.”

He was about to press again when Anita stormed into the room. “Where’s Harper?” she asked.

“Outside with Cam,” I replied.

Caleb stood and crossed the room to hug his mom. “Morning, Mom.”

Anita patted his back absently.

When he pulled away, he asked, “Mom, why couldn’t Cam come in the house?”

Anita scoffed and scrunched her face, but didn’t answer. Instead, she stood there, eyes fixed on me, and my heartbeat picked up as I tried to figure out what she was thinking. Then she crossed the room, gave me a quick side hug, leaned in, and whispered, “I’m sorry. For what he did.”

Without waiting for a response, she let go and hurried toward the front of the house, leaving me sitting there, stunned. I blinked hard, fighting back the tears rising from the rush of relief that shook through me. Of all the responses I’d braced myself for, this wasn’t one of them.

Anita called over her shoulder, “Lock the door, will you?” She didn’t say whether she meant Caleb or me, as we both had a key.

Caleb stared at me, confusion written across his face. He had clearly heard what Anita said. “Sorry for what?”

Ignoring the question, I asked, “Can I go with you to the hospital?”

Caleb was a surgeon, like Cameron and their oldest sibling, Caroline. We all worked at the same hospital.

I wondered what it would be like once the divorce was finalized. Awkward, probably. Unavoidable, definitely. It was just my luck that we all worked in the same place.

Caleb hesitated, his expression uncertain. “Cameron’s outside waiting for you, isn’t he? He’s not going to be happy if you come with me.”

I grabbed my bag and stood, casting him a tired look before turning toward the door. “Okay. I’ll just get an Uber, then.”

Caleb followed. “Wait, Sloane. Alright, you can come with me.”

He walked beside me, still sounding a little unsure. “You know I don’t mind you coming with me, right? But... I don’t know what’s going on between you and Cam, and I’ve got a feeling he wouldn’t be thrilled if I got in the middle of it.”

“That’s alright, Caleb,” I said, eyes on my phone as I tapped for the ride. “Uber is fine.”

When I stepped outside, the cold morning air hit me like a reset. Cameron straightened from where he’d been leaning against his car, his expression subdued until he saw me.

“Sloane,” he called, walking toward me.

“Cam,” I said with a nod, keeping my eyes anywhere but on his.

I moved to the side, away from his car, but his voice followed me, sounding frustrated and tired.

“Come on, Sloane. This is silly. We’re going the same fucking way.”

I ignored him and checked the Uber app. No cars in the area. I might be waiting a while.

Caleb stepped up beside me after locking the door. “Just ride with me, Sloane. But fair warning, I’m driving Betsy. And you hate Betsy.”

Betsy. His ancient, lumbering black truck. He wasn’t wrong. I hated that thing. It sat too high, the climb was a hassle, and the engine rumbled loud enough to make my ears ring. But right now, it was either Betsy or standing on the curb, hoping a ride would magically appear.

I sighed. Apparently, today it was Betsy.

“Okay,” I grumbled, marching toward the truck. “Betsy, it is.”

Behind me, I heard Caleb say, “She asked me for a ride earlier, Cam. I’m sorry.”

But before I opened Betsy’s door, a thought struck me. I couldn’t let this become routine—avoiding him while he stubbornly insisted on playing chauffeur. I had to say something. So I turned and walked back to Cameron.

“I can’t be in the same space as you, Cam.

Especially alone in the car, just the two of us.

I don’t know how to handle the hurt when you show up to get me in the morning, right after you’ve spent the night with her.

And I’m not sure I can handle you dropping me off only to drive straight to her afterward.

I’m not ready for that. So please... just leave me alone. ”

I paused, taking a shaky breath. Cameron stayed silent, Caleb looked stunned, and for a heartbeat, everything froze. Even the air hung suspended, the world holding its breath as if waiting for what came next.

“You’ll pick Harper up in the morning and take her to Anita’s. In the evening, you’ll bring her home. I’ll get myself to work and back. Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

Then I opened Betsy’s door and climbed in, barely catching Caleb’s low, furious hiss behind me, “You and I, we’re gonna have a talk.”

Caleb slid into the truck just as I dug through my bag, fingers closing around my AirPods. I jammed the earbuds in before he could speak. He frowned at me.

“Don’t want to talk about it?”

I shook my head, thumb already swiping through my playlist. The opening chords of Tomorrow by Black Pumas flooded my ears, swallowing Betsy’s rumbles. The song fit so perfectly for me.

‘Cause I’m no longer waitin’, wishin’ for the edge, yeah

All I wanna do is see everything there is to see

Out on the edge of tomorrow

The truck lurched forward as Caleb pulled away, and I didn’t need to look to know his brows furrowed, that resigned exhale I knew surely escaping his lips. Outside, the blur of passing trees, cars, and buildings blended into streaks of color as I let the music drown out everything else.

The drive passed in silence, just the music in my ears. When Betsy rolled to a stop, I muttered a thanks and hopped out—only to freeze.

Cameron’s car sat parked across from us. He leaned against the door, arms crossed, watching me like he’d been waiting.

His expression was tight, but something in it made my shoulders tense. Then his gaze shifted past me to Caleb, and the air turned thick.

For a heartbeat, nobody moved. Then Cameron pushed off his car, and Caleb stepped forward. A confrontation hovered, seeming inevitable.

I decided that I didn’t care, so I turned and walked away, letting the music blur everything into the background.

But the brothers caught up quickly. A glance to either side confirmed it—two tall figures flanking me now.

One was silent, coiled tight like a spring; the other radiated barely contained fury as we crossed the parking lot toward the hospital.

I pulled out my earbuds, suddenly alert, a flicker of worry rising in my chest. These two often didn’t get along.

Things could turn ugly fast, though they always made up in the end.

For all their differences, they still loved each other.

Cameron spoke first, grinding his teeth. “This is between Sloane and me. Stay the hell out of it, Caleb.”

Caleb shot back without missing a beat. “Your marriage is your business. But whether my brother’s a decent fucking human being? That’s mine.”

“I’m telling you—stay out of it,” Cameron snapped, bristling with fury now. My forehead creased in irritation. What was he so angry about?

Caleb came to a stop, and so did Cameron. Now they were speaking over my head, with me still standing between them.

“Are you cheating on Sloane, Cam? Is it true?” Caleb demanded. “You’ve got a sidepiece now? And you went to her every night? Am I right? Am I fucking right, Cameron?”

“Caleb,” I hissed, glancing around nervously. He was almost shouting, and even though the other people in the parking lot were a way off, his voice might have carried far enough to reach them.

But he ignored me, stepping around to get right in his brother’s face. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Cam? You don’t do that to your wife. No man should ever do that to his fucking wife!”

“Caleb,” I tried again, my voice low. “Cam and I are getting a divorce. That’s where the story ends. We’re not talking about it anymore.”

He finally looked down at me. “Because of what? His infidelity? Because he chose someone else over you?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Cameron said, his voice shaky as he fought to keep control. “How could you? You’ve never settled down. You don’t know shit about marriage, Caleb, so stop talking.”

“Yeah, I’m not a married man.” He gritted his teeth.

“But I know enough about loyalty. About trying to fix things instead of piling on more damage. About thinking things through first before selfishly hurting the one you vowed to spend a lifetime with. And to think about a little girl—a beautiful little girl—who’s about to lose her father because he turned into a selfish asshole. ”

“Harper will never lose me,” Cameron snapped, his face flushing red. I braced myself for the storm I knew was coming. “I’ll always be in her life.”

“Yeah,” Caleb said, nodding, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Like half an hour in the morning and maybe an hour at night? Then she’ll get to adjust to living with the woman who fucked her married father and left her mother. Real classy choice, by the way.”

I glanced up at Cameron’s face and felt a flicker of worry. I placed a hand gently on his chest. When he looked down and met my eyes, his green eyes softened, like a slow exhale, easing the tension.

“Walk away now, Cam,” I said quietly. “You’re angry because everything Caleb said is true. So walk away and own the choice you made. You chose to cheat. You chose to leave. You don’t get to be the good guy when you’re the one who walked away.”

Cameron closed his eyes, the movement slow and heavy with pain. When he opened them again, he said nothing. Instead, he stepped back, and my hand fell from his chest. Then he turned and walked away.

I watched him go before turning to Caleb. “We don’t talk about this, okay? I’m not ready yet.”

But Caleb, looking more emotional than I felt, pulled me into his chest and whispered the same words Anita had said this morning. “I’m sorry. For what he did. I’m so fucking sorry.”

I sighed and pushed myself away. Slipping on my white coat, I popped the AirPods back in and started jogging toward the hospital. I burst through the double doors and turned left without really paying attention to where I was going.

Then I crashed into something solid, something tall and firm. I looked up, feeling a little dizzy, as his hands caught my arms, steadying me before I could fall.

And there he was, the most gorgeous man I had ever seen in my life. Dark and tall, a striking blend of Black and White heritage, with a shaved head and a neatly trimmed beard. His full red lips curved into a smile that froze me in place.

Then he spoke. “Lovely bumping into you.” His eyes flicked to the name on my white coat. “Dr. Sloane Davis.”