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Cal was quiet aswe left Church, his hand rubbing gentle circles on the small of my back. It felt more comforting than therapeutic, but whatever he was doing helped relax my stiff muscles. I hadn’t realized how loud and hot the bar had become until we stepped into the cool night air.
“Where are you two headed?” Lauren asked, walking toward us in the parking lot.
“My back is getting tight. We’re walking home.”
She nodded. “I’ll make sure Poppy gets back ok.”
“Theo has her,” I said. “No sense in you walking all the way to Sullivan Street just to come right back here.”
“He’ll want to make sure you get home too,” Cal added. “Let him. Or he’ll worry.”
“No problem,” Lauren said.
“Did you catch up with Cammie?” I asked.
Lauren shook her head. “I’m texting her as soon as I get inside to tell her what a wonderful job she did. Call me tomorrow,Rowan.” She beamed at us and pushed open the door to the bar, spilling loud voices and laughter into the parking lot.
“You really had no idea Cammie could sing like that?” I asked Cal, hoping he’d missed Lauren’s not-so-subtle hint that she expected to hear how the night went.
Cal shook his head, his forehead scrunched.
“Hey,” I said, stopping and placing my hand on his chest. “Are you ok?”
“You left your sister with Theo,” he said quietly.
“Should I not have?” I asked, glancing back at Church. “She’s determined to stay, and I figured he would take better care of her than anyone else there. Lauren seemed pretty clear-headed, but she’s right with Poppy on the drink count.”
“No, he’ll make sure everyone is safe.”
“Ok,” I said.
Cal gripped the back of his neck. “He’s a convicted felon,” he said quietly. “He’s done time. Real time, Rowan. Not a week in the county jail. Most people are scared of him. I saw the way you looked at him when he walked over to Poppy. He scared you too.”
“No,” I said, my anger rising. “He surprised me. The last time I saw Theo he didn’t have any tattoos or dress the way he does now. But none of that means anything. You forget, Poppy is my sister. I know better than anyone that the people who try the hardest to push others away are often the kindest. The most vulnerable, even. I’m surprised you’d even bring it up. Isn’t he one of your best friends?”
“So, you’re honestly saying, you wouldn’t be concerned if Theo and Poppy started dating?” Cal asked.
“Why would I be? They’re both adults. They seem to have a lot in common. And it’d be clear to anyone who spent five minutes with Theo that he’s incredibly caring and thoughtful.”
“Most people in Peace Falls think he’s dangerous,” Cal said, an expression in his eyes I couldn’t quite read. Sadness. Fear. Guilt.
“Well, screw those people,” I said, really getting mad. “And shame on you for thinking I’m one of them.”
“How did you end up with someone like Brad then?” he asked, rubbing his forehead like he was trying to solve a complex calculus problem without a calculator. “If you understand Theo so well, in so little time, how did you marry a guy who would cheat on you? Not only that, but someone who had the balls to do it at work where you could catch him? How, Rowan?”
“Because,” I said, my voice shaking. “I saw what I wanted to see.”
A dog barked in a nearby yard, and I realized how loud we’d been talking. No doubt, the houses around Church had heard worse, but I wasn’t about to make a spectacle of myself on Saints and Sinners Street. I walked past Cal and set off toward Broad. Tears leaked from my eyes, and I swatted them away. I stumbled along the dark sidewalk past a couple houses before Cal ran up beside me.
“Please don’t fall,” he said quietly, taking my elbow. He gripped me, tight, and repeated it again, like he was giving himself the same warning.
We walked the rest of the way in silence, his hand steady on my arm. When we reached the corner of Sullivan and Broad, I stopped. Mom had left the porch light on for my sister and me, just like she’d done in high school. The living room lights were off, so at least she hadn’t waited up like she used to when we were younger.
“Good night, Cal,” I said. “I can make it from here on my own.”
He let go of my arm, and I walked toward the house. He waited until I reached Mr. Twillings’s yard to speak. “How did you do it?” he asked.
I turned and waited.
