Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined #2)(20)

“Come on, sweetheart.” He throws a casual arm around my shoulders and guides me outside.

We stroll through the parking lot, chatting about the trip, when suddenly we stop next to a shiny black…truck.

“You drive a truck?” I ask, surprised and even slightly confused.

“I figured a Southern girl like you would appreciate it. Why the surprised face?” He leans over to lift my bag into the back.

“Uh, because some guy named Eli is using his truck to help me move in a few days,” I say with a little more attitude than I needed, but I can’t help but feel like Caleb pawned me off on someone else. If he didn’t want to help, that’s fine, but he could have just told me that. Now I feel awkward for even having asked him to pick me up today. Perfect—he probably felt obligated.

“No, my friend Eli is helping Sarah move,” he says very calmly but still manages to pack some unexpected * into it.

“What? That’s the same thing! She’s in rehab—I’m moving her stuff.”

He leans his back against his truck, and I can tell that he is trying to choose his words. And he’ll probably even apply a little sugarcoating too.

“Caleb?” I demand a response. “Can you enlighten me here? If you didn’t want to help, that’s fine, but you could have just told me that. I don’t want to be a burden on you just because you are trying to sleep with me. Jesus.” I throw my hands in the air and head back toward the airport. “Forget it. I’ll call a f*cking cab!” I shout, walking away. Yeah, I’m acting like a child, but I can’t help but feel a little put off.

“Jesus, what the f*ck, Emmy?”

“Emma,” I correct over my shoulder just to be a bitch.

Caleb doesn’t follow me, but he doesn’t let me get very far before he shouts, “I’m not helping Sarah! You can ask me for whatever you want, but I flat-out refuse to help her.”

I freeze as his words penetrate my mind. Then I quickly swing back around to face him.

“Wait, you still hate her?” A lot of things suddenly make more sense.

“Was that ever in question? Yes, I f*cking hate her! She killed my fiancée!”

Oh damn, this is bad. Really f*cking bad. I slowly walk back over to his truck when I realize that we are slinging cusswords across the airport’s short-term parking lot.

“I just thought… I mean, Brett said you carried her out that night she broke down. And you were at the hospital, and you kept me updated for the last few weeks. I just assumed you had…gotten over it.”

“Gotten over it?” he asks incredulously before laughing. “Emma, she killed my fiancée!” he repeats, you know, just in case I didn’t hear his declaration before.

I shake my head in frustration. “She didn’t kill her, Caleb.”

“Oh really?” He once again laughs humorlessly.

How the hell did Caleb and I never have this conversation in the four weeks we have been talking? We’ve talked about Manda, we’ve talked about Sarah, and while it was never really in depth, I just figured it was an understandably sensitive subject for him. I’m not stupid. I knew he was never going to love Sarah or anything. But hating someone is a totally different ballgame than just disliking them. I can’t help but feel a little duped.

“Why am I just finding out about this now?” I ask.

“It was never a secret!” he yells before dropping his voice again. “You knew I hated her that day at the hospital. Nothing’s changed. It’s not some magical feeling that comes and goes. Damn it!” He once again starts yelling, and this time I feel the hate seeping from his voice.

“You carried her out! You stayed overnight at the hospital just so she wouldn’t be alone! That’s a hell of a way of showing you hate someone!” I shout back.

“I did all that for Manda, not Sarah!” He sucks in a deep breath, regaining his calm. “I hate your sister, but Manda loved her. And that night, I just did what Manda would have wanted.”

“Shit,” I whisper.

“Yep. ‘Shit’ covers it. And, Emmy, the updates? Those were for you. Again, not Sarah. You can’t expect me to help her. Not after everything that’s happened. You just can’t.”

“Well, this is going to be one hell of a problem then, Caleb.” I step closer now that things have slowed down. “I just moved all the way across the country to devote myself to helping her.”

“I know you did. And I know she needs it.” He lets out a frustrated growl. “Damn it, I knew this was going to be bad. I f*cking knew it.” He bangs his hand against the side of his truck.

And he’s right—this is bad. It really sucks to have to let Caleb go, but I know what I have to do. As excited as I was at the prospect of starting something with him, this move was about Sarah.

“I can’t get involved with someone who doesn’t support me. I’ve f*cked up enough when it comes to Sarah. I really have to make it right this time.”

“I know,” he says, taking in a resigned breath.

“I mean, look at us. We’re already fighting over her. As much as you hate her, I love her more.”

“I get it. Fuck, Emmy. It sucks, but I get it.” He offers me a sad smile before reaching for my bag again. “Come on. I’ll drop you off at Sarah’s place.”