him, defeated. “But my bag—”
“Curtis, would you please go inside and get his bag?” Guthrie pulled Cameron toward the stairs. When Curtis stepped past me, Guthrie spoke again. “And would you please have Nora call a cab for him as well?”
Curtis nodded and darted into the house. Guthrie waited for Cameron to start down the stairs before turning to me and solemnly saying, “I’m so sorry, Violet.”
I shook my head, my wet hair sticking to the side of my face. “It’s over now.”
Guthrie looked at the door, the corners of his mouth pulling downward sadly. “Go find Gabe. Make sure he’s okay.”
Cameron didn’t put up a fight as Guthrie led him from the porch and around the house. His head remained ducked, his eyes fixed on the ground ahead of his feet. With every step he took away from me, a weight lifted off my shoulders. One secret out, with the very results I’d expected, done and over with. It wasn’t until I went to open the door that I realized how severely I was shaking. I looked like I was vibrating when I entered the kitchen.
Nora was holding a phone up to her ear, talking quietly to the cab company, and my mother was blowing her nose. Both of them stopped what they were doing to watch me, but I strode past them to the family room. Gabe was standing at the front windows, looking out on the street where Guthrie and Curtis were standing with their arms folded across their chests like two retirement-aged Secret Service agents. Cameron had his suitcase in one hand and stood with his back to the house, though it was clear by how hunched his shoulders remained, and how red the back of his neck was, that he was embarrassed and angry. The rage emanating from Gabe was practically palpable.
When I reached to touch his arm, he jerked his shoulder back so suddenly it startled me. His expression melted when he saw me, the anger streaming down his face like the raindrops we’d all been soaked in.
“Vi…”
And then I was in Gabe’s arms, his arms pressing me against his body so tightly I could hardly catch my breath. But I didn’t mind. I didn’t need to breathe. Gabe was here. I was here. We were both okay. That was all that mattered. Every closeted emotion I’d had toward him over the years flooded to the surface, and I nearly choked on the mass of words I had to say to him.
I love you. I’m sorry. I need you. I can’t be with anyone else, because you’re the one I’m meant to be with, and if we don’t at least try to be together again, I may as well lie down in the middle of the street and let a bus hit me, because that’s how much it’s going to hurt to keep denying my feelings for you…
Okay, that was a bit extreme. But it was time to tell Gabe what was in my heart. We were meant to be together.
“I’ll never let him hurt you again.” Gabe murmured his promises into my hair, his warm breath chasing away the chill.
“It’s okay. It’s over,” I whispered. “Are you okay?” I pulled back and brushed my finger along his swollen lip.
“I’m in better shape than he is.” He glanced out the window, where a minivan with a green-and-white checkerboard pattern painted on its door was slowing to a stop in front of the house. “I wanted to kill him.”
“I know. I did, too. But he’s gone now. We can go back to normal.”
Gabe’s jaw remained locked. “I don’t even know what normal is anymore.”
The front door swung open, and Guthrie and Curtis came into the house, their faces grim. “He’s gone,” Curtis confirmed, wiping the rain off his balding head. “He told the cabbie to take him to the airport. I don’t imagine he’ll be back anytime soon.”
Gabe’s arms dropped, and he looked at Guthrie. “I’m so sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean to lose my cool, I—”
Guthrie’s gaze traveled from his son to me. “I know you were angry, son. I’m going to go check on your mother.”
I wiped my eyes on my sleeve. “Gabe, can we talk?
“What?” When Gabe looked at me, his eyes were moist and rimmed with dark circles.
“Where have you been all week?” I asked, my chest tightening.
“Around.” He looked away. “I took a few days off of work. Drove to Bellingham and camped for a few days.”
“You had me worried