Page 101 of Penalty to the Heart

“You assume correctly.” Trent throws me his signature shark-like grin.

“Happy to hear it because, by the looks of it, the two are patching things up as we speak.”

Trent swiftly pulls his sight off me in search of his girlfriend, and sure enough, when he spots her, he finds her laughing at something Caleb said, looking like dear old friends reunited.

“Hmm,” Trent hums under his breath. “Maybe he’s not as much of a lost cause as I thought.”

“You usually underestimate people. That’s your issue. Not Caleb’s.” I can’t help but smile.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He waves me off. “Enough with the shrink talk. Best I get my woman away from Caleb’s sight before he thinks she’s up for grabs.”

“Please,” I laugh. “I doubt anyone at this party would think such a thing. The poor woman might as well have a gold choker on her neck with the inscription ‘return to owner if lost’.”

“A choker… I like the sound of that,” Trent smirks, strutting away through the crowd as they part to let him pass.

I continue to laugh as I watch from the sidelines. Trent places his hand on the small of Piper’s back, making sure to stake his claim.

The trio talk for a brief moment before Trent pulls Piper away for a dance, leaving Caleb all by himself. I try not to stare at how incredible he looks tonight, but I’m caught red-handed when his eyes meet mine from across the room. The devilish smile that lifts at the corner of his lips has my stupid heart doing cartwheels in my chest.

Before I can look away and make sense of this feeling, Caleb struts towards me, keeping his gaze always fixed on mine.

“Dr. Seymour, don’t you look lovely this evening,” he says, overly polite.

“As do you, Mr. Donovan. You sure cleaned up nicely.”

“I do, don’t I?” he taunts, his boyish charm coming out as he spins on his heel, giving a little twirl so I can fully appreciate him in his tux.

I laugh at his playful antics and reply, “Yes, you sure do.” I continue to laugh.

His light expression turns heady when he scans my body from head to toe, licking his lips in appreciation.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” I say, hoping to sway him from looking at me like that.

“I can say the same for you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at one of these soirees.”

“How would you know? Maybe I come to them all the time, and you just never noticed.”

“Believe me, with a dress like this, I’d notice.”

I swallow dryly before taking a sip of my champagne.

“So, I see that you and Piper are on good terms,” I say, trying to push this conversation to safer territories.

“Hey, I’m trying. But my redemption tour is going to take a hot minute to complete.”

“No one is expecting things to change overnight. These things take time.”

“What if I don’t want things to go back to how they were before?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… maybe the guy I was should stay gone. Maybe the version I’m becoming is better.”

My forehead creases at the sad statement.

I grab his arm and give it a light squeeze.

“Whether he does or doesn’t, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you always remain true to yourself and feel comfortable in your own skin. You don’t have to change for anyone. Just be who you are.”

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