Page 10 of Salvation
The moment stretches out with Hayes studying and me trying to stay still until I finally break.
“Okay. Well, see you around.” With an awkward wave, I start to walk around him, but I don’t make it two steps before I run into someone else.
Strong hands keep me steady once again, but this time, electric shocks shoot up my arm. Closing my eyes, I take two deep breaths in, praying it’s not who I think it is, and then I open them again, letting my head fall back to look up at the man steadying me.
The irony is not lost on me as I meet a pair of blue eyes. At sixteen, Campbell was always my anchor during a storm, steadying me when I felt like I would capsize, but with one strong swell, that anchor broke loose. And I feel like I’ve been lost at sea ever since.
“Ivy,” Campbell’s voice is gruff and familiar—a lash against my skin—but I refuse to flinch, no matter how badly it feels like tearing flesh from bone.
Sighing, I step out of his hold and force a polite smile. He’s as devastatingly handsome in the light of day as he was in the shadow of night, but the hatred burns brighter, too. It’s a raging inferno in the depths of his blue eyes, and I’m afraid if I look too long, I’ll burn right where I stand.
“Campbell,” I say his name the same way he said mine. His brows dip, and in that moment, I have this innate urge to stick out my tongue.
He doesn’t say anything else, and neither do I. We stand there glaring at each other, the tension building so high I’m afraid it might choke us both, and then a throat clears, snapping us out of the moment.
“Soooo, Ivy,” Hayes says, “How long are you in town for?”
“I—” I begin to answer, but Campbell cuts me off.
“Not long. She has a fiancé to get back to. Right, Ivy?”
The muscle in my jaw twitches, but I keep my attention on Hayes.
“You know, I’m not sure. There are some things I need to finish up here,” I say, letting my gaze slip to Campbell for just a second before it flicks back to Hayes. “Both my grandparents passed away, and it seems I have inherited everything.”
A look of pity flickers through Hayes’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Ivy.”
I grit my teeth because I never know what to do with that. I’ve received a million apologies since my grandmother passed away, and each one has been awkward because, despite growing upwith her, we didn’t have a relationship. A part of me feels like I should be sad over her passing, but another part—a much bigger part—feels free, and I’m not sure what that says about me.
“Thank you,” I say, my voice strained. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to grab some caffeine and get back.”
Hayes smiles, his gaze quickly darting to his friend standing beside him and back to me. “Of course. If you need anything while you’re around. Let me know. Or Campbell. I’m sure he’ll be glad to help, too.”
Pressing my lips together, I smile and say, “Thanks, but I’ll be fine.”
______________________
Five minutes after I get back to the house, there’s a knock at my front door. I sigh, knowing my quick trip to town not only caused a run-in with Campbell but also brought the townspeople to my front step.
The citizens of Benton Falls can’t help themselves. It’s in their nature to find out the scoop. I’d been lucky to avoid it for the first four days, but the tidal wave will soon descend now that I’ve made the first move out into the open.
I set my coffee on the table and walk to the front of the house, smoothing my hand down my shirt and over my hair as I go. It’s a hopeless cause trying to tame my curls, but I at least attempt it. With my appearance in order, I open the door, preparing myself for what’s on the other side.
A man in a suit, holding a briefcase, stands at the door. I’ve never seen him before. He’s not one of the Benton Fall regulars, at least not from my time. He’s older, with a kind face, and he smiles when he sees me.
“Ms. Cunningham?” he asks, his voice just as kind as his face.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“I’m Charles Atwood. May I come in?”
My brows dip. “May I ask what this is about?”
“Oh, excuse my manners, Ms. Cunningham—”
“Ivy,” I say, interrupting him. “You can call me Ivy.”
Charles dips his head and continues. “Ivy, it is then. I’m here because I heard of your grandmother’s passing.”
