Page 83 of Salvation
Tears fill the eyes of the man I’ve only seen cry once, and time stands still as he pulls Willow into a hug that’s less crushing than the one my mom gave her—but still telling all the same—and whispers, “Sweet Willow. It is so nice to meet you.”
My eyes burn from holding back my tears, but when I look at Ivy, and Jackie, and John, all sporting wetness gathered on their cheeks, I remember that I don’t have to—that I’m allowed to feel everything. So I give into the freedom of that, and let myself feel it all.
My dad ends the hug, stepping back to give Willow room to breathe. Her eyes find mine, and, in a tone entirely too similar to my teenage self, she says, “I can see why you are the way you are.”
I raise a pointed brow and smile. “Yeah, it must be in the genes.”
Willow huffs, crossing her arms and looking away, but I don’t miss the smile that threatens to creep onto her lips.
With my arm still around Ivy’s shoulder, I lean down to her, whispering dramatically in her hair. “I think I’m growing on her.”
Ivy’s bark of laughter fills my soul, and I preen under the sound, not even minding when she smacks me again and says, “You’re like mold, Campbell. You grow on everyone.”
The weight of my grin is impossible to contain because whether she realizes it or not, she just admitted that I’m growing on her, too.
Before anyone can say anything more, the sound of a truck with a muffler that has seen better days pierces the air. I look up to see Hayes pulling into my parents’ driveway, even though he knows my dad will only make him move so he doesn’t leak oil onto the concrete. It’s the game they play. My dad’s way of showing affection to my friend, who is also like a brother, and Hayes’s way of showing it back, because they are both perpetually grumpy. Two more trucks follow behind them, and then, once they are all in park, the people inside of them fall out like clowns out of a clown car.
I sigh, regretting giving Willow a choice for this party. I should have just said no because there’s no way she’s coming back around after meeting the chaos of my friends.
Dropping my arm from around Ivy’s shoulder, I pick up her hand and walk toward Willow, stopping beside her as John and Jackie talk with my parents and Kolton texts on his phone.
“Just remember you agreed to meet my family, and they,” I say, motioning toward the men and women walking our way, “are part of my family. No take-backs. That means you, too, sunshine.”
Willow eyes the ragtag group with a healthy dose of suspicion. Hayes leads with MJ tucked in beside him, her belly starting to swell from her pregnancy. She’s glowing, and it’s a good look for her. Silas walks beside them, a milkshake and a pink gift bag in hand, while Theo walks a little behind with Lily’s hand tucked into his. A straggler ambles behind the group, one of Theo’s fellow firemen, Zane—or as Hayes calls him, Theo’s version of me.
“I thought you said you only had one friend?” Willow asks, pulling her gaze from the approaching group to look at me.
“Noooo,” I say, stretching out the word, “Hayes said I only had one friend. And you believed him. He also claimed it was him, but he was wrong on both accounts. I have more than one friend, and my best friend is standing right here beside me.”
Glancing down at Ivy, I find her already staring up at me.
“I’m glad to know I finally rank above Hayes,” she says, the honey color of her eyes brighter today—more hypnotizing. “I always wondered when we were younger.”
She’s teasing me, but we both know that was never true. She never had to wonder. Ivy was always my number one choice.
“It was always you, sunshine,” I say with a kiss to her nose. She giggles, and Willow gags.
“Gross, a girl doesn’t need to see that.”
So I do it again, just because I can, and because this back and forth with Willow feels like our way of bonding.
When the group is close enough, I wrinkle my nose and pretend to sniff. Looking down at Ivy, I say, “Do you smell that, sunshine?” She shakes her head, a gleam of happiness in her eyes, and I continue. “It smells like a best friend stealer, and his lesser version of my awesomeness.”
Theo rolls his eyes, always undeterred by my antics. Lily smacks him, but Zane walks up to Ivy, taking the hand that isn’t holding mine and kissing her knuckles. He looks up at her and winks. “Don’t let him lie to you, sweetness. I’m the better version.”
A growl slips past my lips, and for a second, everyone freezes, surprised, but then Theo cracks a smile that turns into a gruff laugh. “Oh, I never thought I’d live to see the day Campbell let out his serious side.”
I grumble, tempted to revert back to the version I always show them, but then I feel it—a soft hand settling on my chest, right above my heart—and I’m reminded of the man I am trying to become for Ivy and Willow.
So I straighten my shoulders and stare him straight in the eyes when I say, “I’m finding some things are worth being serious for.” A look of understanding flashes in Theo’s eyes, and he gives me a gruff nod of pride, and I do the same. “With that said,” I say, looking at Zane, “don’t ever try to hit on my girl again—or I’ll be forced to show you why cops are far superior to rookie firemen.”
Snorting, Theo claps me on the shoulder. “Did you steal that material from Hayes? Because I’m pretty sure that was his threat to me, too—even though I had no intention of stealing his girl—and it wasn’t intimidating then either.”
“Whatever,” Hayes mutters, pulling MJ closer into his side. “You know you were scared.”
“Terrified,” Theo says dryly.
“Don’t worry, Hayes,” MJ says, pressing a kiss to his rough cheek. “I think you are very intimidating.”
