Page 92 of Salvation
“What?” His voice cracks, and I smile up at him.
“You deserve me, too.”
“I don’t, Ivy. I really don’t.” Hair falls in his face as he shakes his head, denying what I’m saying, but I don’t let him.
Taking his face between my hands, I force him to look at me. “You do.”
His gaze bounces between mine as more tears slip from his eyes and soak into my hands. I brush them away with my thumbs, willing him to believe me. The muscles in his throatcontract as he swallows, and I stretch out, pressing a kiss beneath his chin. Campbell shudders, finally giving in.
“A lifetime of seconds, sunshine,” he says, reaching up and twirling my curl around his finger. “That’s how long I’ll love you.”
Chapter 38
Ivy
Campbell falls asleep in my arms, and when I’m sure he’s finally resting, I slip off the bed and quietly walk to the living room. With my hands on my hips, I take the place in, studying Campbell’s home now that fear isn’t a noose around my neck, cutting off my oxygen.
Based on what I’ve seen so far, it’s smaller than the houses Campbell and I grew up in, but I love it nonetheless. The walls are painted in warm, inviting colors, and the furniture actually feels like it’s meant to be used. It is a home, not just a house.
With my curiosity sated, I chew on my lip as I come up with a plan for where to start. It’s not as bad as I initially thought. Things mostly just need to be picked up and put where they go.
With a plan in place, I get to work, grabbing all the clothes and putting them away in one of the guest rooms. Campbell can put them in his room later if he wants, but for now, I don’t want to wake him. Even after he fell asleep, it was fitful for a while. He tossed and turned like his soul couldn’t rest. When he wakes up, I’ll convince him to call his doctor again and ask about changing his medicine.
I’m almost done putting all the clothes away when my phone rings. Walking to the living room so I’m further away from Campbell’s room, I pull it from my pocket and sit down on thecouch, not bothering to look at the name as I slide my thumb across the screen..
“Hello.”
“Ivy, dear. I’m so glad you answered.” Charles’s warm voice flows through the phone, and guilt eats at my insides. He’s called several times since that day that Willow showed up at my doorstep, but I haven’t answered any of them. I called him that day because I wanted a lawyer, but before he left, it felt more like I was getting family—and I’m terrified of family.
“Yeah,” I say, leaning forward and picking up the stuffed animal that’s lying on the coffee table. “I’m sorry I haven’t called you back. I’ve been working on this mural I was commissioned for, and uh—I’ve been getting to know my daughter.”
“Oh, Ivy. I’m so glad to hear that. So things worked out for you?”
My mind flicks to the confession I offered Campbell in his room and the way my relationship is slowly starting to grow with Willow. Despite what happened at the football game, we’ve been getting along well, working on the mural together.
“Yeah,” I say, absentmindedly stroking my thumb along the soft fur of the animal in my hands, wondering where Campbell would’ve gotten it from. “It is.”
“I’m happy for you, dear.” I can hear it in his voice that he means that. It’s not his way of controlling the narrative and protecting his reputation. He really does mean it.
“Thank you.”
“So, I was actually calling for a reason—and I hope you won’t think of me as too pushy—but I was wondering if I might be able to see you on Sunday. I mentioned to you that I’m doing some estate work for a church there in Benton Falls, and I’m finally getting around to attending. My whole family will be with me, and I would love it if you could meet them. And it doesn’t have to be at church,” he says, quickly. “It could be somewhereelse. Lunch after. Coffee. Anything you feel comfortable with.” Charles’s voice is gentle and kind, a tone I never once heard coming from my grandfather, and it hits me that I’ve been punishing him—pushing him away because I am scared his kindness is a mask he hides behind like my grandfather used to be. My grandfather never would have spent this much time pursuing a relationship with me.
“I would love to meet your family, Charles, but would it be okay if I get back to you about the location?”
“Sure, dear. That would be just fine. I’ll speak with you soon.”
He hangs up, and I stare at my phone, reflecting on all the ways my life has changed in such a short time.
“Ivy?” Campbell’s deep voice startles me, and I spin on the couch to look at him. His shoulder is leaning against the wall at the end of the hall leading back to his bedroom, and he’s wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He crosses his arms over his chest, causing the muscles in his forearms to bunch and drawing my attention. I have to physically force myself to look away from them and up at his eyes. When I finally do, I find him smirking at me and watching me with more life in his eyes than he had when I first got here.
“I’m glad you managed to find my eyes, sunshine. I was starting to worry you didn’t know where they were,” he says, a teasing lilt coloring his words.
I smirk, turning my back to him to sit back on the couch. “I knew where they were, Campbell. I just had better things to look at.”
Campbell lets out a surprised bark of laughter, and my skin pebbles with the sound. I hear him move, but I stay where I am, facing forward with the stuffed animal still in my hand. It doesn’t matter that I’m not looking at him; I can feel his presence like he’s part of me. He stops behind the couch, wrapping my ponytail around his fist and gently tugging it untilmy chin is tilted to the ceiling and I’m looking up at him. “Hmm, funny because your eyes are my favorite thing to look at.”
He leans down, pressing a kiss against my forehead, and heat blooms across my face. His lips linger, and by the time he pulls back, I’m smiling like an idiot—too happy with even the smallest bit of affection from this man.
