Page 71 of Maybe This Christmas
He tugged the card out and read.
Caleb,
I think I got caught up in the Christmas magic of this place.I never meant to hurt you.But it’s time for me to return to the real world.I’m sorry.I knew you would try to talk me out of it, so I took the coward’s way out.
Please forgive me.
Emma
He shoved the card unceremoniously back into the envelope.“Apparently, we all live in a dream world.”
Sabrina and Brandon exchanged another glance.“I don’t think that’s quite the reason she left.I have it on good authority that that ex of hers was nosing about.”
Oh.Well, that made sense, then.He couldn’t blame her.He was rich and good-looking.Davis could offer her a life Caleb never could.
God, he was so good at hurting his feelings.Why had he let himself fall so quickly?He felt like the biggest idiot in the Commonwealth right about now.
“They didn’t leave together, if that’s what you’re wondering.He huffed off a couple of hours before she left,” Brandon said.“And the biddies—”
“Does it matter?”He shook off his feelings.Emma owed him nothing.She’d been honest with him from the very start.So why do I feel like throwing up?
Maybe she was right.They were living in a dream world.The bubble would’ve popped eventually.
“I think it matters very much,” Brandon said.“Considering that I think she’s running scared.”
The last thing he wanted was to continue this conversation.“I’m going to my room for the night, unless I’m needed elsewhere?”
Sabrina frowned.“But there’s the concert and drinks afterward.”
“I’ve heard enough of the choir already.I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve,” Sabrina called after him.“Don’t think you can hide out in your room all day!”
He made a vague gesture to show he’d heard her, then slipped down the stairwell toward the second floor.
All he wanted was to be alone.None of this would be happening if his family had just left him alone in the first place.
He slammed his key card against the reader by his door and fell into bed, still fully clothed.If life were merciful, maybe he could find a way to sleep through Christmas.
* * * *
If her driver didn’t shut the hell up, she was going to lose her mind well before they reached DC.
First, Marge had rattled on about her most recent divorce—she was hoping to find husband number six in the new year.Now, she was trying to convince Emma to sign up for her multi-level marketing scheme.That totally isn’t a scam, no siree, Bob.
Thankfully, her phone began to ring as they hit the endless traffic that started roughly an hour outside of DC.She didn’t have much faith that Marge knew her way into the city, so she was taking her as far as Alexandria.Emma would catch the metro from there.
Emma would’ve preferred a conversation with a telemarketer over being told the wonders of ‘sparkling candles with money inside’ for one more second.
Luckily, it was Aniyah on the other end.
“Hey,” Emma said.“Why are you calling me tonight?Aren’t you busy?”
Marge met her eyes in the rearview mirror and let out a little huff at the interruption.
“I got a notification that your location changed.Why are you no longer at Sky House?”
Emma winced her eyes shut.Why had she forgotten to remove location tracking?She and Aniyah had always kept tabs on each other, going back to their time in foster care.She didn’t think Aniyah checked it much these days—after all, she had her own family to look after.
