Page 132 of The Stolen Moments Trilogy

Dad bursts out laughing. “Right. You’re just shagging her, huh? Boy, after all this time you might as well make it official.”

I feel sick. I can literally feel the color drain from my face. My heart aches at the mere thought of Carter with Layla. I knew he would’ve moved on, I just never expected it to be with someone I know. The two of them must be the town’s golden couple. The successful entrepreneur and the doctor.

I rise to my feet and grab my phone. “Excuse me, I should really call Sam back.”

Why do I suddenly feel like crying? It shouldn’t matter to me that he’s dating. He shouldn’t matter to me at all. It’s Sam I should be focusing on.

Chapter 10

Emilia

I lean back against my closed bedroom door and inhale deeply. What is wrong with me? Why am I this upset? I haven’t even seen Carter in eight years. How could he possibly still affect me this much? So what if he’s dating Layla? I shouldn’t care.

I sink down on my bed and try to calm myself. It’s just all these memories that are throwing me off, that’s all. Besides, it’s not uncommon to be curious about your ex. I clutch my phone tightly and scroll through my contacts until my finger hovers over Sam’s number. What am I supposed to tell him?

I inhale deeply and press dial. He picks up almost immediately, and I feel even worse for not picking up during dinner.

“Hey,” I whisper.

“Emilia, is everything okay? I tried calling you a few times, but I couldn’t get through.”

I bite down on my lip and nod, even though he can’t see me. “Yes, everything is fine. It’s just all been a lot. Dad seems okay, but he’s hooked up to a machine for four hours every single day. It’s really hard to see.”

Sam sighs. “I looked up your hometown, and it looks like the closest dialysis center isn’t even in your town. The commute must be exhausting for him too.”

I freeze and fall silent, my heart racing. I can’t not tell him, but I’m worried about letting him down. I feel like all I ever do lately is letting him down one way or another.

“There’s something I need to tell you, Sam,” I whisper. “But don’t overthink it, all right?”

It’s Sam’s turn to fall silent, and for a second neither one of knows what to say. “You’re worrying me, Emilia. What’s going on?”

I inhale deeply and close my eyes. “I didn’t quite realize, but while I’ve been away, my dad seems to have gotten quite close to the neighbors — to Carter. I’m not really sure if you remember him at all. I think I might have mentioned him once or twice, years ago. Either way, it seems like Carter offered to help with my father’s treatment, and he has this room in his house that he’s pretty much transformed into a private dialysis clinic.”

I can hear Sam inhale deeply, and I can just imagine him pinching the bridge of his nose. “Carter, your ex? The guy you were so in love with that you wouldn’t even give me a single chance for years?”

I shake my head as though he can see me and squeeze my eyes closed. “No, it wasn’t because of him,” I say, knowing full well that I’m lying to both him and myself.

“Emilia,” he whispers. “I don’t know what to say. I thought he was just someone you dated at college. You never even told me he’s someone from your hometown. What does this mean? Do you see him every day now? How come you’re only just bringing this up now? You’ve been there for a week.”

I need to tell him the full truth, but I didn’t think it’d be this hard. “I… about that… actually, before I even got here, my dad had already moved in with Carter. He’s got this chef that cooks for my dad in accordance with his doctor’s instructions, and he’s got a personal trainer too. I’ve been meaning to tell you, but our conversations have been so short, with the time difference and all. I guess I also just didn’t want to worry you needlessly.”

My heart beats loudly as I wait for Sam’s reply. I feel like I’m letting him down, and I hate that.

“Carter… he’s not Carter Clarke, is he?” Sam asks, sounding tense.

I inhale deeply before replying. “I— yes.”

“Your ex-boyfriend is the CEO of one of the most influential technology companies of all time? Clarke Reed is headquartered in Woodstock, isn’t it?” he whispers, seemingly more to himself than to me.

“Technically, yes. But I don’t care about any of that, Sam. He’s just Carter to me. Besides, I barely even see him. And it’s only you I want, Sam.”

The words come out rushed, and I worry that he won’t believe me. I swallow hard as he falls silent.

“I’m not comfortable with this, Emilia. I’m not comfortable with you staying in his house. Because that’s where you’re staying, isn’t it?”

I fall back on my bed and sigh. “Yes. I’m sorry, I should’ve told you the second I got here. But honestly, all I’ve been able to think about is my dad. I’ve barely even seen Carter. We’ve spoken maybe a handful of sentences to each other. It’s not a big deal, I swear. Besides, he’s got a girlfriend anyway,” I say, thinking of Layla.

“Not according to Google, he doesn’t,” Sam says, sounding angry.

---