Chapter 159 159
Chapter 159 159
She takes a deep breath. “I… I should go back to Jo’s room. I want to be there when she wakes up in the morning.”
It’s an excuse, but I don’t stop her as she pushes herself off the bed. She needs room to breathe.
I sit up and watch as she gets dressed. She throws me only a half-hearted smile before she heads towards the door.
It’s a quiet, peaceful retreat, as far as she and I usually go.
But I fucking feel it in my bones.
This one hurts.
33
CAMILA
“Hello?”
Marcy’s tone is infallibly cheery. Not at all what I was expecting, really. Then again, in more than six years of knowing Eric, I’ve never actually heard the sound of his wife’s voice.
“Hi, is Eric there by any chance?”
I’m expecting the next question, but I still cringe when she asks it.
“Can I know who’s speaking?”
“Um, my name’s Cami. Camila.”
“Cami?”
“Yeah, I’m, uh… a friend of Eric’s.”
I don’t want Marcy thinking Eric’s having an affair or anything, so I add, “He was actually my agent at one point.”
“Camila?” she says again, as though she’s met me before.
“That’s me.”
“Well, isn’t this something! I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“You have?”
I can practically hear the smile in her voice. “Oops, I don’t think I’m supposed to say that.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I’ve already forgotten what you said.”
“Thanks, dear. Hold on, I’ll put Eric on.” She pushes the receiver away from her mouth before she yells for him, but it still comes through loud and clear. “ERIC!”
Their comfort with each other translates even through the phone. Just the way she says his name speaks volumes. A part of me is envious of it.
A second later, I hear scratching noises as the phone changes hands.
“Camila?”
“Hi Eric.”
“Jesus, are you alright?”
“Of course I am. I’m fine, Eric.”
“Thank God,” he breathes. “I was so worried I’d made a mistake by letting you go off with him.”
“You didn’t,” I assure him. “I’m safe. And… so is Jo.”
“Jo?”
“She’s with me now, Eric.”
“Oh my God,” he says. “Cami, I’m so happy for you.”
I smile. “Thanks.”
“Not exactly according to protocol, but whatever. Protocol can get fucked at this point, I guess.” He chuckles. “How’s it been being reunited with your daughter?”
“It’s been… oh, you know, amazing. Challenging, but amazing.”
He catches the tone in my voice at once. “Challenging, huh?”
I feel myself blushing even though I know he can’t see me squirming in shame. “She doesn’t exactly run to me for things. She finds it easier running to Nikita.”
“Nikita?”
“Isaak’s mother.”
“Wow, so it’s a family affair then?”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“What are you if not family, Camila?”
I sigh. “That’s the problem, Eric. I don’t really know.”
“Hey, kid, listen… it was always going to be an adjustment for you. No matter which way you swing it.”
“Speaking of swinging it… what did you tell the agency?”
“That you chose to leave our protection of your own accord.”
“And they believed it?”
“Well, I had the paperwork,” he admits, sounding a little guilty.
I laugh in amazement. “How in the world did you manage that?”
“I already had it all drawn up and ready for when you were planning on leaving after your marriage. I just fudged the dates a little bit.”
“Damn, Eric. You’re a regular old maverick. Didn’t think you had it in you.”
“God, stop, I’m begging you. I feel guilty enough as it is.”
“Don’t be. It was the right thing for me, being here.”
“With Isaak, you mean?”
“Yeah. I guess, yes.”
“And he’s been treating you well?”
“I mean, sure.”
Eric pauses for a moment. “That doesn’t sound very convincing.”
“It’s just complicated. And I’m not sure I should be talking about this with you.”
“You’re mortally wounding me here, Camila. I thought we were friends.”
“We are! We definitely are.”
“Then why shouldn’t you confide in me? Unless… he’s controlling what you say?”
I rush to reassure him. “No, no, no. No, he’s not. He knew I was going to call you today and he didn’t say a word.”
“But was he happy?”
“Eric,” I say with an ironic laugh, “come on. This is Isaak Vorobev we’re talking about. He’s not exactly the ‘happy’ type.”
“Hmm…”
“What?”
“I’m just trying to figure it out. The commonalities. Like, what is a sweet summer child like you doing with the Lord of Darkness over there? What do you two talk about? What do you do when you spend time together?”
I smile. “Mostly just really raunchy, deviant sexual escapades.”
He splutters into a cough. “Dear Lord!”
I crack up as Eric proceeds to yell at me. “Sorry, sorry, I’m only kidding.”
“Well, the heart attack you just gave me feels very real indeed. Okay, I think this is a good place to end this conversation.”
“Oh, boo, don’t be such a prude.”
“You do sound a lot better,” he laughs. “Happier.”
Hearing him say that makes me realize something: that I actually am happy. At least as happy as you can be knowing that the father of your child is about to start a full-scale war with the man who were going to marry.
Damn, my life is complicated.
Something occurs to me out of nowhere. “By the way, whatever happened with Andrew?”
“He threw a hissy fit when I showed up at HQ with your signed papers. Claimed I’d forged them.”
“Did anyone take him seriously?”
“A few, but they were drowned out by the rest. I’ve been in the agency a long time. And my friends had my back.”
“Politics, huh?”
“You said it.”
I smile. “Catch up again sometime soon?” I ask.
“That sounds good.”
“Maybe you can bring Marcy. She sounds lovely.”
“Marcy,” he sighs.
In the background, I hear her cry out good-naturedly, “Are you gossiping about me, Eric Scott Keller?”
“I hear you two are the ones gossiping about me,” I tease.
He blanches. “She told you? I love that woman to death, but God, she can’t keep a secret to save her life.”
“Um, excuse me, you’re the one who’s been telling her stuff!”
“You gonna make me feel bad about this now? Just what I needed: two women teaming up on one poor old man.”
I laugh. “Poor old man, my ass. You’re gonna outlive us all. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”
“Be safe, Cami.”
“Will do. You, too.”
I hang up and lean back in Isaak’s massive black leather chair. It’s clearly been built for him, because I feel as though I’m being swallowed by it.
“Nice chat?”