Getting out of that house and away from Cal and his precious, safe family is exactly what I needed. I feel like I'm finally able to breathe again. I had sort of gotten used to being alone during the couple of weeks I spent looking for Cal. At the time, I hadn't appreciated it, but now that I'm stuck in a house, surrounded by Cal's new life, I long for my own space.

Maybe I should just leave.

The idea sounds momentarily tempting, but then I remember Cal's quiet voice asking me to not disappear.

It's not like I owe him anything, and he'd clearly be fine without me...

But the idea of walking away from him, after finally having him in my life again, makes my heart ache.

Your heart aches when you're around him too, you dumb bitch.

True, but that's a different kind of ache, and a piece of me keeps whispering to my aching heart that we might still have a chance.

After all, I found him back. Why would life bring me back to him if we weren't meant to be?

And then there's the other facts: He got pissed at the idea of Theo and I sleeping together. He has to keep himself away from me whenever my clothes aren't on. According to Emily, he was arguing with April before I left the house.

His marriage might not be as perfect as it first seemed. The guy ended up in rehab a week after saying his vows! That can't be a good sign... for April. It definitely seems like a good sign for me.

My thoughts screech to a halt.

Did I just tell myself that Cal ending up in rehab, after being clean for a year, was a good thing for me?

Who the hell am I?

I don't know the answer to that question. I've been letting my love and need for Cal run my life for far too long. I don't know who I am without it... But it seems I don't know who I am with it, either.

My stomach grumbles as I walk along the edge of the road to head back to Cal's house.

I've lost track of time while wandering around town, but I know I've been out for a few hours now. I wish I had thought to bring a bit of cash to get a muffin or something, but my mind had only been focusing on getting the hell out of there when Cal kept going on and on about parenting.

I also wish I had taken the time to find the mechanic shop Cal mentioned, so that I could have gotten him to pick me up. My feet are aching. I only slept for a few hours last night, and my body is running on half an egg and a glass of water. I should have started walking back hours ago, but I hadn't been ready to face reality.

Now, reality is biting me in the ass, as my hunger and aching feet make each slow step feel more difficult.

I hear a vehicle approaching and move off the road to give them more space. As forlorn as my life feels, I'd rather not become roadkill if this driver isn't paying attention.

From the corner of my eye, I see a large truck coming up behind me. Rather than drive past me, it slows down, and the gravel crunches as its wheels move off the paved road onto the stone shoulder behind me.

I move onto the grass as my heart begins to pound anxiously in my chest. What the hell are they stopping for?

I don't want to stick around to find out. I pick up my pace, hoping they'll drive off if I don't give them any attention, but it's of no use.

The truck continues driving behind me at a snail's pace. Whoever is behind the wheel doesn't seem to care that I'm not interested in talking.

"Hey Princess," a deep voice calls after me, "You running again?"

The anxiety in my chest skyrockets at the low voice trying to make conversation, but then the words settle in my mind.

Running again. Princess.

Well, if it isn't Mr. Miserable Giant. Once again, scaring the crap out of me.

I stop in my tracks and Theo hits the brakes on his truck as it comes up beside me. He has that stupid scowl on his face, but it goes away when he gets a good look at my expression.

"Hey," his voice comes out gently, like he's talking to an injured animal, "you okay?"

"No, Theodore, I'm not okay! I thought I was about to get abducted and sold into some human trafficking ring!"

He starts to laugh, but quickly shuts his mouth again when I stare up at him with a pissed off expression. "Oh, you're being serious."

"Yes, I'm—You know what, fuck you!" I turn away from his truck and start walking again.

"Emilia, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have laughed," he calls after me, once again letting his truck roll forward at a walking speed, "I honestly thought you were kidding. I thought you just didn't stop walking before because you didn't want to talk to me."

"I don't want to talk to you."

"Because I laughed at you? Or you already didn't want to talk to me before that?"

"Yes, that!"

"That, what?"

I let out a frustrated sound and stop walking again. "I don't know!" I stomp my foot like an upset child. "I'm hungry, and I can't think!" As if on cue, my stomach lets out a loud grumble.

Theo has once again stopped his truck beside me. He glances down at my stomach, as if he's waiting for it to talk to him, and then meets my eyes. "You want a ride?"

"Not from you," I grumble.

"Get in the truck, Princess," Theo grumbles back.

I huff, and he adds, "Don't make me abduct you."

My eyes go wide at his threat. It's not that I'm scared, I'm just surprised that Mr. Holy went there.

Theo strokes his beard thoughtfully and then grimaces. "Too far?"

I nod my head. "Too far. Dark humour doesn't look good on you, Saint Theodore. Stick to your prayers."

He nods now too. "You're right. That felt really uncomfortable. Would you please let me give you a ride now, so that I don't feel like the world's biggest creep? I promise, straight home. No funny stuff. No sex ring stops for me today."

I shake my head at him. "There you go again with the dark jokes." I walk around the front of the truck and Theo leans across the cab to open the door for me. "Tsk, tsk," I continue, as I pull myself up into the truck and shut the door behind me, "That will be fifty Hail Marys for you, Mister."

"Well it's a good thing I'm a Calvinist," Theo replies. "Put your seatbelt on."

"You're a what?"

Theo gives the seatbelt across his chest two short tugs and looks at me expectantly. He waits for me to comply, before he puts the truck in drive and looks over his shoulder to check for oncoming traffic. He pulls back onto the paved road and answers my question, as if he hadn't skipped a beat. "A Calvinist."

"Did Cal start a cult?"

Theo laughs loudly and looks over at me with a grin. It disappears when he sees my confused expression. "You're serious?"

"Well, no, I don't think he actually started a cult, but I have no idea what you're talking about or what it has to do with Cal." I cross my arms over my chest and look out the window, wondering if April will be okay with me joining them for dinner. I'd prefer not to sit down with them for another meal, but my empty stomach is telling me I don't have a choice.

Theo chuckles again and shakes his head with amusement. "It has nothing to do with Cal. He just so happens to share a name with the guy who helped move things away from Catholicism. You know, part of the Reformation."

I have no idea what he's talking about. I also don't really care, but it's taking my mind off of my crappy mood and hungry stomach, so I continue the conversation. "So... the guy who started the cult?"

"Yeah. I'll have you drinking the Kool aid in no time," Theo replies, then glances at me again. "That was a joke."

"I thought we've already established that you're not all that funny."

"Ahh, right, right. I'll just glare out the window and start sulking like you instead. Would that be more to your liking?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

We drive on in silence for a few minutes.

Fucking Theodore. I didn't expect him to actually listen to me. I turn my head to look at him and sure enough, his thick eyebrows are drawn together and his lips are slightly puckered in a childish pout. I've seen this man scowl many times, but never has it been so exaggerated and dramatic.

"You're such a loser!" I mean to grumble the words at him, but there's laughter in my voice.

Theo whips his head in my direction and sneers at me. "Less laughing, more sulking!"

I reach across the cab to push his face away, and Theo turns back to look out the front window again, a tiny smile on his lips.

"What the fuck is in your beard, man?" I ask him when I pull my hand back and realize there's a light, almost sandy substance sticking to my fingers.

Theo reaches up to scratch at the bushy hair and then looks at his fingers. "Sawdust, and probably a bit of dirt," he answers with a shrug.

"You got up at five in the morning to roll around in dirt and sawdust?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I've been doing all day," he answers, followed by a slow head shake. "Meanwhile, my guys were building a house, but I didn't think they needed any help, so I just kept rolling."

"Building a house?"

"Yeah. I run a framing crew. We're working on a subdivision about an hour from here, but I like to get an early start, especially when we work Saturdays. That way we can go home at a decent time, but still get a full day in."

"That's cool."

Theo must think I'm being sarcastic, because he shrugs his shoulders again. "I know, it's not the most glamorous job, but you need framers if you want houses to live in, so someone's gotta do it."

I don't bother correcting him, since I hadn't meant to say the compliment out loud in the first place. We don't exactly have the type of relationship where we compliment each other. In fact, we don't exactly have a relationship at all. I'm just his brother-in-law's ex-girlfriend and he's just a miserable giant who keeps scaring the crap out of me... and helping me out whenever he can.

"This cult of yours... You get brownie points for being a good guy?"

"Cult," Theo says with a slow nod. "Can we take a hot minute to make sure that you don't think I'm actually part of a cult?"

"Hmmm..." I observe him from head to toe, then shrug my shoulders. "I guess you don't seem like the cult joining type, but I wouldn't know what a cult joiner does look like."

Probably not a tall mass of denim, plaid, sawdust, and muscle though, if I really had to guess.

"Yeah, I wouldn't know either... But to answer your question, no, we don't get brownie points for being good guys. That's actually sort of the opposite of Calvinism."

"So... You're supposed to be bad guys?"

"What? How did you..." He drifts off and nods his head before continuing, "Okay, I guess I get your confusion. But, uh, no, that's not what I meant. I don't really know how to explain it simply, but it's like... you being good isn't going to get you anywhere, because no one's really that good on their own, ya know? It's because God's good that you get somewhere. By grace."

He glances at me with an unsure expression, like he knows that he's not making any sense, and yet, he keeps talking. "And then, when you know that, and are thankful for that, then you do good. So, you're not good 'cause you're good, but you're good 'cause you know you're not that good, but that God's good, so by His grace you can be... good." He sighs and rubs his forehead. "There's probably a hundred people in this town that could explain it better to you."

"Yeah, you've completely lost me... Are you sure you're not a part of a cult?"

He laughs and shakes his head. "This is why I build houses," he mumbles, as if speaking to himself, "Ask me how to stick frame an eight-twelve gable to gable roof and I'll tell ya, no problem."

"Why would I need to know that?"

"You don't, I just... Remind me why I didn't leave you on the side of the road?"

"I don't know. You belong to a sex trafficking cult or something."

Theo chuckles and shakes his head for the hundredth time. "Let's just not talk for the rest of the drive, 'kay?"

"Fine with me, Theodore."

But as we drive on in silence, I find myself missing the conversation. Even if I have no idea what the mountain man is talking about half the time, it's better than being alone with my thoughts.

The surroundings outside begin to look familiar, notifying me that we must be getting close to April and Theo's homes. The clock on the dashboard tells me it's not even five yet, but I'm still hoping that April has started cooking something for dinner.

As if on cue, my stomach lets out another rumble.

"Hungry?" Theo asks, even though the answer to his question has literally been growling at him since he pulled over next to me.

"Starving," I answer, "I'm not even trying to be dramatic. I could eat an entire..."

I stop talking when I notice Cal, April, and Emily walking on the sidewalk.

Emily is up on Cal's shoulders, swinging her feet back and forth without a care in the world, as she lightly drums her hands on his head. Cal holds one of her knees with one hand, while his other is laced with April's. Their arms swing back and forth between them, like they're auditioning for a role for a picture perfect, suburban family.

"An entire... ?"

I hear Theo's voice, but I've lost track of what we were talking about. My hungry stomach feels like it's suddenly been stuffed with rocks, and my head thunks against the passenger side window.

Theo doesn't say anything else, but this time I'm thankful for the silence. I don't have it in me to banter back and forth anymore.

We drive past the happy family and pull into Theo's driveway. I start to reach for the door handle, but before I can crack it open, the truck begins moving in reverse.

I turn to look at Theo with a confused expression, but he doesn't give an explanation. He just backs out of the driveway, turning the truck around to head back in the direction we just came from.

We drive past Cal, April, and Emy again, and at the last moment Cal notices us. He lifts his hand in a slow wave, a puzzled look on his face.

Theo waves back, but still doesn't say anything to me, and I honestly couldn't care less.

He could actually take me to a human trafficking ring right now, and I'd be grateful. Anything to get away from that safe, perfect family, and their peppy way of rubbing their happiness in my face, whether unintentionally or not.