“Hello?” I mutter, sitting up and wiping the sleep from my eyes.
“Cam…” At the sound of my dad’s voice, my eyes open all the way.
“Dad?” I breathe.
“Hey, sweetie, yeah, it’s me. I’ve been so worried about you.” His words, matched with his concerned toned, have me tearing up. “Where are you? I just got a note that told me to call you at this number.”
“Oh, Dad, I’ve missed you so much,” I choke out.
“What’s going on, Cam? I tried calling you when you didn’t come to visit me, but your phone was turned off, and then I learned Isaac died in an explosion. I’ve been worried sick in here.”
“I’m so sorry. Isaac is alive. Someone tried to kill him and he faked his death while he tries to figure out who did it.” Isaac mentioned the other day, Noah is now a suspect, and it makes perfect sense since he has the means and clearly, for whatever reason, wants his money. If he was willing to hold me captive and force me into marriage, who’s to say he’s not capable of setting up Isaac to be killed.
“So, he’s okay? That’s good. How are you?”
Keeping it short, since our time is limited, I give him a brief recap about what’s happened with me. How I leaned on Noah, thinking he was being a friend, until the second I refused to cooperate and his switch flipped, turning him into a psycho, who was holding me captive and demanding I marry him against my will.
“Jesus, Cam. Thank God Isaac was able to find you,” Dad says, horror in his voice. “Damn it, I hate being locked in here.”
“Isaac didn’t save me,” I mutter. “He saw pictures of Noah comforting me at the funeral and when he was told we applied for a marriage license and learned we were living together, he assumed I had moved on. I just don’t get it. It’s like he doesn’t even know how much I love him. How could he believe I would move on that fast?”
“Oh, Cam. I don’t believe that. I’ve seen you two together. He knows how much you love him, but sometimes love has a way of making us stupid.” He chuckles under his breath, and for the first time I find myself cracking a smile. “The harder we love, the harder we hurt and we expect the worst, waiting for the other shoe to drop, because in our world, that shoe almost always drops. Maybe, instead of being mad at him for assuming the worst, you can show him why it’s okay to believe in your love. I know you fell hard and fast, but this is all still new. You both have a lot of growing up to do… together.”
His words, his wisdom, wrap around my heart like a vine, squeezing it just enough to remind me it’s still inside me and beating. He’s right. Our love might be strong, but it’s still new and fragile. And neither of us is perfect. We’re going to make mistakes. I asked him to pull me closer, yet as soon as I got upset, I pushed him away as well.
“Cam, you there?” Dad asks softly.
“Yeah, thank you, Dad. I needed to hear that.”
“I’m always here for you, sweetie. Now tell me something good. I don’t want our conversation to end on a bad note.”
“I’m pregnant,” I blurt out, remembering the rainbow during the storm.
“What? I’m going to be a grandpa?” he asks, his voice filled with emotion.
“Yep. I’m due in February.”
“Congratulations. You’re going to make a wonderful mother.”
“Thank you.”
The guard announces our time is up, so we reluctantly say goodbye with me promising to see him as soon as I can and for him to call me when he can.
We hang up, and I sit in bed for several minutes staring at the phone, that’s no doubt thanks to Isaac. It’s been a week since I found out Isaac was alive, and every day, he’s made it a point to spoil me rotten, while I’ve stubbornly ignored him.
The day after I arrived, a brand-new wardrobe appeared—all maternity clothes, complete with cute bathing suits to use in the pool. The next day, I woke up to an iPad on the nightstand with an Amazon account filled with money to purchase e-books. The fourth day, I found an assortment of sweets on the counter with a note that read, “In case you’re having any cravings.” There was also my favorite ice cream in the freezer and more snacks in the fridge. Two days ago, a maternity box appeared. It was for pregnant women in their second trimester and included items like lotion, relaxing herbal tea, comfy socks, and a plush robe. Yesterday, another box appeared filled with a pregnancy journal and polaroid camera to document every milestone. On top of all that, he’s made me breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, which I’ve accepted but refused to eat with him.