He didn’t turn away and his voice rang with certainty. Hope was also recognisable. And Hope was a close friend to Fate and her arsenal of bastards—probably more like sick lovers.
For once, she appreciated the darkness around her. The hurt inside would no doubt be plastered on her face. The lack of light gave her a comforting veil to hide behind.
“We can be whatever you want, Callum. Frankly, I don’t really care or understand. Since you have my whole life figured out for me, you should know that I would say get the hell out of my house… But I’m not. Stay until morning. The storm will be finished by then. Blankets are where you think they are. I’m going to bed. The couch is yours, ‘friend or at least something along those lines,’” Peyton said.
Then she walked towards her room, not waiting for him to reply, allowing her pride to win and accept that she’d gotten the last word.
“Don’t cry, Peyton. Just don’t cry,” she told herself.
It was pointless. Her quick blinks couldn’t stop the tears. Peyton looked up at the willow tree branches and squeezed her eyes closed. She kept them shut as she tried to compose herself. After she walked back into the house, she ran into her room and sat on her bed, unable to stop the sobs that escaped.
The moment she heard the sound of the trucks reversing, she stilled. When she couldn’t hear the engines driving away, Peyton got off her bed and walked out of the house. Unsure of where she was going, she continued to take steps until she reached the lake path. She could either turn right and go up the hill to town or continue to her parents’ hotel. Going into town wasn’t an option as the tourists and locals would fill the streets. And her mother would know something had happened the moment that she saw Peyton.
To her left, the bench under the willows caught her eye. She sat on it and looked out onto the lake. It was still early. No one would be by the lake for a while. Those who lived in Daylesford always had a routine, never changing or altering what they did on a daily basis. But now, Callum was gone. And the comfort of a routine had been taken away. Everything had changed.
She never sat on this bench. Normally, if she were around the lake, she’d run into the forest with Callum and stay there until she had to go home. But now, it was all over. He was on his way to the city, leaving her behind.
“Peyton?”
She opened her eyes and quickly wiped her cheeks before she turned her head. The first thing that caught her eye was a bundle of lavender tied together with a purple ribbon. She looked up to see a concerned frown on Graham Scott’s face.
He had always been nice to her, and she’d always liked the dimple that graced his smile. Peyton sniffed before she sat up properly.
“Are you okay?” Graham asked before he took a seat next to her, placing the lavender in his lap.
“You’re normally not in town on Mondays,” she said. Then she gave him a fake smile, hoping he’d ignore the state she was in.
“Dad couldn’t do the deliveries, so I told him that I’d do them,” he replied. The concern look on his face didn’t go away and that made Peyton uncomfortable.
“Oh. Did you already drop off the hotel’s order?”
“Yeah. Jenny took them off me.”
Jenny Fields was the manager of The Spencer-Dayle. If there were any problems with the guests or the hotel, they went through her before Peyton’s parents found out. Jenny had been the one to cover for Peyton when she used to sneak away from her desk duties to be with Callum.
“I’ve never seen you around the lake this early,” Graham pointed out.
Peyton turned her head and looked out at the water. With a deep breath, she ignored the searing heat that had settled in her chest. She’d have to find a way to move on from Callum Reid. He had left her in their small town alone while he escaped to the city. Peyton didn’t have the heart to leave this small place that held so many of their memories. Even though the moments she shared with him were painful to remember, she’d treasure them and their town. The sight of the boathouse and the flag being raised brought a sad smile to her face. Daylesford was officially awake for the day.
“Just out for a walk.”
“Here,” Graham said.
She looked over to see him holding the flowers out to her. The bright-purple colour was truly beautiful. His family’s farm was famous for having the best lavender in the area. That’s why the town was so loyal to the Scott family business—The Spencer-Dayle being one of their biggest clients.
Peyton shook her head and gave him half a smile. She appreciated the gesture. “I can’t take them from you, Graham. Don’t you have to deliver them to someone?”
He shook his head. “There’s no one more important than you right now, Peyton, and I’m done with my deliveries,” he stated, his mouth tugging upwards, revealing his dimple.
Not wanting to hurt his feelings, Peyton took them from him. Then she brought them to her nose and inhaled the scent. Fresh and beautiful. It smelt exactly like her parents’ hotel.
“Thank you. I appreciate this,” she said, placing the bundle on her lap and admiring them.