Swallowing, Noah replied, “Her granddaughter.”
“Were you engaged to this person?” she whispered between gritted teeth.
Noah could only nod. He was a coward. He was a jerk. Was he going to regret bringing her here, finally o
pening up to her in his own way?
Perhaps subconsciously he’d brought her here as a way to tell her. Callie deserved to know, and there was no easy way to break the news about his past.
“Here we are,” Thelma stated as she came back with a photo. “I’ve had this here for a long time and I love looking at it, but I think maybe you could put it in your new home together.”
Noah barely caught a glimpse of the photo as it passed from Thelma’s hand to Callie’s. And with that simple exchange, he knew any hope he’d had of not sharing the full truth with Callie was gone.
Callie looked down at the photo and nearly choked on instant tears that filled her. Noah had not only been engaged, but he’d been engaged to a woman who looked very similar to her.
Noah’s arm was wrapped around the shoulders of this Malinda person and they were both smiling into the camera with their heads tilted toward each other. Callie wanted to tear it up, throw the confetti pieces into the air and run like hell out this door.
But because Thelma was looking at her with such hope and admiration, Callie smiled. “Thank you. This is wonderful.”
“I’m giving this to you and hopefully you can give me another photo of the two of you, but this time I’d like one from the wedding.”
Callie nodded. “Um, I’m not feeling so well.”
Noah tried to put an arm over her shoulder, but Callie stepped aside. She didn’t want him to touch her.
“Oh, darling,” Thelma said with a frown. “Are you all right?”
“I’m just tired, I think. Would you mind if we discussed the wedding another time?”
“Of course.” Thelma looked to Noah. “Get her home and take care of her.”
“I intend to,” Noah told her. “It was good to see you.”
“Please, come back soon,” Thelma said with a smile. “I miss seeing you both together. It just warms my heart.”
Callie accepted the hug from the frail woman and managed not to burst into tears at the innocent endearment.
When they got back in the car, Callie didn’t even know where to begin. The hurt was so deep, so all-consuming, she feared she’d break into a million pieces before she learned the full extent of his lies.
“You were engaged to her granddaughter?” Callie asked.
Noah sighed. He didn’t start the car, didn’t even turn to look at her…which should’ve told her the amount of guilt he carried.
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes. “And you didn’t think to mention that to me? Or the fact we have similar features?”
“Honestly—”
Callie laughed and glared at him. “Yes, Noah. Let’s try for honesty.”
Now he did turn to face her and Callie had to steel herself against the pain in his eyes.
“I didn’t think you needed to know,” he told her. “I didn’t want my past to play a part in my present.”
“Or your future?” Callie mocked. “Or did you not see me in your future, Noah? Did you think when I was healed I would just go back to my apartment, forget how good we were together and you could go on your way, too? Because I for one had envisioned more for us than just a few intimate moments. You met my family. You acted as if what we had was so much more. Was it all a lie? A way to pass the time until you got over your fiancée?”
“I never acted with you, Callie. And I never told you this was long-term.”