Chapter 12: The Last Pew

I turned around and looked at him.

Caleb stood in the middle of the studio with his hands at his sides.

He did not look away.

"Is it true?" I asked.

"Yes."

"You knew what she does."

"I knew what she did to Linnea. I'd heard about the other two."

His voice was low and flat.

"When your engagement went in the society pages, I knew how it would end."

"A year," I said. "And you sat in the last pew."

"I told myself I'd stand up."

"When?"

"I was waiting for the right second."

"You were waiting," I said. "I was in a car, listening to my fiancé hand my aisle to another woman."

"Cassandra."

"Did you think about calling me?"

"Every day." He took a breath. "I warned Linnea once, and it ruined her."

"So you stayed quiet."

"I thought you'd tell Colin the same way. Rowena would move the date up, and I'd have nothing to show anyone."

"You wanted a recording."

"I wanted her in front of a room, with the proof running behind her."

"So you let it happen to me, for the recording."

"I let it happen to you," he said, "and I have not forgiven myself for one hour of it."

Linnea said nothing.

I looked at the floor.

If I looked at his face, I would hit him or forgive him, and I wasn't ready for either.

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