Page 80 of Love You Madly

“Who was that?” Will asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Callie,” I say, taking a sip of my beer as if my heart isn’t pounding in my chest. “She needs help moving this weekend, so I’m going to head up to Hawkridge after work tomorrow to give her a hand.”

“Hawkridge? That’s a bit of a drive,” Luke remarks, leaning back in his chair. “You must really like this girl.”

“You sure it’s just a hand you’re going to give her,” Vince chimes, taking a pull from his beer and trying to hide his smile.

“She’s a friend,” I say, shooting a glare Vince’s way. “Plus, she’s pregnant and doesn’t have anyone else to help her out. It’s not a big deal.”

Vince smirks, nudging Luke. “Yeah, just a friend. Sure.”

I roll my eyes but can’t help the small smile that forms on my lips. “Seriously, guys. She’s a good friend, and she needs help.”

Will nods, giving me a more serious look. “Well, it’s good of you to help her out.”

“How much help does she need?” Luke asks with a wink. “I know a few good men that could also help her, if you know what I mean.”

“Luke,” I say through gritted teeth, “Not. Fucking. Cool.”

Luke throws his hands up in mock innocence. “I’m kidding!”

Will attempts to relieve the sudden tension between Luke and me. “Just make sure you don’t overdo it. Moving is a pain in the ass.”

“I know,” I say. “But it’s worth it to see her settled in a new place. She’s had a rough time lately, and she deserves a fresh start.”

Luke clinks his beer bottle against mine. “To fresh starts, then. And to good friends.”

We raise our drinks, the mood lightening again. As we talk and laugh, I can’t help but feel a sense of anticipation for the weekend. Helping Callie move might just be the start of something new for both of us.

“So, how did you end up reconnecting with Callie?” Vince asks, leaning forward with interest. “Last I knew, you hadn’t talked to her in a while and started dating Karissa. I’m so out of the loop, man.”

“Pulling double shifts constantly will do that to you,” I remind him.

I take another sip of my beer, stalling as I gather my thoughts. My mind is racing, trying to find a way to answer Will’s question without overcomplicating things. “I lost myphone a few weeks ago,” I finally say, my voice steady, “and just got it back. She was one of the first people I reached out to when I got it back. We’ve been texting since.”

Will raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying my casual tone. “Did you ever actually get her last name?”

The question hits me like a punch to the gut. Fuck. My stomach drops. How the hell did I never think to ask her that? We’ve been talking non-stop, like old friends who’ve known each other for years. But somehow, the basics got lost in all of it. “No…” I admit, dragging the word out as if speaking slowly will lessen the sting of the realization. How could I have been so careless?

I pull my phone out of my pocket, feeling an unsettling mix of embarrassment and disbelief. I’ve been so caught up in everything else—our conversations, the ease of falling back into talking to her—that I missed something this obvious. My fingers hover over the screen as I notice a new notification. It’s from Callie, with the address of her new house. Perfect timing.

I force myself to focus. I can’t let this slip through the cracks again. Time to ask the awkward question.

Me:

So, I have an awkward question…

As soon as I hit send, my nerves spike. Is this really awkward? Or am I making it weird? I glance around the bar, trying to distract myself from the sudden anxious feeling in my chest. Maybe she won’t even care. It’s not like I’ve known her for years… except it kind of feels like I have.

The screen lights up almost immediately, and her reply pops up.

Callie:

Oh God.

Me:

Callie… What's your last name? You never told me.

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