Page 108 of Bound By Secrets

“I understand, Mum, but I also don’t think that I can forgive you any time soon,” I whisper, wiping tears off my cheeks as they start to fall. “I need some time, and I need to properly think about everything before we talk again.”

“Okay, love. I’m happy to wait.”

I blow out a shaky breath and hear a quiet sob on the other end of the phone.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her, feeling guilty about making her cry.

“You don’t need to apologise to me, Callie. I’ll send Crystal round with the twins tomorrow so that you can spend some time together. Look after yourself, baby.”

With that, the call ends.

I place the phone down on the table, staring at the dark screen with furrowed brows.

“Hey, Pretty Girl. You okay?”

I turn to find Ryker walking into the kitchen with a small light pink gift bag in his hands.

Nodding my head, I wipe my dampened cheeks.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” I tell him, smiling. “Just a lot to wrap my head around at the moment.”

“Well, we’ve come up with a little plan, something that might help take your mind off of everything for a while.” He places the bag in front of me and sits beside me. “This is something from all three of us.”

Eyeing the bag with caution, I pull at the black ribbon that’s keeping it together and slide my hand into the opening. My hand touches a square, bumpy box, and my eyes rise to meet Ryker’s.

“What is it?”

He laughs, shaking his head and standing from the table.

“Just open it, Callie.”

Pulling the box free, I place it gently on the table and lift the lid.

Inside is a thin chained necklace with a heart dangling from it. I lift it out of the box, bringing it closer to my face and inspect the four coloured gems meshed together inside the heart.

Ryker’s hands rest on my shoulders as his head dips beside mine.

“That’s all of our birthstones inside the heart. Flip it over and look at the other side.”

Flipping the heart over, my eyes scan across the small inscription, and my heart melts.

To the moon and back

“I know that it’s what you and the twins say to each other and we wanted to get you something that resembled all of the people that you love,” Nate says as he walks into the room with a nervous-looking Brad behind him.

A wide smile spreads across my face as my eyes bounce between them and I place my new necklace back into the box.

“I love it!” Jumping out of my seat, I wrap my arms around Ryker, squeezing him tightly against me.

“I love you too!” Brad shouts.

My eyes turn wide and I loosen my hold on Ryker, spinning around to face Brad.

He is staring at me with shock evident on his face and his mouth gaping open.

“I, uh, I thought you said-” His eyes dart to Nate as if asking him for help with what to say. Nate shrugs, squashing his lips together to hold in his laughter.

A giggle escapes me and Brad’s eyes snap back to mine.

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