Page 47 of Devilry

“Hey,” she responds casually. “How are you?”

“Good.” Shifting in my seat, I try to combat the awkwardness by rearranging my strewn-out belongings. Noticing my empty coffee mug, I pick it up and give it a little shake. “Want me to get us a coffee?”

“No, I’m okay.” She points over her shoulder. “Aiden is getting us both one.”

My body visibly deflates at the mention of his name and I immediately start counting to ten to calm my nerves.

Leaning over the table, Callie grabs my half-eaten packet of Werther’s Originals and takes one butterscotch candy, popping it into her mouth. “I forgot how good these taste. It makes sense that you would be addicted to them.”

Confused, I patiently wait for Callie to reveal the reason she came over to see me. She turns back, looking at Aiden and then back at me. “I wanted to tell you, you don’t need to feel that way.”

“What way?” I ask, eyeing her curiously.

“Nervous.” She gives my hand a little squeeze. “It’s written all over you.”

“I can’t help it,” I admit.

“If you think he’s mad at you, he’s not.”

I sigh in relief as she alleviates my main fear. “I feel like an apology is in order, anyway.”

“Actually, that’s what I wanted to do before Aiden got back.”

“What?”

“Apologize.” She bites the corner of her mouth, looking pensive. “I didn’t mean to scare you, or make you feel uncomfortable. I would never—.”

“Hey,” I interrupt. “It wasn’t that.” Feeling self-conscious, I pull my hand away from her and fold my arms across my chest. “In case it wasn’t obvious, I’ve never done anything like that before, and I chickened out.”

“Been propositioned for a threesome or kissed a guy?”

“The first one,” I answer, barely audible. “Maybe I overreacted.”

“It’s not for everyone,” she soothes. “And sometimes Aiden and I forget that.”

“You two do that all the time?” The change in my voice accentuates my surprise.

“It sounds so much worse than it is, but yeah…” her voice trails off as she lowers her head, hiding her eyes. “Sometimes we sleep with the same person. At the same time.”

“It’s none of my business, Callie, and I would never judge you. Either of you,” I add quickly

“You just looked so horrified,” she hides her face in her hands.

“Hey. Hey.” Moving forward, I mirror her actions from earlier, grabbing her hand between mine and hoping it gives her some comfort. “My reaction was because of what I was feeling and things I was processing. I can assure you, it wasn’t because of you two.”

“I thought that might be it. I even tried to tell Aiden that’s what it was, but he’s been pretty insistent you’re repulsed by him.”

“Repulsed by him?” I straighten in my chair, shocked. “God, I knew I’d upset him when I couldn’t go through with it, but I definitely was not repulsed. He’s attractive, but I’m not looking to complicate things right now,” I clarify. “Without sounding like a complete loser, so much of this is new to me, and if he’s in to me, it was never my intention to hurt his feelings.”

“I get it,” she assures me. “And he will too. Your issues are yours, and he’s also got his own stuff to work through. You guys just need to get back to ‘before’ the kiss.”

Accepting her advice, I clear my throat, wanting to ask her something a bit more personal. “Can I ask you something?” She gives me a quick nod. “Are you and Aiden… together?”

“Ha,” she scoffs. “Aiden only wants what he can’t have.”

“But the sex?”

“It’s just sex, Eli.”

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