Page 34 of Sunsets & Slow Dances

Will’s eyes shifted to my right, and he looked past me over my shoulder. His expression changed the moment he saw Callum. His jaw set and his nostrils flared like a bull.

“Really?” His tone was accusatory.

This asshole had the nerve to show up at my house unannounced, accuse me of ghosting him after he apparently went home with Kendra Abernathy on NYE when he was supposed to be on a date with me, andhewas pissed because another man was in my house. He could go fuck himself.

“Goodbye, Will.”

I started to close the door again, but he put his foot inside the doorframe and tried to push it open even further. “Ishethe reason you haven’t been returning my calls?”

Before I could answer, a whoosh of air blew past the side of my face. The next thing I knew, Callum’s arm wrapped around my waist. I wasn’t sure what MMA/ninja move he’d pulled, but before I knew what was happening, I blinked, and our positionswere reversed. I was looking at Callum’s back; he was now standing in front of me, facing Will. It was the first time we’d touched, and even though it had been for only a fraction of a second, my body recognized his touch. It was just like muscle memory, and all of my cells lit up with awareness, exploding like a sunburst from my core.

“She said goodbye, Will,” Callum instructed in a calm that held a menacing threat just below the surface.

There was maybe an inch between Callum’s body and mine, and I could feel waves of anger radiating off his body. I was so close to him that the heat of my breath blew back against my face. I stared at the contours of Callum’s back through the thin material in his shirt and had the strongest urge to reach up and touch it.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Will spat out.

“If you’re still standing here in ten seconds, you’ll find out.”

I knew that Callum’s statement wasn’t a threat. It was a promise.

“Callum.” I stepped around him to get between the two men as I put my hand on Callum’s bicep, but he stopped me by grabbing my wrist and pulling me against the side of his body. When his fingers encircled my delicate wrist bones, my knees went weak from the sensation of his touch, and I melted into his frame. I forgot what it was like to be this close to him, to feel so safe, so protected, so turned on. Every part of my female anatomy, from my ovaries to my labia, tingled with arousal so potent I would not be surprised if I spontaneously climaxed.

At the same time, I was processing the near-orgasmic state Callum’s touch and behavior transported me to; Will must have heard me say his name because his entire demeanor changed. In the span of one second, his energy went from hostility to hero worship.

“Callum… Holy shit, you’re Callum Knight?!” Will pulled out his phone as he staggered back two steps. “Can I get a self?—”

The moment Will’s foot was out of the doorframe, Callum shifted us both to the right and slammed the door in Will’s face before he could finish asking for a selfie. The whole thing happened so fast, I stumbled over my feet and ended up backed up against the wall. Callum was standing in front of me, and I realized I’d used him for balance. My hand was resting in the center of his chest. Beneath my palm, I could feel his heart beating heavily and quickly. Ba bump, ba bump, ba bump, ba bump, ba bump, ba bump, ba bump.

My eyes lifted to his, and I was transported back in time fifteen years. All of the time we’d been apart disappeared. When I stared into Callum Knight’s eyes, I was back in high school again, madly in love with the man I knew I was going to marry.

“Sorry about that.” I don’t know how I managed to string three words together over the lump of nostalgic lust and love clogging my throat, but yay me. It was a small victory, but I would take it.

“You don’t need to apologize for an asshole who can’t take a hint.”

Being an inch away from one another felt so familiar, so right. I found myself closing my eyes in anticipation of a kiss. As soon as my lids shut, he stepped back, and the moment was over—the moment I’d clearly invented in my head.

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment as I turned to go back toward the kitchen, hoping he didn’t mention what had just passed between us.

“I get it now,” Callum said as we walked through the kitchen.

I glanced over my shoulder. “What?”

“The list.” He pointed to the whiteboard. “If that’s the quality of men you’ve been dating, I’d take a year off too.”

I smiled, and just like that, all the embarrassment and awkwardness I felt melted away. That was one of the things I missed most about Callum; he always knew exactly what to say to make me feel better in any situation. It didn’t matter if I was scared, anxious, in pain, doubting myself, overthinking, or obsessing about something; whatever was going on in my head, Callum had a way of breaking through the noise and saying exactly the right thing to make me feel better. And I liked to think I did the same for him.

I hadn’t just lost my boyfriend; I’d lost my best friend. That’s who I missed most.

12

CALLUM

I gently tuckedthe bookmark between the pages in Harry Potter, then closed the book and set it on the nightstand. Before I stood, I leaned over and kissed Matty on top of his head. His soft hair brushed against my lips, and I inhaled the clean scent of his shampoo. At six, there were no more traces of his baby or toddler scent. It seemed like just seconds ago, I was holding him in my arms as we walked out of the hospital to go home. I don’t know where the time went. I blinked, and he was six.

How was it possible thatyearshad passed? I stared down at him and, not for the first time, wondered how Felicity could go days, weeks, or even months without seeing her son or speaking to him. Soon, he would be finishing first grade and turning seven. Before I knew it, he’d be double digits and going into middle school. After that, high school, teenage years, driving. Then he’d go off to college.

Ninety percent of the people I encountered treated me like I deserved a fucking medal for doing the exact same things single moms did every day. I honestly couldn’t count the number of people, menandwomen, who patted me on the back, praised me, and made a huge deal over the fact that I took basic careof my son, that I was a responsible, loving, attentive parent, which, in my estimation, was a fucking privilege. Strangers, acquaintances, and hell, even friends gave me so much credit that I didn’t deserve just for being a dad to my child—something thousands, hundreds of thousands, of single moms around the world do every day with no fanfare, no recognition, and a lot of times, no respect. I’ve seen plenty of instances where single moms were judged by society, not supported, and certainly not celebrated.

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