Page 203 of We Can't Be Friends

I can’t believe—maybe I can. It all makes sense—that Sienna isn’t his mom.

“I’m so sososorry, Cal. I can’t even begin to imagine how you are feeling.”

“Honestly, I’m relieved,” he laughs. “Which feels so fucking wrong. Like this ceiling above me that I’ve been trying to touch is no longer there.” He fiddles with my thumb, my hand resting on his knee. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I never meant to hurt you—I never want to.” His voice grows small. “For a moment I was terrified. Everything I believed about myself was changing.”

“It’s not.”

A weak smile spreads across his face. “I’m trying to believe that.”

“What happened after?”

“I cursed. Then left. Came to you, but when I saw you—”

And because I could sense the direction of his words, I butt in, “It doesn’t change my love for you. I think I might even love you more.”

“Kept telling myself that. I think it’s why I ran today. My heart propelling me, exhausting my brain of any lie it was trying to tell. Came to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter anymore who lovesme as long as you love me. I don’t want to be good enough for everyone, only you, Dais. That’s all I need.”

I drag his chin my direction, capturing stunning blues. “You’ve always been enough for me.”

Callum apologizes again.

“It happened. And it’ll probably happen again—we aren’t perfect. You know that, Pretty Boy.” I smile. “Let’s promise to talk it out, always.”

He nods. Swallows heavily. Eyes tired—I bet his heart is too.

“When you said you want to stay, you want to talk to your dad.”

“I need answers.”

“Okay.”

“It’s not that I don’t want you to stay, but I need to do this alone.”

“Weirdly, I get it.” I tilt my head. “But you aren’t alone. We’re in this. . .together.” I kiss him. “I’ll be waiting for you. You promised you wouldn’t leave and I’m not either.”

Cal stands, pulling me to my feet. Cupping my cheeks, he kisses me. Pushing me up against the wall, he drops his hands from my face to pick me up. My legs lock around his back.

He spins, walking us to the bed before dropping me on the clothes.

“Get dressed. Maybe that lilac dress? I want to show you around my second favoritehome.”

58

CALLUM

Bar stools are pulled out on either side of me. They don’t speak, but from my peripherals, they gesture and nod at the bartender for drinks. We sit in silence for three rounds of drinks.

The alcohol does nothing for the numbness I feel inside.

“Sienna isn’t my mother,” I tell them before George or Liam can start a game of twenty questions. I know their patience, at least George’s, will run out soon.

George coughs, his drink dribbling down his light chocolate skin. Liam takes a deep pull of air.

“My dad had an affair.”

“When did you find out?”

I catch them up on the morning of the engagement, going to my parent’s house for Chloe’s purse. That once the words slipped past my mother’s lips, the glass house I was living in shattered.

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