Page 112 of Of Heartbreak and Harmony
“I’m not sure yet.” I put my arm around her shoulders and tug her into my side before leading her toward the dressing room. “Could that bouquet have been from your mom? Or maybe someone else?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
Jealousy swells in my chest and I breathe through it. “What about your ex?”
Callie huffs out a laugh. “Becket wouldn’t have sent me flowers.”
“You sure? He didn’t seem too happy at the club.”
“Yeah, because I’m allegedly dating the douche who torpedoed his music career, not because he wants me back or whatever other bullshit you’re thinking.”
I glance down at her and arch a brow. “Allegedly?”
“Don’t think you’re off the hook yet, King. It’s going to take more than one secret song sung in front of an audience to win me over.”
I stop walking. “Sung in front of a packed stadium,” I correct. “There were nearly fifty-thousand people in that audience.”
She shrugs. “And?”
“And...” I lower my hands to her waist and walk her backward slowly until her back is against the wall, then I rest my forearms above her head, caging her in. “I got you tattooed on my fucking leg.AndI’m going to fix the mess our label caused you.AndI like you, Calla Lily Sunrise James.”
She tips her head up, her lips just inches from mine. “You like me, huh?”
“I do.”
“Hmm. I might be starting to like you, too.” She folds her lips between her teeth, bouncing her eyes between mine before giving me a small smile. Then she slides out from under my arm cage and turns to face me. “But I don’t trust you.”
I tilt my head, considering her words carefully. If I can understand anything, it’s how difficult it can be to trust someone with your heart. Especiallyafterthat person has already caused you pain. It’s taken me a long time to come around to the idea of actually allowing myself to fall for someone again. To trust them completely. I can’t expect her to accept me overnight.
“Do you think you could, though?” I ask finally. “Do you think you could,eventually, trust me?”
She purses her lips, then gives me a one-shouldered shrug. “Maybe.”
I grin. “I can work with that.”
I take her hand in mine, give it a squeeze, then walk her back to the dressing rooms. I’m about to drop her off and head to my own dressing room when Hammond comes stomping up behind me.
“Inside. Band meeting.” He brushes right past us, so we follow behind him. As soon as we’re in the room with the others, Hammond speaks again. “We found the kid who gave Callie the flowers. He was paid one hundred dollars in cash and didn’t get a name. Can’t remember a face.”
“Someone gave you flowers?” Sav asks Callie, alarm in her voice. “And you don’t know who?”
“No.” Callie shakes her head. “Honestly, I thought it was Torren.”
Sav pulls her lower lip between her teeth, then she looks at Hammond. “You think it’s him? The stalker?”
Hammond shrugs. “I don’t know. We don’t have any reason tobelieve it would be. He’s never made contact with anyone but you before, and sending flowers isn’t in his bag of tricks as far as we’ve seen.”
“Maybe Callie’s got a fan,” Mabel chimes in. “But, like, a nice, normal fan. Not the stalker kind that Sav has.”
The suggestion is said lightheartedly, but it makes me frown. Fan or not, the whole situation is creepy, and it doesn’t sit right with me. I glance at Levi, who has been standing with his arms crossed behind Sav like a third security detail.
“How long are you staying?”
“As long as I have to.”
“And Brynn?”
“She’s staying with Sharon.”
