Page 109 of Wicked Duty
Once Nika leaves, I’m too wound up to sit still.
I thought I wanted alone time, but Callum’s home is too quiet. His presence lurks around every corner like a specter feeding off my pain. All the little Callun-like details that delighted me when I first arrived only serve to remind me of him. Of what we shared and how stupid I was.
Even after that scalding, sobering shower, my mind continuously rewinds, analyzing our time together to unravel where and when it all went wrong. When did I commit my fatal mistake?
More than once, I grab my phone and hover my finger over Callum’s number. Each time, I stop myself before hitting the button. The pain of his betrayal cuts too deep.
I can’t face him. Not yet. Maybe never.
At the end of the day, I’m a coward.
I’m reaching for my phone again when it rings.
Blood whooshes in my ears. Callum?
When I flip the phone over, I don’t recognize the number.
A memory of the blocked number that sent the blackmail photo materializes in my mind. What if one of Roguilin’s thugs is calling to harass me?
I drop the phone like it’s a poisonous snake. I’m not answering. No way. If it’s important, whoever’s calling will leave a message.
A few seconds later, a voicemail notification appears. When I check the transcript, I nearly choke on my own tongue.
Marco Benetti has my phone number and wants me to call him back as soon as possible.
I stare blankly at the screen. Half of me wants to pretend like the call never happened, curl up in the fetal position in bed, and drown in my misery.
Except, the only beds here belong to Callum.
The walls close in on me. I wish I’d gone with Nika after all. I don’t want to be here anymore. The faint scent of his cologne lingers in the bathroom, the familiar smell cinching my ribs until I swear they might crack.
Screw it.I hit redial. Any distraction beats dissolving into a pathetic, heartbroken puddle, and at the moment, modeling is all I have left.
Marco picks up on the second ring.
“Lucy.” He practically purrs my name. “I thought I missed you.”
Before Callum, before all of this, Marco directing that sexy voice at me would have incited a gleeful little dance. Now, my pulse never even accelerates. “Sorry! I was in the shower. Is everything all right?”
“You tell me.” His grin is audible. “Are you familiar with the luxury brand Fini?”
That’s like asking if I’ve heard of Gucci.
“Yes, of course.”
“One of their representatives just contacted us expressing interest in using you for an upcoming campaign.”
Shock pries me out of my heartbroken stupor. “Are you serious?”
He laughs. “As the Pope. What are you doing right now? We should chat about this in person, if you’re interested.”
He suggests meeting at a small café only a few blocks from here, and I jump at the chance to escape.
I’ll need a job once the competition ends, whether I win or not, and doing a spread for Finiwould be huge. The number of doors that this campaign could open for me is virtually limitless. Better yet, an assignment like this would help take my mind off Callum’s betrayal.
I check the time. “I can be there in thirty minutes.”
“Molto bene.” Marco’s excitement is infectious. “Ciaofor now,bella.”
