Page 105 of Adoration: Isn't What It Seems (Love Isn't What It Seems 2)

“Hello, Livy. It’s Callen.”

I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, surprised to hear from him. I stood there silently, waiting for him to say what he wanted. The past was haunting me. I had ignored it too long and today it came back with the vengeance.

“Are you there?” His voice came through the phone.

“Yes.” I didn’t even know why I was agreeing. I didn’t want to talk to anyone right now.

“Can you meet me for an early dinner?” I glanced at the time and realized I had been walking aimlessly for hours now. I was hungry and tired.

“Now?” I asked.

“Yes, now would be great,” he answered quickly. “Wilder?”

“Sure.” God, I was tired. “I can’t have a long dinner. I have to pick up Brandon from daycare.”

“I won’t take too much of your time,” he promised. “Twenty minutes?”

That should give me enough time to flag a cab and get there.

Twenty minutes later, I was at the restaurant and Callen was already waiting for me at the table. He smiled and pulled out a chair for me, as he leaned over to kiss my cheek.

“You look lovely,” he spoke softly. “Although a little bit tired and pale.”

“It’s been a long day,” I told him. It made me wonder how many people pretended to be alright on the outside while we were falling apart on the inside. I never told Callen what happened to my mom, how she died. He never asked about it. I never asked about his parents either. Maybe we were just two adults who needed each other back then and we settled day after day, giving each other what we needed at that point in time.

“So what is going on?” I asked him. Instead of sitting opposite of me, he sat next to me, which I found a bit odd. I wanted this to be fast. I shouldn’t have agreed to meet him. I had enough on my mind and it was hard to focus on his words.

“I wanted to see how you are doing,” he started and I must have given him a disbelieving look.

“What?” he quickly retorted. “Can’t an old friend see you and check on you?”

I watched him pensively, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Yes, an old friend can see me and check on me,” I told him on an exhale. I was tired; what I just found out weighed down heavily on my mind and my chest. I felt fragile, too fragile to be around someone right now. “But we haven’t spoken in over three years, and now, all of a sudden, three times in less than a month. What is going on, Callen?”

I waited for him to answer, the silence stretched for minutes on. He opened his mouth and a waiter came at that moment to take our order.

We both ordered quickly, and I hoped I’d get to eat my food this time. It would be the first meal I had all day and I was past the hungry stage.

When the waiter left, I turned my gaze to him. Callen was handsome, but more in a boyish, sweet way. He was a good man, charming and lighthearted. Nothing like Alexander, who was breathtakingly handsome, dark, intense, and overwhelming.

“I know I wronged you, Livy,” Callen started speaking. “In more ways than just our relationship. I never expected you to be vengeful.”

From all the things he was going to say, this one shocked me the most. “What? What are you talking about?”

“I know I handled it poorly. I hurt you more than necessary,” he muttered. “Both about the publishing house and in private.” I watched him, trying to make heads and tails out of this. Where was all this coming from? “But it is my family’s company and I won't let you and your husband get it.”

I stared at him blankly. “My husband isn’t taking your company.”

Was everyone crazy today?

“He is trying. But I won’t let him.” He had a hard expression on his face, one I had not seen on Callen before. “If I have to, I’ll drag his family history all over the papers across England.”

“You are making no sense, Callen.” I retorted tiredly. “And don’t threaten my husband or his family.”

“Livy, I don’t want to take that route but I will if I am left with no other choice.” His eyes held determination and I had no doubt he would. His gaze met mine and he softened. “When Ainslee entered my life,” he continued explaining, “...it was like everything spiralled out of control. All my reason and sanity left me and I was lost to her. In the process, I treated you poorly. Trust me, I know that.”

Wasn’t it all ironic though? Because that was exactly what was happening to me now with Alexander. I wouldn’t have been able to understand those words three months ago, but certainly could relate now. Maybe things were meant to end up the way they did.

---