Page 87 of Shattered

She cleared her throat. “They're crazy. You’re not even close to thirty yet and you own a business that’s doing really well. Actually, you own multiple businesses.”

“My mom is proud of me, I think. Millie is as well. Maybe Connor is, too, although we don’t speak very often, so I wouldn’t really know. My father and I don’t speak at all.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“You’re rather nosy at the moment,” he said with a laugh and Sam rolled her eyes.

“You are the one who said you would never tire of answering any questions I had.”

“Touché.” He gave her a solemn smile. “But no, I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Okay. How much longer till we get there?” She shifted the conversation to get away from the tension that had started to build again.

“About twenty minutes. We’re about to cross the bridge now.” Callum pointed over to the largest bridge she had ever seen in person.

“Oh my god. Callum!” Sam called out as he drove up onto the ramp. It was as if her head was on a swivel and she couldn’t seem to look everywhere she wanted. From this vantage point, she could see most of Charleston, the surrounding towns, and the harbor. “This is gorgeous!”

“Have you never been to Charleston?” Callum asked.

“No.”

Callum looked a little shocked, but then spent the next few minutes pointing out different landmarks, churches, and other buildings. She gladly let him talk and she pulled out her phone and started snapping photos. She decided she most definitely wanted to remember this place.

The rest of the ride to his house was quiet. It was in a gated community, which meant they had to stop at the gate so Callum could tell the guard to allow in Drew’s bike and Micah’s truck. Sam was in shock as they drove through the neighborhood. She had spent countless dinners and days by the pool at Kristin’s parents’ home, but even that monstrosity was nothing compared to the houses before her now.

In the middle of her frenzied exploration of the scenes before her, she realized the rest of their group was no longer behind them.

“Where are Drew, Micah, and Kristin?”

“They stopped at the store to get some stuff for the weekend.”

Sam nodded in understanding and then deeply inhaled when Callum rolled down the windows. She knew they were on the marsh, but this was the first time she had ever had the chance to smell the salty ocean air. She removed her seatbelt and leaned out the window, taking it all in.

Callum laughed a little at her reaction.

“If this is all it took to make you happy I would have brought you down here weeks ago.”

She turned back toward him, not even trying to contain the huge smile plastered across her face.

Chapter 37 - Sam

This wasn’t what she had expected at all.

“Thisis your house?”

“It’s my parents’ house,” Callum quickly corrected.

“Holy shit. What kind of doctor is your dad?”

“He’s not a doctor, he’s an architect. He designed it.”

She had only assumed doctor because she knew he was friends with Kristin’s dad.

“Wow.”

Sam stood outside for a moment, mentally patting herself on the back. There was no way Micah wasn’t going to break a sweat carrying Kristin’s two bags up the massive structure that masqueraded as front porch steps.

She headed for the large stairwell, but Callum diverted them under the house. She assumed he was going to grab a hide-a-key but, instead, he pushed a button that caused a set of elevator doors to open.

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