Page 30 of Shattered Union

Because a life without Callie is one I don’t want to fucking live.

9

Callie

Two weeks later

"Tell me," Ava urges. "What the hell happened? Callie, you were so happy and now you've lost weight, you've bags under your eyes, and you've not mentioned Denis at all. In two weeks. So, what happened?" She crosses her arms over her chest. "We've not spoken in a month, Cal, a month. That's not us. This hasn't happened since, Keith."

I'd been avoiding her, not wanting to have this conversation. But, Ava, being Ava, tracked me down and here she is, and I know she will not leave until we talk.

"He's married," I whisper, hating the tremble in my voice.

Even a month later it still hurts. Still crushes me. My heart feels as though it's broken, like it's missing a piece. I'm unable to sleep. For almost three months, I practically slept beside him every single night. Now my bed is too big for just me. I miss him. I fucking miss the two-timing arsehole. I hate that I can't function properly, that my every thought is about him.

"What?" she hisses, her eyes wide as she looks at me.

"Denis," I spit out. "He's married. He has been for over twenty years. They just had a baby."

God, that's the worst of it. He's had a whole other life I did not know about. Hell, there wasn't even an inkling that he was a cheater. I thought I found my one. The person who made me happy, who made me want more. I believed I had found my soulmate, just like my parents. What I got in return was a lesson learned and a broken heart.

"You're fucking kidding me?" she growls. "That motherfucking bastard. Why the fuck are men arseholes? Why do they have to break our hearts?"

I lean across the bar and sigh. "I've no idea. I just hope I don't see him again."

She hops up onto the bar stool. "So, you've thrown yourself into work?"

I shrug. "I needed to take my mind off it."

Loneliness is the killer. Sitting around at home just makes me break down and cry. It's a fecking month and I'm still fucking crying over the bastard. I wake up and go straight to work, getting the pub ready for opening. Then I spend my entire day at work and continue on until closing. Then I'll go home and fall asleep on the sofa, unable to bear the thought of not having him with me.

"Ah, Callie," she whispers, reaching for my hand, giving it a hard squeeze. "It's going to be okay," she promises me.

My lip trembles as I look at my best friend. "I feel like I'm drowning," I confess. "I can't deal with it. Losing him—" My throat lodges as tears hit my eyes. I breathe through it, not wanting to waste any more tears on him. "Losing him hurt me. It shouldn't. He was never mine to begin with. But, Ava, I feel like I've lost something important. I'm not sure how I can move on."

Her grip on my hand tightens. "Tonight, we'll get drunk, we'll bitch about men. Hopefully, after the drinking, after the bitching, you'll be able to move on."

I sigh. "I really hope so."

"Have you spoken to him?" she asks once I get my emotions under control. At my nod, she asks. "What did he say?"

"Not much, I mean, what could he say? He was caught out and there's no excuse for lying and cheating. He made me the other woman, Ava."

She tuts. "That fecking bastard. He'll know what he's lost. Callie, you are beautiful, smart, an amazing businesswoman, and a wonderful person. Fuck him and the bullshit he's heaped on you. You are worth a hell of a lot more than his stupid arse."

I smile. Trust Ava to make me smile when I feel like utter shit.

"So, drinkies?"

I roll my eyes. "When are you going to act like an adult?"

She puckers up her lips. "Never," she fires back. "You should head home, have a shower and then we'll get drunk until we can't stand up."

"Sounds good. I should be finished in an hour," I tell her, as I push away from the bar. "Do you want to grab your clothes and meet me back here in an hour?"

She beams at me. "I'll meet you here in an hour." She hops off the bar stool and claps her hands. "Tonight, we forget."

I pray it's true. I need to forget. I need to move on, to push all thoughts of Denis from my mind.

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