Page 31 of Callum
God, she almost felt happy for her sister. Amanda’s dress was beautiful. Her hair, her makeup, everything was perfect. And Freddie…well, Freddie looked like Freddie. He wasn’t smiling or tearing up, but he stood straight and looked at her sister head-on.
That could so easily have been her. That had been the plan. After you date someone for so long, a wedding was almost just assumed to take place sooner or later. And she would have said yes.
The thought made a shudder roll down her spine.
Callum’s fingers tightened around her thigh. They’d been there the entire ceremony. And she welcomed his touch. Thoughts of last night had been running through her head all morning. The way he’d rubbed her back. Pulled her hair off her face and said all the right words. And this morning, she’d woken to aspirin and water waiting for her.
It wasn’t just in her head. Hewasperfect.
Almost without thinking, she placed her hand on top of his. He didn’t hesitate, turning his hand over and slipping his fingers through hers.
Her heart gave a little thump. Okay, no, it was a big, this-man’s-an-enigma kind of thump. She had no idea where things with Callum were headed, but she almost wondered if maybe everything that had happened was just a culmination of things thathadto happen to lead her here, to him.
When the ceremony came to an end, Fiona was almost smiling. She was even able to hug and kiss Amanda and Freddie when she congratulated them.
The afternoon involved family photos and returning to the hotel for drinks, then the reception. Callum was by her side every step of the way. Holding her hand. Placing an arm around her waist like it was the most natural action in the world.
It wasn’t until she was talking with her cousin in the ballroom that she had a moment away from him. The room was huge and beautifully decorated. Candles and flowers centered the round tables. A band played on the stage and a bar was at the back of the room. Not that Fiona would be drinking much tonight. She’d done more than enough of that last night.
Stacey bumped her shoulder. “Callum’s so cute. Andsointo you.”
Fiona sipped her juice. “He’s just playing the part.”
But even as the words left her mouth, they felt wrong. Because things with himdidfeel real. Every time he touched her, his hand felt familiar, like it had run over her flesh a hundred times before. His soft words in her ear sounded like home, and his heat called to hers. Was that even a thing?
“Mm-hmm.” Stacey sipped her wine. “Maybe if you say it out loud enough times, you’ll actually believe it.”
Doubtful.
She observed her sister standing with a circle of friends across the room, her mouth moving a million miles an hour. That was Amanda, though. Always the one to be talking. She’d been the “it” girl in school.
“Careful, you almost look happy for her.”
Fiona dragged her gaze from her sister to Stacey. “I am. I’m bigger-personing the shit out of this, actually.”
Stacey’s brows shot to her hairline. “Really? The woman’s been nothing but a bitch to you your entire life. Then everything with Freddie? And you’re happy for her?”
“I want her to be happy, but…apart from me. What they both did was awful, but today I’m almost seeing it as a blessing in disguise.” At Stacey’s confused look, Fiona lifted a shoulder. “I was too comfortable with Freddie. If he’d asked me, I would have said yes and married him. Maybe even had kids if he’d been able to keep it in his pants for that long. I feel lucky that I learned what he’s capable of before any of that could happen.”
“Well, you are one strong woman, because I would have pounded into them both, then sent their wedding invite to the trash.”
Fiona laughed. “Oh, I came close to doing all that.”
She sipped her juice again before spotting Callum. He was talking to some of her uncles like he’d known them for years. When his gaze caught hers, one side of his mouth lifted. “Do you think Callum would cheat?” The words slipped into the air before she could stop them.
“No.” Stacey said it so firmly, she wanted to believe her. “You can just tell. He’s a good man. And a walking heartthrob.”
“Freddie was a heartthrob.”
“Argh, do not put Callum into the same category as that guy. They’re two different species. Yes, they’re both tall, dark and handsome. But even though I’ve only just met Callum, I know he’s Freddie’s opposite.”
“Sometimes it takes six years for the cheating side to come out.” At Stacey’s frown, Fiona shook her head. “Sorry, that’s the damaged, I-saw-my-sister-in-bed-with-my-boyfriend side talking.”
Stacey’s features softened. “Maybe Callum’s your angel and has come into your life to heal you.”
“He isbeautifulenough to be an angel.”
Stacey opened her mouth to respond, but whatever she said, Fiona was too distracted to hear, because someone across the room caught her attention. She only caught a fleeting glimpse of their face before they turned and walked away.
