Page 8 of Breakaway Hearts

“Right,” I put in quickly, grateful for her quick save. “I mean, it just kind of happened, the two of us realizing that there was something more between us. It was sort of a slow build, so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when it started.”

“Yeah.” Callie smiles up at me, doing an amazingly good job of selling the lie. “We just decided to give ourselves a label recently, but we’ve been seeing each other for a little while. It’s been really great. Reese is the best.”

“No,you’rethe best.” Those words aren’t a lie at all, and I pull her a little closer, tapping her lightly on the nose. “You’re amazing, Firefly.”

That last word pops out before I even think about it, and Callie blinks in surprise as Sienna makes a little noise in her throat. I’ve never called her that before, but a nickname somehow felt appropriate for the moment. And it actually fits her perfectly, with her fiery red hair and pale skin.

“Well, that’s… I’m really happy for you both.”

Sienna’s voice draws my attention back to her, and when I glance up, I find her watching the two of us with an unreadable expression. She shakes her head as if to clear it, and for the second time tonight, I’m almost positive I see a bit of tension in her face.

She doesn’t like that I’m with someone else, and maybe it’s just the usual shock of seeing your ex moving on, but I think there’s more to it than that. I think she’s jealous.

“Thanks,” I tell her, giving her a cordial smile. Then I drop my focus back to Callie. “I know you probably can’t stay late because of school, so let’s get you a drink, yeah?”

“Yes, please,” Callie says, a hint of relief in her voice. She threw herself into this little charade amazingly well, but I’m sure she’s ready to get the hell out of this awkward situation.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it.” Sienna steps away from us, gripping her purse strap with one hand. “It was nice to see you, Reese. I’m glad you’re doing well.”

“You too.”

With a curt nod to my ex, I usher Callie closer to the bar, lifting my chin to get the bartender’s attention. The second Sienna is a safe distance away, I drop my hold on Callie’s waist, and she rests both elbows on the smooth bar top.

“You owe me a Blanton’s, neat,” she mutters. “Actually, make it a double.”

I chuckle, leaning against the bar right beside her so that our shoulders are brushing. It’s closer than I would normally stand to her, but we still need to sell the lie that we’re a couple. The lemon and lavender scent of her shampoo clings to her hair, filling my nostrils as I take a deep breath. It’s a scent that I associate purely with Callie, and even though this night has been a mess from top to bottom, the smell of it soothes me, banishing some of the tension from my shoulders.

“No problem,” I tell her. “It’s the least I can do.”

Her whiskey of choice is expensive, for sure, and I don’t mind paying for it in the slightest. Not only because I owe her big time for what she’s doing, but because I know it was her late father’s favorite drink, and she rarely orders it when we go out.

“Don’t you mean, ‘no problem,Firefly’?” she asks, arching a brow at me.

I flash her my please-don’t-kill-me grin, which has worked on numerous occasions, as evidenced by the fact that I’m still alive. “What? You don’t like my new nickname for you?”

She shrugs, a tiny flush rising in her cheeks. “No, it’s fine. What I’m not as big a fan of is having to improvise a whole backstory for how the two of us ended up dating. Why the hell did you tell Sienna that we were a couple?”

I grimace, quickly putting in an order for her Blanton’s when the bartender sidles up to us. He gets to work pouring the drink, and I turn to face Callie more fully. Her face is tilted up toward mine, her full lips pursed as a few red curls tumble around her cheeks.

“To be honest, I don’t know why I said it,” I admit. “She came up to talk to me and I panicked. I think I just wanted to show her that my life was okay without her. Dating someone was the first thing I thought of.”

“Yeah, well…” She chews on her lower lip, something I know she does when she’s anxious. “Did it have to beme? You could’ve just told her it was someone she didn’t know.”

“Like I said, I completely panicked.”

She snorts, rolling her eyes even though a smile pulls at her lips. “I guess I should be glad that you think of me when you panic.”

“Why is that?”

The bartender slides Callie’s double over to us. She takes a sip of the whiskey and sighs. “Because whenever I need help, you’re the first person I think of too.”

Warmth fills my chest, and I’m pretty sure it’s not from the beer I drank. I rest my free hand over hers on the bar, giving it a squeeze.

“Thank you,” I murmur. “Honestly. You’re such a fucking lifesaver,Firefly.”

She rolls her eyes again, pursing her lips. “That’s gonna become permanent, isn’t it?”

“Hell, yeah. It suits you. And really, thank you.”

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