Callahan's grip tightens briefly on my shoulder before relaxing again. He reaches for one of his fries, and instead of eating it himself, he brings it to my mouth. I take it, smiling, and he kisses my lips while I'm still chewing, like we have all the time in the world and Cherry isn't standing three feet away watching.
When he finally cuts his gaze to her, his expression is pleasant and completely closed.
"You'll have to take it up with Talia," he says. "She's responsible for it this year."
Cherry's smile flickers. "But you've always been responsible for it. And I'm in charge of the committee this year, so it would be fun to plan together. Just the two of us."
"I know you changed the committee assignments this year." Callahan's voice is mild, almost friendly, but I know him well enough to hear the steel underneath. "Which is why Talia will be handling it this time around."
He feeds me another fry. Kisses my lips again. Takes his time about it.
I'm trying very hard not to smirk. I settle for overeating fries and leaning further into his warmth, letting my body speak for me. His hand drops from my shoulder to rest just above my left breast, his fingers playing with the neckline of my tank top, caressing the bare skin there with lazy ownership.
Cherry's face turns to stone, all pretense of friendliness drops away and what's left is something sharp and bitter.
"What's gotten into you, Cal Holt?" She gestures at us with undisguised disgust. "You were never like this." Her lip curls. "Or this cruel."
I want to say something. I want to remind her about therumors she spread, the lies she told, the way she tried to stake a claim on a man who was never hers and never would be. But before I can open my mouth, Callahan speaks.
"I'm finally putting a stop to your manipulations." His voice is calm but his eyes are hard. "Stay in your lane, Cherry, far away. And stop your lies."
He presses a kiss to my temple, slow and sweet, and when he speaks again his voice carries across the diner.
"And while you're at it, stay far away from my girl from now on."
Cherry stands there for a moment, frozen, her face cycling through emotions I can't be bothered to catalog. Then she turns on her heel and walks out, the door swinging shut behind her with a force that makes the bell clatter.
I turn in Callahan's arms to kiss him properly, my mouth finding his with all the giddy relief of a battle won without having to fight it.
Something hits the side of my head. A bunched-up paper napkin bounces off and lands on the table.
"Keep your tongue out of her mouth, Cal Holt." Ruth is glaring at us from behind the counter, another napkin already balled up in her hand and ready to throw. "There are children here."
We laugh into our kiss.
"We gotta go.” He pulls out his wallet and drops bills on the table without counting them, then feeds me one last fry.
I take it, grinning at him, and he leans close to my ear.
"Because I very much want my tongue in your mouth," he says quietly, his breath warm on my skin. "And your cunt."
We make the short distance to my apartment across the street in record time.
37
LILY
The morning of the wedding starts with champagne and Poppy crying over a bobby pin.
Not because the bobby pin is special. She's crying because her hands are shaking and she's getting married in a few hours and apparently bobby pins are the hill she's going to die on.
"I can't." She holds up the pin like it's committed some unforgivable offense against her and her entire family line. "I physically cannot make this work. My fingers are broken. I have broken fingers. Someone call a doctor."
"You're looking at one," I say. "Almost. In about eight years or so." I grin at her reflection in the mirror.
"You're not helpful, missy."
"Sit down." I cross the room and take the pin from her trembling fingers, pointing at the chair in front of the vanity. "Sit. Breathe. Let me do it."
