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‘Callum.’ Hailey shut her eyes. It was so good to see him, to hear his voice. Had it only been last night they’d made love?
‘Can I come in?’
She sighed. ‘Callum.’
‘Please?’
His voice was husky and full of yearning and she wanted to do more than just invite him in. She wanted to take him into her bed, put her head on his shoulder and listen to the steady thud of his heart. She stood aside.
Callum braced himself to be polite to Paul as he brushed past her and stepped into her apartment. ‘Where’s Paul?’ he asked, looking around the empty lounge room.
‘He’s gone to the bottle shop,’ Hailey murmured, skirting Callum to stand nervously beside the lounge.
How cosy. ‘So, what’s been happening today?’
‘We’ve talked. A lot. It’s been…cathartic.’
Callum frowned. He heard the weariness in her voice. ‘He hasn’t been upsetting you has he?’
‘No. Of course not.’
‘So where does this leave us?’
‘Callum, please. I need some closure. I need this time with Paul, please…’
Callum clenched his fists. ‘So was I just a substitute lover? Until the real thing came back into your life?’
Hailey reached for the lounge as she staggered from his insult. ‘It wasn’t like that, and you know it. What happened between you and I was…’ Hailey sighed wearily. She’d talked so much today her voice hurt.
‘Was?’ he demanded.
‘Something I can’t think about right now. How was I to know that he was going to show up on my doorstep?’
‘Isn’t that what you’d been hoping for?’
Today had been a day for honesty and Hailey didn’t see the point in stopping now. ‘Yes. Deep down, yes. In the beginning I did hope he would,’ she admitted. ‘But I never expected it.’
Callum felt her slipping away. ‘So you’ve always been holding out a little for him?’
‘No. Yes…I don’t know. All I know is that my life changed irrevocably over a year ago—’
‘And it didn’t change irrevocably on Sunday night?’
Hailey shut her eyes. Of course it had. ‘You know what I mean, Callum. Paul dumping me, Eric’s death…it tore my life to pieces and only Paul can help me put it back together.’
‘No, you’re wrong, Hailey.’
Hailey felt a lump rise in her throat. ‘You don’t understand,’ she said, choking on a sob.
‘I don’t understand?’ Callum growled, ignoring the anguish evident in her voice. He closed the distance between them and reached for her. ‘I don’t understand? Let me tell you, Hailey, I know about pieces. Little tiny pieces of your life that are torn from you and shredded and strewn everywhere and there’s nothing you can do about it and nothing’s the same ever again and you have to go on even though you’re bleeding and injured and all you want to do is curl up and die. I know about irrevocable changes. Trust me on this. I. Can. Help. You.’
A tear escaped and trekked down her cheek. Poor Callum, how much he had suffered. But this was about her survival, her closure. She knew what she needed for that. For the first time, thanks to him, she knew.
‘No, Callum. I need to do this. I need to see this through to the end. Alone.’
Callum shook his head and released her. How had he picked another woman who was so hell bent on rejecting his help? ‘God, what is it with women? You’re just like Annie.’
‘No Callum. I’m not. I’m nothing like Annie. I didn’t stay and fight tooth and nail like she did. I wasn’t strong like she was. I fell apart. I left with my tail between my legs. I ran away. But not any more. I have to face this now. I can’t run from it any more.’
‘But she never let me help her either.’
Hailey heard the anguish in his voice and her heart went out to him. She lifted her hand to his cheek. ‘Because Annie knew something I’ve only just realised. Some things you just have to do on your own.’ She dropped her hand. ‘Just give me this time with him. Please, Callum. If you feel anything for me at all, you’ll let me do this my way.’
Callum ran his hand through his hair. If he felt anything for her? Damn it, he loved her! It killed him to think he couldn’t help her.
He sighed. ‘OK.’
Hailey shut her eyes briefly. She reached for his hand and was grateful he didn’t reject the gesture. She gazed down at their interlocked fingers. ‘Thank you, Callum.’
He squeezed her hand. ‘I’ll see you at work? When are you back on?’
‘Day after tomorrow,’ she murmured.
