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thirty-five
Callie
When I get to Owen’s, everyone is on the back part of his property, close to the beach and around a bonfire.
The first thing Evan asks when I walk up is, “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head, wrapping my arms around his waist and burrowing my face into his chest. I take in a deep breath, his intense, woodsy smell bringing me the peace I need. He slides his hands up my back, one going into my hair as the other holds my lower back, stroking the spot along the waistband of my sweatpants. He kisses my temple, breathing me in.
“Callie, my love, are you okay?”
“I am now,” I whisper, and I hate how guilty I feel about Aviva. She doesn’t need that kind of drama. She’s pregnant, for fuck’s sake, and I allowed her to fight with her husband, to wonder if he doesn’t love her. Haven’t I given her enough grief? She was stuck with me when she was supposed to be going to college and living her best life. She worked her ass off to give me everything she never had, yet I’m starting a fight with her husband over my boyfriend?
We aren’t that family. What the hell?
When I got here, I texted Aviva to make sure she was okay, and she promised me she was. She even told me to have a nice night, which I took as her not wanting to talk about it. I’m frustrated, and usually that feeling only comes when I’m in the gym. When I can’t complete a skill or I’ve fallen on something I’ve done a million times. I don’t really get frustrated with Aviva—or even Nico, for that matter. We get along really well, so being frustrated is a new one.
The whole situation has me on edge, but as I sit down next to Evan, I don’t want to ruin his night. When I walked up, everyone was laughing, and they even had guitars out, strumming. Evan had such a gorgeous smile on his face. He appears to be comfortable and happy, and I refuse to put a damper on the night.
“Babe, this is D’Artagnan—or Dart, as we call him,” Evan says to me, and I smile over at a very gorgeous, massive hockey player. I’ve seen Dart on the ice and also at parties for Nico. He’s beautiful, but he’s not Evan. Dart is the kind of guy you don’t bring home to Momma. He is rough around the edges, with tattoos on his hands and up his arms, and he has wild blond hair with a darker beard. I don’t even think he’d bring any girls back to their mommas, probably keep them in his bed.
Chained up.
He’s dangerous.
And intriguing.
“Hey, aren’t you Nico’s wife’s sister? I thought she was off-limits?” Dart asks, laughing before pointing to Evan. “How did you pull that off?”
Owen snorts. “Evan locked her down in another state.”
“Smart man.” Dart applauds.
Evan laughs. “Yeah, all that would be true if I had recognized her.”
Everyone laughs except Dart. He looks at Evan like he’s an idiot. “You didn’t recognize her? She’s gorgeous!”
“Yes, I know. I was a whole lot of not myself when I was here, but she is my gorgeous girlfriend now,” Evan warns warmly, and Dart grins.
“Callie, right?” he asks me.
“That’s me.”
“It’s great to meet you. Nico has always kept you on a short leash.”
We all chuckle at that, and I nod. “Yeah, but not anymore.”
When Evan puts his arm around me, hitting me on the thigh with his guitar, he apologizes, but I wave him off.
“Now Evan does,” Owen teases, and Evan flips him the bird, which causes more laughter.
“There is no leash,” Evan says.
“Whatever. I have the leash,” I tease, and we all chortle together.
Dart is annoyed by that. “Aw, this is fun, the fifth wheel to the hot twins with hot girlfriends,” he says subtly before looking at Angie. “Dude, please hook me up with Jean.”
Angie rolls her eyes, and I ask, “Jean, as in Jaylin and Kirby’s nanny?”
Dart looks over to me, confused, for maybe a moment before he says, “That’s right. Jaylin and Aviva are best friends.”
“Yeah, and Jean is wonderful. She watches Vance sometimes and sends me pictures on Snap.”
Angie agrees. “She’s a godsend, and Dart is all about her, but she doesn’t have time for a relationship—like she’s told you, over and over again.”
“I just need one night, one chance, and I’ll change her mind,” Dart promises, and Owen snorts.
“And that’ll be it, which is why she is giving you a wide berth. No one wants to be the next victim of D’Artagnan Miklas.”
Dart laughs at that. “Believe me, plenty of girls want to.”
“None like Jean, though,” Angie throws out there, and he grumbles something.
I smile, though I’m not totally into the conversation as they all bicker at each other and tease Dart. I’m half tempted to go back to the house to check on Aviva, but I know how she is when she is upset. She needs her space, and I don’t want to cause any more problems.
