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I’m stunned to silence by his confession and still thinking about it by the time we're finished, and I'm toweling my hair and he's shaving at the sink. I never imagined teaching him anything—he's supposed to be the teacher, the guy who's seen everything. There's so much more to him than I thought. More than Amanda knows, I'm sure. He's a better man than she could ever fathom.
Like an onion, I have slowly peeled back the layers of who he is.
“What are you thinking about?” My head snaps up, and I find him smirking at me in the mirror. “It seems like you’re lost inside your head. Are you sure you should go to work today?”
“You are incorrigible.” I leave the bathroom and put my clothes on in a hurry. Not only because I need to get out of here but because the longer I stay, the higher the chance of me spilling the beans. This is why I wanted to avoid him in the first place. The urge to hurl out the truth consumes me. I want him to know, except every time I go to tell him my brain forgets what words are.
I've just finished dressing in yesterday's clothes—without my panties, which we must’ve left under his desk—and pulling my wet hair back into a bun when a knock sounds against the bedroom door. Callum strolls through the room, still wearing only the towel around his waist, and opens it enough that I can see Romero standing out in the hall.
He appears annoyed, his eyes cold.
“Yes?” Callum's chilly response surprises me.
“There’s something I need to discuss with you.” His eyes meet mine briefly over Callum’s shoulder before glancing back at Callum.
If looks could kill, I’d be dead twice over.
“Can it wait?” Callum snaps. The tension between them is thick enough to cut with a knife. This is awkward. What the hell is going on?
“Sure, although it’s important.”
“I need to go, anyway,” I murmur, tapping Callum on the shoulder while trying to give Romero a smile at the same time. It's like the temperature just dropped twenty degrees.
“Give me a few minutes, and I'll be downstairs.” He closes the door before Romero can respond, then gives me a confused look. “What?”
“You tell me,” I whisper. “What gives? Did something happen between you two?”
“What happened doesn’t matter. I don’t want you worrying about me.” I can feel it. The wall that he slid between us. It makes me want to shake him. If he had the first idea of how frustrating it is to hear that, to be dismissed when I'm concerned, he might think twice about acting the way he is. However, discussing it right now isn’t an option. I don’t want to start our day off with a fight.
“I’m going to have dinner with my Dad tonight,” I say to him, standing on my tiptoes to give him a kiss. “There are still a few things I want to talk to him about, so I don't know how late it will be. I might just stay there.”
“Let me know?” He's gentle as he takes my face in his hands. “You know how I worry about you.”
“I do.” And I love him for it, even if it's infuriating sometimes.
His jaw clenches, and his features draw together in a pinched, pained expression. It seems for a second like he’s going to say something, but he only sighs while his shoulders sink. “Go on, then. Make me miss you all day.”
“Oh, stop. I’ll be back. I can only go so long without you.” I smile.
Romero has already gone downstairs by the time I leave the room, and when I check the time on my phone, it leaves me rushing down the hall and out to my car. It feels almost traitorous not stopping to say hi to Tatum before I go, but then she's probably still asleep anyway. I wish I had time to leave her a note. At this rate, I'll barely have time to grab anything to eat before heading to work.
And I have to eat, don't I? It’s no longer about me. It’s about the tiny life growing inside of me. “I promise,” I whisper once I'm in the car and rolling down the driveway. “Whatever happens, baby, I'll make sure it's the right thing for you. No matter what, I'll put you first.”
CALLUM
There is nothing quite like the morning after a fight. Especially when the sight of the person you fought with brings everything back into perspective in bright, brilliant color. I only wanted to savor those last few minutes with her, but Romero's exquisite sense of timing fucked the whole thing up. It's enough to make me grind my molars as I march down the stairs. No doubt he wants a continuation of last night's bullshit. Little does he know how disinterested I am in what he thinks about my parenting skills.
