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About me.
About my brokenness.
In front of the man who makes me feel whole, the man who makes me want to live again.
“My wife and I have had the privilege of watching Makenna grow from an awkward teenager into a remarkable young woman.” Judge Landry smiles. “We also had the pleasure of welcoming her into our family. Lord knows she earned it.” He chuckles to himself. His gaze grows distant, as if he’s thinking of Reid. Six months ago, those words would’ve sent me into a tailspin. Now, they make me smile. “It’s a miracle she’s here today, after watching my son roam from one side of the country to the other, holding their household together while he became a Marine…” He pauses a moment, and I’m flooded with memories of lonely nights and heartfelt prayers. “And dealing with such an incredible loss when he died.”
Grief doesn’t slam into me the way it used to. Panic no longer grips my lungs at the mention of his death. I can breathe. I expect Callisto to pull away at the mention of Reid. He doesn’t. He simply splays an arm over the back of my chair and strokes the loose strands of my hair through his fingertips. Once again, he gives me exactly what I need when I need it. I smile. For him and for Reid’s father. I’ve come a long way since the girl he’s speaking of.
Judge Landry takes a deep breath, then locks his eyes on mine. “You’re a bright, strong young woman, and you have overcome so much to get here today. There were moments when we weren’t sure you’d make it,” he says, looking over at my mom. “But you did. Reid would be proud. I know you’ll continue to make usallproud.” He lifts his glass in a toast and the other guests join him.
I shift in my seat. The attention makes me uncomfortable, but I smile anyway. Judge Landry and my mom step away from the bar, joining their spouses at the tables. Some of the guests begin lining up at the buffet table. Some stay seated, finishing their conversations and champagne. I watch them all in silence.
Callisto pulls me close and plants a kiss on my forehead. “You’re not that girl anymore, angel.” In one sentence, he manages to erase all the guilt.
“Lucky for you. That girl was a train wreck.”
He strokes a finger down the side of my face. “Don’t.”
I melt into his touch, my body relaxing. “Don’t what?”
“Talk about yourself that way.”
My stomach shudders.
After we eat, while Callisto is standing in a corner having a hushed conversation on his phone, I search for Mr. Landry. I find him by the bar, sipping from a clear plastic cup full of amber liquid. I’m fully prepared to thank him for his heartfelt speech when he narrows his eyes at me.
“Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” His cold tone breaks the warm sincerity of the moment.
I blink, not used to hearing him speak to me this way. Not that we’ve had many conversations since the funeral. “Well, I was about to thank you for the kind words.”
He visibly relaxes and softens around the edges. “You deserve them.”
“Thank you.”
He darts his gaze to Callisto, then back to me. “Do you know who he is?”
My skin prickles and I tip my chin. “If you’re talking about Cal, I don’t know who he is toyou, but I know exactly who he is to me.”
I shouldn’t be this defensive. He doesn’t deserve it. It’s only natural for him to be upset. He just took a walk down memory lane while another man sat with his arm around my shoulders. I can only imagine what picture of Callisto that painted for him. Only it’s not the words he’s saying buthowhe’s saying them that has me on edge. Every one of them is brimmed with resentment, and I am sick and tired of people telling me I don’t know the man I share a bed with.
There’s always a hero and a villain. The roles they play depends on who’s telling the story.
“We’re having this conversation because I care about you—because of how much my son cared about you. I don’t mean to overstep. I’m just asking that you be careful.”
Be careful. Reid said those same words when I first went to work at Suppato’s.
Judge Landry walks away without another word, leaving me wondering what the hell it’s all supposed to mean.
Callisto walks up behind me, placing a hand on my back, at the dip just above my ass. “Is everything okay?” he asks, and there’s no smirk like when he’d caught me, Brynn, and Ryleigh talking about him. This look is possessive and powerful.
I swallow, then smile. It’s weak. I feel it. I know he sees it. “Everything is great. Is everything okay with you?”
His fingers flex. “Dad and I left Franco in charge of closing the restaurant and—” He swallows thickly. “—There’s a situation we need to handle ourselves.”
My heart stutters at the thought that something might have happened at Suppato’s while they were here. With me.
Callisto smiles softly. “The restaurant is fine.”How does he do that?“I just need to go. I’m sorry, angel.” He leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead. “But I will make good on my promise.”
