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“He threatened Callie.”
“He’s threatened me over the years. And you. Miles, Theo, the company.” She tilts her head. “What changed?”
“Coming after Callie is the one thing I can’t abide.” A short, unhappy laugh bursts from my chest. “Ironic, really. I can’t have her, but turns out she’s where I draw the line. And I guess—” I blow out a breath. “Being with Callie makes me want to live in the present, not the past. Revenge doesn’t seem as important now.”
“It’s not.” Christine shakes her head.
“But I promised.” My throat is tight. “I never made him pay and I should have.”
“Be happy, big bro.” She squeezes my arm. “Be happy and forget about him.”
“Happy.” I snort. This is the same conversation we had last time at Silvio’s. “I was happy with Callie. Without her, I don’t think I know how.” Christine makes a pained sound, like she feels every inch of my sadness.
“I’m sorry. Don’t give up.”
I give her a nod, but in my heart, I know that Callie won’t take me back. It doesn’t matter. I can still protect her. I can still keep Dylan from hurting her. That’s all that matters.
When I get in the car later, I email Dylan and cc Aiden.
To: Green, Dylan
From: Crown, Jonah
I accept your terms. The agreement will be with you today.
I fire off an email to Aiden with instructions on the agreement and slump into my armchair. It’s done. Years of pain, years of worry. Just gone.
It was worth it. For her, it was worth it. Callie is worth anything. And strangely, I feel lighter. This is good. Even if she doesn’t take me back, this feels right.
62
Callie
“You’re on my doorstep again?” I can’t help the little flip my stomach does when I see Jonah. He’s dressed in workout gear, arms crossed over his chest.
“Thought you might want to box with me. It’s your day off, right?”
“Yes.” I don’t ask how he knows. He always knows, because he always pays attention. Do I want to box with him, though? I’m dangerously close to falling for him again. You have fallen for him, idiot. I’m fully, madly in love with Jonah Crown.
“You promised, Thompson. I let you off easy these last few times, but technically you’re supposed to box until you can beat me. Remember?” He raises his brows in challenge.
“Fine.” I sigh. “Let me get my workout clothes.”
We walk to Jonah’s townhouse together. He points out the delis he likes near me, and I show him the places I’ve written articles about. After the third person who greets us on the street, Jonah rounds on me.
“Do you know everyone?”
“Of course.” I smile. “I’ve lived here my whole life. And I’m always out on the street, talking to people.”
He shakes his head, but his mouth is curved up. “Never change, Callie.”
When we get to his townhouse, he leads me to the boxing studio. It’s smaller than the one at the office, with no view.
He wraps my hands in silence, the way he did that first day we boxed together. The brush of his fingers over my wrists sends my heart galloping. He’s so close. He smells so good. I want to bury my face in his chest. I want to kiss him. My eyes flick up to his. He’s scrutinizing me as he wraps, carefully turning my hands in his, like I’m precious.
“All right.” He steps away swiftly when the wraps are done. “You get to punch me in the face today.”
“Don’t you think you’ve taken enough of a beating recently?”
