Page 71 of My Rockstar Ex's Broken Vows

Whatever obstacles we still face, I know now that Callum and I are meant to be together.

This is real, and it's worth fighting for.

Saturday,March 22

7:07 AM

A loud knockjolts me awake, pulling me out of a deep, dreamless sleep. My eyes snap open, my heart racing as I blink into the darkness. For a second, I don’t know where I am or what woke me, the quiet of the apartment pressing around me like a heavy blanket.

Beside me, Callum stirs, his arm draped across my waist. The warmth of his skin is grounding. He obviously isn't bothered by the knocking, which is admirable.

The sharp knock comes again, louder this time, followed by a muffled voice. "Mom! Mom, are you there?"

Ollie.

I shoot up in bed. My pulse spikes and I panic. The slice of light sneaking through the drapes casts a soft glow over the room as I fumble for my phone to check the Ring camera, but it’s not on the nightstand. Shit. Where is it?

The knocks come again, sharper now. "Mom!" Ollie’s voice is louder this time, insistent. "Are you there?"

I scramble out of bed and grab my robe from the back of the door. I hastily wrap it around me, rushing to his voice, caught between sleep and panic. My heart is hammering as I stumble toward the living room rubbing my eyes. My bare feet pad against the hardwood floor.

By the time I reach the door, I hear another voice. Jesus, it's Marcus. "Sienna? Are you in there? I tried calling, but you didn’t answer."

I curse under my breath, yanking open the door. Marcus is standing there, his hand resting lightly on Ollie’s shoulder. He’s dressed casually, but there’s tension in the way he holds himself, like he’s already bracing for a fight.

"Marcus, what the hell?" I whisper harshly, glancing past him to the empty hallway. "It’s the crack of dawn. What are you doing here?"

"I’m sorry," he says, his tone low and almost sheepish. "But Ollie wanted to grab his ukulele. He’s putting on a show for my parents later today, and he couldn’t stop talking about it. He said he has to practice."

I blink, trying to process this ridiculous explanation. "You came here at—" I glance at the clock on the wall, "—seven in the morning for a ukulele?"

"I tried calling you several times," he says, his voice tightening. "When you didn’t answer, I got worried. I thought maybe something happened."

I narrow my eyes, my voice sharpening. "I was asleep, Marcus. Like any sane person would be at this hour on a Saturday."

"Well, I didn’t know that," he snaps back, his tone shifting to something defensive. "I’m sorry for being concerned about you."

"Concerned about me?" I hiss, keeping my voice low. "This isn’t about concern, and you know it. You’re looking for an excuse to show up unannounced and throw your weight around. I wouldn't be surprised if you were checking up on me, trying to see if I was home. God, this is another level, Marcus."

Marcus’s jaw tightens, and I can see the flicker of anger in his eyes. "That’s not what this is."

"Really? Because it feels like you’re trying to make a point," I shoot back, my voice rising slightly despite my efforts to keep it calm. "You're suffocating."

"Is everything okay?" Callum’s voice cuts through the tension like a blade, and my stomach drops.

I turn to see him standing in the hallway, bare-chested and wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers. His hair is mussedfrom sleep, and his expression shifts instantly when his eyes land on Marcus.

"What the fuck?" Marcus spits, his face twisting with a mix of rage and disbelief. "You’ve got him here? Are you kidding me?"

"Marcus, stop," I say quickly, stepping between them. “You don’t have a say in what I do in my spare time."

“I do when it comes to my son," Marcus snaps, pointing at Callum. "This is what I was talking about, Sienna. This is exactly why you’re reckless. This is not okay," he yells.

"Reckless?" Callum says, his voice hardening as he steps forward. "You want to run that by me again?"

"Callum, don’t," I say, holding up a hand to stop him.

"Oh, this is just perfect," Marcus sneers, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You’re playing house with a rockstar who is puffing up, like he will hit me, in front of Ollie. Real mature, Sienna. Amazing influence."

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