Page 63 of Pinky Promises

“Good evening, everyone. It’s always a pleasure having you all in mine and Crystal’s home. Darling, do you care to join me up here?” The crowd parts, and Crystal Murphy walks through as if she was walking in the Miss America pageant. I wonder if she is reliving her pageant days as she strolls toward her husband. She loops her arm through his once by his side. It’s very Barbie and Ken doll-esque.

“Before we get too carried away with festivities, I wanted to take this time to make a special announcement since I have all of you gathered here.” He turns toward Callum.

What the fuck is going on?My heart begins to race, and I worry I’m about to go into cardiac arrest. I shimmy my way through the edge of the crowd, whispering, “Excuse me, pardon me,” and giving fake smiles. I can’t get to the front fast enough.

“Cal, Blair, please step up beside me.”Blair? Who the fuck is Blair?

Callum steps to the other side of his father with his hands shoved in his pocket, with the mystery woman now identified as Blair still attached to his side, almost mimicking Charles and Crystal. I have never seen her before, and I don’t like the feeling I have in the pit of my stomach. The champagne may come up much quicker than it went down. My mouth goes dry, and my chest begins to tighten.

Callum searches the crowd and finds me with my eyes already plastered on him like glue. We may have some distance between us, but I can see a warning look in his eyes.What is happening? Does he know what’s going on?His gaze is almost apologetic, screaming at me to brace myself for impact.

Time feels like it’s slowing down—stopping almost. A pin could drop and be heard in this room when Charles opens his mouth to speak again.

“I am pleased to announce the engagement of my son, Callum, to Blair Windsor.” Charles finds me in the crowd as I stand there frozen and tips his champagne glass in my direction.

The crowd erupts in applause, but I block it out, only hearing the muffled cursing beside me.

My eyes never leave his as my vision begins to blur from unspilled tears. The motion of Blair pressing up and kissing Callum’s cheek has the dam unleashed. I don’t even try to hide them from falling.

I can’t stand here and watch this. Engaged? Callum—my Callum? When did this happen? Why didn’t he tell me? Here I was falling in love with him—no, I already fell down the black hole of falling in love with him, and the rug was fully ripped out from under me, making me look like a fool.

“I need air,” I gasp. I turn, finally breaking eye contact just as the last piece of my heart crumbles.

Lexi reaches for me, trying to stop me, but I pull my arm from her grasp and shake my head. “I need to get out of here.”

I race down the hallway, ignoring the shouts behind me from various voices of both my best friends as well as the man I thought I knew.

“Miss Macallister? Are you all right?” Imelda calls as I race past her, needing to put much-needed distance between this world and myself. I ignore her. My dress, which was already skintight, is now suffocating. If I could strip down in the yard right now, I would.I can’t breathe.

“Brynn, wait, please,” Callum pleads, but I can’t hear anything else he has to say.

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