Page 23 of Stalker Stepbrother

Receiving a text from Callum is no less surprising than if I find him sitting beside me in one of my lectures. He hates texting. He sees no point in typing letters when it’s easier to call someone.

After the bell rings, I run to the door and head outside, dialing his number. The call goes to voicemail, and this is when I start to panic.

What happened? Is there an emergency? But he would’ve called. Right? Right? What’s going on?

I slide into a taxi, belatedly realizing someone else got there first. I hand her two ten-dollar bills and mouth, “Sorry.”

I give the driver our address and keep on dialing Callum’s number. My mouth feels dry, and I’m bouncing my knee, almost groaning when I see the stretch of traffic before me. With the rate things are going, I won't make it in 15 minutes. I’ll be lucky if I get there in 25.

For a moment, I consider running to the exit and taking another taxi. But no… That won’t do. I type a quick text to Callum to tell him I’m going to be a bit late for whatever is going on at home.

I hold my breath until he responds with a thumbs-up. That’s right.

When I said he’s no fan of texting, I wasn’t kidding. He didn’t even know what emojis were. When I showed him—along with how to send gifs—he just stared at me like I sprouted wings.

He doesn’t have the patience to type, so the thumbs-up is now his go-to response. I did tell him to add those heart-eyes emoji, just so his replies won’t sound so cold and unfeeling. He answered with a straight face, “I love you whether I send those heart emos or not.”

I even teased him about sending dick pics, and he just shrugged. “You can cut class and come home if you want to see and ride the real thing.”

Ugh, fine.

Twenty minutes later, I’m paying the driver and running like a maniac to the doorway. After closing it behind me, I lean against the door to catch my breath. It takes me a few moments to notice the trail of purple and red roses. I remember telling him before that purple roses meant “love at first sight.”

I follow the trail, pulse pounding, hands sweaty. It leads to the backyard apparently, the petals lining the stone path that winds its way through the garden. My heart races with anticipation and excitement.

Looking up, I see Callum standing by the pergola, the entire concrete floor covered with petals. He’s wearing black dress pants and a crisp, white shirt. He stands there with a smile on his face as he watches me come closer.

“Hi,” I say, already choked with emotion.

“Hello, baby girl,” he answers, holding out his hand for me.

I take it and he plants a soft kiss on my lips. “What is this?”

“Just something I’ve wanted to do since the first time I saw you.”

“What do you–”

The words get stuck in my throat as he sinks down to one knee and kisses my hand.

“I knew I was gonna marry you when I first laid my eyes on you. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. But more than that, you’re the kindest and sweetest, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

He takes out a small red velvet box and opens it, revealing a platinum ring with a massive diamond in the center, which sets out a lovely display of sparkle and shine as the light hits it.

“So, baby girl, will you make me the happiest man alive and do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

“Yes,” I whisper, my voice barely audible as I struggle to get a grip on the various emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

He slips the ring on my finger and stands up. I throw my arms around him, and he holds me tight. We stand there like that for a few minutes, just letting it all sink in. When he lets go and claims my mouth in a kiss, I think,Right here is where I belong. Right here is my home.

EPILOGUE

CALLUM

Ihave never seen a more beautiful sight than this. Callie holding our three-week-old son to her chest to feed him, her hair in a messy bun, and she’s wearing one of my old shirts.

She told me many times she didn’t feel sexy anymore, but I disagree. She’s so much sexier and more beautiful now than ever before.

We got married a year ago in a small temple in Spain. Callie is a big fan of anything vintage and ancient, which is probably why she agreed to marry me in the first place. From the weathered exteriors to the wooded structure bearing intricate carvings and faded paint, she fell in love with the place immediately.

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