Page 68 of Callum
Scenarios raced through her head. Of him telling her it was over. Of her having to live in a town with the man but not be with him.
She was silently spiraling when Liam touched her hand. His eyes softened just a fraction, but enough to pull her back to the present. “Hey. Talk to him.”
She gave a quick, jerky nod.
The entire drive home, she had to force herself to breathe. To keep calm. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe the reason Callum hadn’t texted back and wanted to speak to her at home wasn’t because he was breaking up with her. Maybe she was overthinking everything.
God, she hoped so.
When she got to her place and saw Callum wasn’t there yet, she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or not. She stepped inside, but Liam didn’t follow. Instead, he stopped at the door. “I’ll wait out here.”
Yep, there were those nerves in her belly again. “Okay.”
The second she closed the door, she moved to the bedroom and changed into leggings and an oversized sweater. It would be fine. If Callum decided he didn’t want to be with her, then she’d be okay. She’d pulled herself out of the deep ditch that was Freddie’s betrayal. If she fell into another ditch, she’d pull herself out of that one too.
But this is Callum, a voice whispered. Things were different with him.
Maybe he needed to break it to her thathe’dcheated.
Her heart skidded in her chest, and she had to remind herself to breathe. To not break down and hyperventilate.
Her phone vibrated, and she pulled it out to see a message from Jenny.
Jenny: So, Rick was on a new level of assholery this morning, wasn’t he?
Fiona: Oh, and it continued into the afternoon.
She nibbled her bottom lip before sending her next text.
Fiona: I think Callum’s going to end things.
Immediately, the three dots popped up.
Jenny: No way. Why do you think that?
She perched on the edge of her bed, heart pounding in her chest.
Fiona: He didn’t respond to my text, then Liam said Callum needs to “talk” to me about something. Now I’m just…waiting.
And man, waiting was the worst part. Her phone rang.
“Am I being crazy?” Fiona asked before Jenny could say anything.
“Not crazy, just reactive. I’ve seen the way Callum looks at you. He’s not just going to end things.”
She clenched the edge of the bed, her nails biting into the mattress. “It’s so unlike him to not reply to my texts, and Liam was acting so strange.”
“Maybe Callum’s just had a long day at work. Maybe something went wrong, and Liam couldn’t tell you what it was.”
“Maybe…” But her gut told her it wasn’t that. That this was more personal.
“Fi, don’t stress yourself out. Talk to him.”
“You’re right.” But she was still a nervous wreck.
“Ask him what’s going on and take things from there.”
Ask him what was going on…without freaking out…she could do that. She could be calm. “Okay. Yes. That sounds smart.”
