She debated on how to respond for far longer than she normally would. Lunch dates with Christian were her normal. They generally happened every week like clockwork. She knew the only thing stopping her from an immediate reply was Callum's face plastered in her mind.
Callum and Christian hated each other for reasons she still had no knowledge of.
But she and Callum were not a thing, and Christian was her lifelong friend. The worst thing she could do was lose him because of a stupid boy.
Sam: That sounds good to me. Dianne’s? See you then.
She hit send, but then a sinking feeling in her belly made her second guess her decision.
“We’re leaving in thirty minutes!” Kristin shouted from the living room, and then before Sam could even formulate a response, she burst through her bedroom door, finger pointed directly at Sam. “Don’t play coy with me. I’m heading over to Micah’s for a party tonight and you are coming. I’m not asking. I’m telling you. You spent last weekend on Callum’s lap. No way in hell are you turning down the party tonight.”
Sam knew there was a party, there was always a party, but she had kind of hoped Kristin would just head out without any pressure. It seemed that would not be the case. Sam wasn’t nervous until they parked. Kristin could plainly see her hesitation to so much as get out of the car.
“I know I’ve talked a lot of shit about Callum and Drew over the last year, but they honestly aren’t bad guys. Just different from Micah. Callum is also gorgeous. And the tattoos, well, they add this mysterious factor, right?” Kristin wiggled her eyebrows as she spoke.
“No, he’s not so bad. But I don’t even think he will care or probably even acknowledge me. Besides, I’m having lunch with Christian tomorrow. Not Callum, remember?”
“Do you have any idea why they hate each other?” Kristin questioned as they made their way through the parking lot.
“None. And I’m scared to ask. It might set Callum off.”
They had to park further away than usual. Apparently, there were a good many parties going on in this complex tonight.
“Lucky, lucky me! I get to see you here again. Twice in one week!” Christian startled them as he walked over from a neighboring yard. “You know you can come next door anytime,” he offered.
“Who lives there?”
“A few of my friends from freshman year. I’m thinking of moving in here next semester.”
Sam startled.Oh, that would not be good.Callum and Christian living next door to each other sounded about as enticing as chocolate covered worms.
“Can’t convince you to join us, can I?” Christian had on his winning smile. His blonde hair was cut short and neatly styled. He had always been a very good looking guy.
In many ways, he was the exact opposite of Callum. Christian was everything she’d ever wanted in a guy. Clean cut, appropriate, nice, stable, routine. Safe.
But maybe not anymore.
Maybe it was time to break the mold.
Maybe it was time to veer off the path she had set forth and take a chance on something new and scary and exciting. Something that made her hair stand on end and her heartbeat increase and her stomach twist into the most delicious knot.
She truly loved Christian. She did. But, maybe that love wasn’t what she needed. Sure, he would always be there. He was her constant. He was her past and her present, and she knew he would always have a role to play in her future. But, maybe she had convinced herself that the warm feeling that trickled through her body whenever he was around was more than what it truly was. Because that warm trickle turned to a damn near flood whenever Callum crossed her mind. It was all-encompassing and uncontrollable. It made her want to shatter every single plan she had ever made if only to see him smile or hear him laugh. And Christian had never made her feel like that.
“I’m sorry, I wish I could. I should probably stay with Kristin, though. Don’t have too much fun.” She smiled back while he reached in for another hug. Just as her arms wrapped around his neck, she caught sight of Callum leaning against the railing on their front porch. She caught the hint of that beautiful smile she was so desperate to see turn downward as Callum saw her arms move to encompass Christian.
Christian saw it, too. She knew because when he pulled back, a devious smile played on his features. And, for just a moment, she felt as if she didn’t really know him. He started to walk away and had made it almost into the neighboring home when she heard him call out.
“We never decided on a time for our date tomorrow. Is eleven still good? I’ll pick you up.” Christian’s smile was far too large. He didn’t wait for an answer, because he already had one. And she knew that his little display was only for one person’s benefit, and it wasn’t hers.
“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll see you then.” He was inside before she even finished her reply.
She shot a quick glance in Callum’s direction only to see his back as he disappeared into the home. Her mind raced as she tried to figure this out, but Kristin was pulling her forward and, before she even had a chance to replay what had just happened, she was inside Callum’s home and had a straight shot view of the back of a girl sitting on his lap. His hand rubbed up and down the girl’s side just like he had done to her at Social.
Their eyes locked on each other. It was a battle as to who would look away first. She felt her heartbeat spike and she wanted nothing more than to slap that stupid grin off his stupid face. He wasn’t supposed to have been able to get under her skin.
She blinked away the tears, hoping he didn’t notice how flushed her face had just become. Then internally scolded herself for having allowed her mind to spend the last few days spiraling down a path she knew wasn’t where she needed to go anyway. She had almost convinced herself not to care, but then he whispered something into the girl's ear and she burst into a fit of giggles and leaned further into him. Sam’s chest felt as if it was about to explode. She felt her lips drop into a frown.
With a quick tug on her arm, Kristin had Sam turned away from the sight. Sam feigned oblivion as to what was happening just feet away as she desperately tried to loop herself back into the conversation with Kristin and Micah. It didn’t work. All she could think about was what Callum’s hand was doing behind her.