″Jane fed it to me,” Haley explains as if that means anything to me.
″Who is Jane?”
Haley answers before Saoirse can. “The flight attendant. So, from what I’ve gathered, in my six-hour flight, is that you’re a member of the mile-high club.” She steps forward, swaying as she does so.
When she reaches me, her finger circles in the air, then she fucking boops me on the nose. “Jane was the lucky woman. Then you told her she was fired but somehow, she convinced the pilot to let her on board today. Probably with her world-famous cock sucking lips that she’s so well known for.”
″Haley, you’re embarrassing yourself,” Saoirse pipes up. “We talked about you not being so hostile, remember?”
″Haley? Thank God! Please tell this psycho to let me go, honey.”
Haley’s eyes dart to the location of the square hole at the sound of Jason’s begging. He must have spit out the makeshift gag used to keep him quiet.
″What the fuck?” she asks, stepping toward him. She continues to walk to him until she’s only mere inches away. Bending down, her hands rest on her knees as she makes herself eye level. “Well, well. What do we have here?”
″Haley. Please, honey. Please.”
″Please, what?” Haley chuckles.
″I’m so sorry. I am. But that doesn’t mean I have to–oh God. I don’t want to die, Haley. Your mom needs me. Your sister needs me.”
Her jaw ticks as she stands up. “Mysisteris dead.”
″You have a sister, remember? Her name is Kylie. She just had her eighteenth birthday about five months ago. And she’s going to start college in the fall. She needs her father.”
Haley scoffs as she shakes her head then turns to me. “Why are you doing this? What is going on, Callum?”
″I know we’re having our issues, Haley. I know that you’re mad with me for not being there when Kirkland hurt you. I’ve been planning this for a while, baby. Since you told me what Jason did to you.”
I run my fingers through my hair, my stomach twisting . I’ve been preparing for this for so damned long, and now it’s here.
″I bought this land. We’re zoning it to build a hospital and emergency housing. I bought it for you.”
″For me?” She croaks, stepping towards me. “I don’t–I don’t understand?”
I take a few steps, closing the distance between us. Her eyes are watery as she stares at me, waiting for a better explanation. My hands cup her face. She doesn’t jerk away from me..
I thought she’d pull away, the way she used to before we were close. Instead, she rubs her cheek against my hand. I stroke my thumbs on either side of her face. I’ve missed her being with me, touching me.
″It’s called Homelife of Washington,” I say. “We’ll build a free clinic for people without health insurance. It’ll have emergency housing for those on the streets, and a youth center.”
″You started an entire…foundation for me?” Her eyes fill with tears and she softens toward me.
I smile and take a risk, pressing my lips to her forehead. “I did it for you and Sarah.”
″What do you mean?” Haley’s voice cracks and her body sags into me.
″The clinic will be called the Sarah Savino Health Center. And we can name a building for you, too.”
Her shoulders shake as a noise escapes her throat, and it takes me a second to realize she is crying. She manages to squeeze out, “This is amazing, Cal.”
″I want her memory to live on for you, Haley. I can’t fix all of the shit that’s happened to you. I can’t take away that pain, but I can do things like this. And I can seek vengeance on your behalf.”
″That’s why he’s here?”
″Say the words, and I will end his life.”
″I’m a doctor, Callum! I save lives. I don’t end them. This isn’t how shit is supposed to happen.” She rubs her chin as she sniffs, glancing back at Jason. “You can’t expect me to play God. One death at my hands is already enough.”