″Fuck. Jesus, Haley. I’m so fucking sorry. I shouldn’t have been such a prat, okay?” His eyes dart between mine, searching—no pleading—for my forgiveness.
When he realizes I’m not budging, that I’m not forgiving him so easily, despite the incredibly amazing things he did yesterday, he drops to his knees in front of me. His arms wrap around my thighs and he pulls me close. Callum’s scruff digs into my belly button.
His warmth radiates through my body.
Callum is building a charity in my sister’s name. He killed my stepfather. The former is incredibly sweet, and the latter is poetic justice. He’s my fucking Black Clover, and I have to walk away. Because despite him being everything I need, he’s also something I don’t need: another man taking advantage, telling me how to live my life.
The sight of him on his knees, submitting, is weakening me. But the strong woman in me pushes him away.
″Oh my God, I’m so happy to see you, but you also look like shit.” Andi pulls me into a hug, dragging me off the porch and inside her perfect, little farmhouse.
″Who is it?” Her husband’s voice comes from far away as Andi slams the door shut.
Andi doesn’t bother responding verbally to him. She pulls my jacket off and hangs up my purse, then shuffles me through the large house until we reach the kitchen.
She gently pushes me into a chair. Dominic Black, also known as Colby Fuckwat, stands over the stove shirtless as he shoves something into the oven.
″I’m going to kill that asshole,” Andi grumbles.
″Who?” Dom asks as she brushes past him to start a tea kettle. She presses a kiss against his clean-shaven cheek and for a second my stomach twinges with pain at the thought of never feeling Cal’s beard against my lips again. I quickly force it away.
Dom turns to look at me, a smile on his face. He is always happy. Always smiling and positive. Andi is too, but more so with him around. As much as I hate him for breaking her heart all those years ago, I’m happy to see her happy.
″Haley! What’s good, my girlie?” He walks toward me, but I hold up my hand and shake my head.
″Don’t come near me. I don’t want a hug from you when you’re shirtless.”
He raises his hands in surrender. “Fair enough. Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?” he asks.
I shrug. “I didn’t know until about two and a half hours ago.”
Andi pauses, doing the math. “That’s impossible.”
″I wasn’t in Boston.” I clear my throat and look down at the counter, picking at my nails. “Cal and I were in Seattle. I had to get away.”
″Oh, fuck.” Andi lets out a long sigh and hurries back to me, her arms wrapping around my shoulders. “Jesus. I thought he could have been behind it.”
″Behind what?” Dom asks.
He’s a cop and he cannot know that Callum killed Jason. Jesus, this was stupid of me to come here.
″Jason,” Andi says before I can stop her. “Jason’s been missing. Don’t you pay attention to the news? You’re a cop!”
He quirks an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his face as he stares at my best friend. The love for her is clear in the way he looks at her. The way only she matters and as if I weren’t in the room with them. Finally, he says, “Do I pay attention to Washington news when we live in California? No, sunshine. Can’t say that I do.”
Andi rolls her eyes scoffing. “What were you in Washington for, Haley?”
″Cal is building a hospital and a homeless shelter in Sarah’s name.” I blurt the words and my chest rises and falls too rapidly to be a normal breathing pattern.
Callum murdered someone for me. I murdered someone too. And he is honoring my sister in a way I never could have imagined. Meanwhile, I can’t forgive him for wanting to keep me safe.
But I can’t say any of that out loud, so I keep my mouth shut, chewing on my lip.
″That’s amazing, Hales.” Dom slaps his hand on the countertop.
Andi and I never discussed what she’s told him about my past, but I always assumed it was enough to keep him from asking questions. His response confirms he at least knows of Sarah.
Andi raises an eyebrow. “If he’s doing something nice, why are you here looking like he kicked your puppy?”