Tall, Blond and Handsome bushes past me. “Sorry man, she’s all yours.” Damn right she’s all mine.
And just when I think he’s going to leave, he turns back to her. “Take care, sweetheart.”
I should punch him, just out of principle, but I can’t take my eyes off of Callie. God, she’s a sight for sore eyes. I’ve had a shitty few days, and all I want is to pull her in my arms and hold on tight, but her eyes are emotionless as she stares back at me. She crosses her arms and cocks a brow, and I read her loud and clear.
Fuck off, Declan.
She’s mad at me, and I don’t even know what I did wrong, but I can see anger and frustration written all over her. So I’m going to leave her be, let her cool down, and then she and I are going to have a coming to Jesus about who’s allowed to put their fucking lips on her.
Because I’m the only one on that list.
I shake my head and walk away, through the bar and to the street, when Adam catches up with me.
“Hey!” he yells. “What the fuck, man? Were you really out with another woman tonight?”
“It was a business meeting,” I reply in frustration.
“So things are good with you and Callie?”
“She’s upset,” I reply, shaking my head. “She needs to calm down, so I’m going to give her some space.”
“Knowing Callie, that’s probably a good idea,” Adam says with a nod. “Just don’t make me regret trusting you with her.”
“It’s a misunderstanding,” I reply and clap him on the shoulder. “We’ll figure it out.”
***
Someone is leaning on my doorbell, making it go off over and over again. I stumble out of the music room where I spent the night writing songs for the job Beth gave me last night and open the door.
“What’s wrong with you?” I ask Savannah, glaring at her.
“You didn’t hear it the first three times,” she says, breezing past me and into the kitchen, where she proceeds to brew a cup of coffee, then glances over at me. “You look like shit.”
“Thanks.” I slide onto a stool, longing for a cup of that coffee. “Didn’t sleep much.”
“Kate called me,” she says, eyeing me over her mug. “Did you get it all straightened out with Callie?”
“Not really,” I reply and scratch my head. “I saw her, but she was pissed, and I decided to give her time to cool down.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“Wait. What?”
“She’s upset, thinks you’ve been out with another woman, and you walk away to let her cool off? You’re such a man.”
“First of all, I don’t like the way you call me a man like it’s a bad thing.”
“It can be,” she says, but I keep going.
“Second, I know Callie pretty well by now, and I think she needed some space.”
“How much space are you going to give her?” Van asks.
“A day,” I reply. “I miss her.”
Van barks out a laugh, rinses her mug, and turns back to me. “If you miss her, go see her. You know, women aren’t as difficult as men believe. Hug us, tell us we’re pretty, and we’re happy.”
“Not true,” I reply, shaking my head. “Y’all are complicated as fuck. Trust me, she’s not hurt; she’s pissed. I know what I’m doing. I want to see her, but I’m respecting her space.”
“Whatever,” she says. “There was a reason I stopped by.”
“Aside from giving me awesome relationship advice? Great.”
“Smart ass.” She glares at me. “I have a hearing for the divorce next week.”
“I’m there,” I say immediately. Van will never have to be in a room with that asshole alone ever again. She nods and fights tears, and I stand, circle to her and pull her in for a hug. “It’s going to be okay, you know.”
“Why is it taking so long?” she asks. “It was supposed to be over long ago, but he keeps appealing everything.”
“His lawyer is a dick, but ours are better,” I assure her, rocking her back and forth. “He can legally appeal all he wants, but it’ll eventually lead to a court date and it’ll be over.”
“It could take a long time,” she says and sniffs.
“It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay.” I’m not sure who I’m trying to convince, her or me, as I rock us both back and forth.
***
She won’t take my calls or answer my texts, and the last time I tried to call, I went straight to voice mail.
She turned her damn phone off.
It’s been a good thirty-six hours since I last saw Callie in her office, and I’m done giving her space. I need to see her, hold her, and put this whole mess behind us.
But I can’t find her. She won’t answer the phone, and she’s not at the bar. She has to be at Adam’s.
I surprise Adam when I burst into the apartment. He’s in the kitchen, eating cereal dry and out of the box.
“Hello,” he says mildly and tosses some Lucky Charms in his mouth.
“Where’s Callie?” I ask on my way to her room, then return to the kitchen when I don’t find her.
“I don’t know,” he replies with a frown. “I assumed she was with you.”
“I haven’t seen her since the other night.”
The frown turns into a scowl as he glares at me. “What the fuck, man? You said you were going to give her space, not disappear!”
“A day and a half is space.”
“Two hours is space,” he argues and tosses the cereal on the counter. “She hasn’t been here since yesterday morning.”
“Well, where is she?”
Adam shrugs. “She hasn’t even mentioned your name. I assumed y’all kissed and made up and were fucking like rabbits at your place.”
“Did you tell her I was giving her a chance to cool down the other night?”
“Now, why would that be my job?” Adam asks. “You didn’t tell me to relay a message.”
“I just figured you would!”
“Well, I didn’t know I was supposed to be Dr. fucking Phil this week,” he shouts, just as frustrated as I am. “She didn’t come to work last night.”
“Great.” I pace the living room. “I don’t know where she would have gone.”
“You know, I should deck you. I trusted you with her, especially after we had the talk where you assured me that you love her and want to be with her forever.”
“I meant every word of that.”
“But you hurt her, and then you walked away without a word.”
“I didn’t walk away for good. I walked away in the moment. I’m not interested in anyone but Callie, damn it. If I can just find her, I’ll explain everything and fix this.”
“Well, I don’t know where she would be,” he replies. “Keith’s probably left town by now.”
“Who the fuck is Keith?”
“Her old boss from Denver. The guy who was in the office with her the other night.”
“He was from Denver?”
“Oh, right, you left without talking, so you don’t know what went down there. He wanted her to come back to Denver.” Adam’s eyes widen as mine narrow. “She wouldn’t have gone back to Denver without telling me.”
“No, but would she be staying in some hotel with the fucker?” I ask, fury at the very thought running through my veins.
“No,” he says, shaking his head. “Definitely not. She’s too hung up on you to fall back in bed with Keith.”
“Back in bed?”
“They were a thing, but that’s been over since she moved home.”
We stare at each other for a long time. “Call him.”
“I don’t have his number.”
“Find it.”
“I know the name of his club in Denver that Callie used to manage,” he says, waking his laptop up and loading Google. He finds the number to the club and calls, but curses when they’re closed. “It’s morning. No one’s there.”
“What’s his name?”
“Keith Marron,” he replies, “but I won’t be able to find a cell number for him. We’ll have to wait for the club to open.”
“Damn it,” I mutter, the very idea of her being with him now eating a hole in my stomach. But then I remember her, in my arms, telling me she loves me, and everything in me just… calms. “You know what? She’s not with him.”