I watch as his eyes dart from side to side looking at me, like I’m a book he’s reading.
“I need to ask for your help, Callum. Lord knows you’ve done so much for me already, and with what’s happened I know this is beyond uncouth, but I have no one else to ask.”
I’m wringing my hands together, trying to build up my courage.
“Tweet, I’ll always help you, no matter what’s going on between us. What is it?” his voice is soft and sincere. I have an almost overwhelming urge to cry.
“You would, wouldn’t you?” I say in awe.
He places his cup on the table and shuffles closer to me, taking my trembling hands between his solid, safe ones.
“It kills me that you’d even question it,” he says.
My whole body feels like it melts and turns to liquid. How does he do that with just the touch of his hands and a simple sentence?
“I need to ask you to borrow the money to pay back Mr. Carter. I know it’s a huge amount of money, but I have some saved so it wouldn’t be the full ten grand. You could withhold my wages until it’s paid back,” I rush out in one long labored breath.
“I’ve already told you, I’m going to take care of this; I thought you understood that. I’m going to make the payment to Carter, and I don’t want you anywhere near when I do. And you can forget about surrendering your wages. I’m not like one of these assholes. You don’t have to pay me back until you’re ready; I don’t care how long it takes. Fuck, I don’t care about the money at all, Tweet. It’s your safety that concerns me; cash isn’t the be all and end all.”
His eyes drop to my mouth, and my heart feels as though it stutters in my chest. I don’t know if it’s what he’s just said, or the relief that he obviously doesn’t hate me like I’d thought, but I blink and feel hot wet tears trail down my face.
“Shhh…don’t cry, Tweet,” he says as he pulls me into his chest, and it has the complete opposite effect: I cry even harder.
“Y-you can’t,” I splutter, choking on my tears.
He squeezes me a little tighter, and I melt into him, breathing in the smell of him and feeling protected in the cocoon of his arms.
“It’s not up for negotiation.”
I look up at him as his lips descend and land softly on top of mine. He doesn’t move them, there’s no attempt to kiss me, it’s purely an act of comfort and it works. I can’t remember the last time I felt so reassured by the briefest of touches. Maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem, after all.
THE MESSAGE ROBYN left me weighs heavily on my mind along with the way I ended my last conversation with Callum. I don’t have time for distractions at the moment; I’m in damage control mode with Jeff Michaels and the constant thoughts of Robyn are an unwelcomed intrusion. I need to get my head back in the game and focus on my goals. The partnership at the firm is hanging in the balance, and I’m so close.
Throwing away the last eighteen months’ worth of work because of a woman is insane when I say it to myself out loud. But I’ve let Robyn cloud my judgment and infiltrate every part of my life, instead of keeping her firmly within the realm of out-of-office recreation. My regard for her was bordering on obsession; she’s all I could think about. I’m not entirely sure that it wasn’t the chase, and the fact that she was so reluctant to fall into my bed that fueled my interest so readily. I liked her; hell, I still like her, but I love my job, and it’s suffering because of this twisted situation I’ve found myself tangled up in. The thought of her with Cal makes me recoil, and my stomach churn; I know I could never have anything with her now even if she were willing. She’s tainted. You don’t go where your brother’s been; it’s an unwritten rule. If Cal wants to disregard it, that’s up to him. I don’t like it. Actually no, I more than dislike it, I hate the idea, but it’s his choice to make.
I have my driver pull up outside Reveal. I have an hour before I need to be back in the office, but I want to put this issue to bed so I can at least push it out of my mind until the Michaels’ case is tied up. Once that’s over I can deal with all of this when I have the time to process what’s what. I tried calling Cal before I came down here, but it went straight to voicemail. I called Dad to see if Cal was already at his house, but his nurse Lynda said he’d called her earlier to say he’d be coming this afternoon instead. I’m assuming that Robyn will be here too, either working or upstairs in Cal’s apartment. I walk through the club toward the stairs by Cal’s office. Zane and some other guy seem to be in some heated conversation, so I make haste and get out their way, heading straight up to Cal’s apartment.
I wish I’d used the external entry now, but it’s habit to come this way. I glance back as Zane, and whoever it is he’s talking with make their way over to what I think is the cellar door. I’ve not seen the guy around the club before, but Callum had mentioned needing more staff a few weeks back, so I’m guessing that’s the new guy. By the look Zane was giving him, I doubt he’ll be around long. I’m about to knock on the door when Robyn and Cal open it, clearly leaving, and we stand there, all three of us occupying the same tiny space in the cramped stairwell.
“We’re heading down, Cole. You here to see me or Tweet?” he asks cautiously. I hate that he calls her Tweet; it’s another little nagging reminder that he knows her far more intimately than me. I swallow my jealousy and spin on my heel, making my way back down into the bar.
“Both of you, briefly if that’s okay. I’m running low on time; it will work out well if I can kill two birds with one stone.”
“Sure, head down to my office. No one’s in this morning,” Cal says.
“Zane and your new guy are already here, I just passed them,” I tell him. “I think they headed down to the cellar.”
“New guy…you mean Jordan?” he asks, confused.
“No, it wasn’t Jordan. I haven’t seen him around before, I just assumed he was new staff.” I move around the bar and head for Callum’s office. We sit and talk far more civilized than the last time we were all in here. I thank Robyn for at least explaining what was going on and shedding some light as to why she was seemingly saying one thing and doing another. I’m trying to apply the same methods I do when I’m in a meeting with a client. No matter what my emotions are, how I feel about what’s being said needs to be internalized.
I can’t change the past; I can’t undo the fact that the girl I want has been sleeping with my brother. There’s no use in attempting to fight for someone who doesn’t want to be fought over. Even if I did win, I would never be able to suppress the nauseating feeling her sleeping with Cal causes. Sometimes in life you need to accept that you’ve lost, and no matter how much it pains you, be gracious in defeat.
I don’t like the situation we’re in at the moment, but at least know I have a better understanding of it. Robyn’s fidgeting, but her demeanor appears much more relaxed after hearing me out. Cal, on the other hand, looks skeptical. He’s probably waiting for a snide comment, or an indication that this isn’t over. He’s not going to get it. He’s not exactly my favorite person at the moment, and a little distance will give me a chance to calm down.
I’m about to leave as Annie knocks on the door just before slipping her head in and asking where Zane is.
“Cole saw him head to the cellar. Why?” Callum asks.
“There’s a guy here looking for him, he looks like an MMA fighter!” She laughs while grimacing.
“We’re finished in here, right?” Callum retorts, throwing a glance at Robyn and me. We both nod in agreement. “I’ll be right out,” he tells Annie.