Chapter 19

 

It was a little after midday when Callum arrived at Landen’s house. Nell had explained that she had stopped there to drop Henry off first before dropping Macy home. She had planned to take Macy shopping and for some ice-cream before she had taken her home.

However, when she got to Landen’s and found Liam, who had ended up spending the night, nursing a hangover and a black eye, she demanded to know what the hell happened.

Liam had refused to say what had happened, in typical Liam style. Even if he was pissed at Callum, he was still his brother, so there was no way he would ever tell on him.

Callum smiled when Nell told him that, but it also made him feel a little worse. He had been so horrible to Liam. Still Liam had his back.

Nell told Callum she had instructed Liam to wait there while she came to talk some sense into him, and that Amelia offered to hold onto Macy while Nell sorted it out.

He had asked Georgie if she wanted to come with him to Landen’s, but he wasn’t that surprised when she declined. Still, he hadn’t wanted to leave her. There was a tiny part of him that was afraid she would be gone when he got back.

Callum knew there was a part of Georgie that was still a little unsure about everything.

However, right now, he had to make peace with his brother, and hope that somehow they would find a way to put this all behind them.

He was still sitting in his car, lost in thought when there was a soft tap on the glass of the passenger door. Callum looked up and was a little surprised to see Liam standing there. He hit the central locking on the door, so Liam could open the door, which he did. Then, to Callum’s surprised he sat in the car, pulling the door closed behind him.

“This is the first time I got to see your car properly,” Liam said as he looked around the car. “I like it. I mean it’s not the Aston Martin, but I could see me driving one of these too.”

He finally turned to look at Callum, Callum’s stomach heaved instantly when he saw his brother’s black eye.

“Liam, I…” Callum began to say, but Liam just smiled, before he spoke, cutting him off.

“I owe you an apology,” Liam sighed, completely surprising Callum. “I acted like an asshole yesterday, and I’m sorry.”

“I think I’m the one who should be saying sorry,” Callum replied, still looking at the bruise on his brother’s face. “I never should have hit you.”

“Yeah,” Liam laughed as he instinctively reached up and touched his nose. “But I asked for it, saying what I said. Besides, I’ve had worse.”

“Doesn’t make it right,” Callum sighed, wishing he could take back the things he said and did to his brother.

“You know you could have just told me that you liked her,” Liam said, his smile fading a little. “I mean, sure I was flirting with her, but I was just goofing around. I would have never crossed the line. Especially if you liked her. I would never get into your business.”

“I know,” Callum sighed once more, knowing his brother was right. He should have just talked to him. “I suppose I didn’t want to admit I liked her to myself, much less anyone else. I thought she liked you, and well, I guess I was jealous.”

“Well there’s a lot to be jealous about,” Liam grinned, giving Callum a cheeky smile. “I’m way hotter than the rest of you assholes, and let’s not forget the killer charm…”

“Be serious, Jackass,” Callum replied, but he couldn’t help but laugh too.

“Okay, okay,” Liam chuckled, but then his smile faded. “What happened with Georgie? Is she gone?”

“No,” Callum replied, unable to hide the smile that instantly spread across his face the moment he thought about her. “I think that we’re going to be okay.”

“We?” Liam replied, as his smile widened. “So you and she. Wow, you old dog.”

“Less of the old, Asshole,” Callum laughed, as Liam punched him in the arm. “I can still kick your ass.”

“True,” Liam chuckled, as once more he reached up and touched his nose. “But at least it’s not broken. Doctor Dylan insisted that he examine me. He said I'd live.”

“I really am sorry,” Callum said sincerely. “I wish I could take it back.”

“It’s cool,” Liam replied with a grin. “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. Besides, I’m still a handsome son of a bitch, even with the back eye.”

“So, we’re cool?” Callum asked with a smile, though he already knew the answer.

“We’re cool,” Liam nodded, holding out his hand to Callum. Callum quickly grabbed it, but instead of shaking it, he pulled his brother to him and hugged him.

“When you girls have finished kissing and making up,” Landen said suddenly from outside the car, as he banged on the glass. “There’s a little girl in here that is waiting to see her daddy.”

“We should go in,” Callum replied, giving Liam one last smile, before he reached for the door handle, pushing it open before he climbed out.

“Are you two okay?” Landen asked as Callum walked around the car to where Liam was standing with Landen.

“Yeah, we’re good,” Callum said, giving his brother a grateful smile. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for my behaviour last night. It was inexcusable. This is your home, and I should have never let things go so far.”

“As long as you two have sorted it out,” Landen replied as he turned, leading them both back into the house. “Then everything is fine.”

They walked into the house, making their way to the living room, where Amelia was waiting with Henry and Macy. The moment Amelia saw Callum, she gave him a sad smile. Callum felt like a real shit for the trouble he had caused.

“Daddy!” Macy squealed with excitement the moment she saw her father. She quickly climbed up from the floor and ran to him, hugging him tightly.

Callum scooped her up into his arms, holding her tightly. He hadn’t realised how much he had missed her with everything that had happened, but now she was there, in his arms, the feeling of relief to have her back was almost overwhelming.

“Where’s Georgie?” Macy asked, looking up into his eyes expectantly. Callum looked up at Landen and Amelia, and they both looked like they were worried about the answer to Macy’s question.

“She’s at home waiting for you, Sweetie,” Callum replied with a smile before he returned his focus to his little girl. “And she told me to tell you that she missed you so much last night.”

“I missed her, too,” Macy replied with a sad smile, hugging Puddles, which she was holding, closer to her. Callum knew then Georgie was right. Macy needed more time before they changed the game for her too.

“So you and she,” Amelia said, giving Callum an uncertain look. “You’re both okay?”

“We are,” Callum replied with a smile, as slowly a smile spread onto Amelia’s face too as he set Macy back down on the floor. “We’re better than okay.”

“Awesome!” She replied excitedly but said nothing more.

“We just think that we need some time,” He explained, glancing down at Macy. Amelia nodded, confirming that she understood exactly what he was talking about.

“Time?” Liam asked, clearly not following the conversation as Amelia and Landen seemed to be.

“Yes,” Amelia said quickly giving Liam a look, before glancing at Macy. Slowly Liam nodded, and Callum was relieved he understood what they were talking about. “Time for Macy to go home, and see Georgie.”

“YAY!” Macy cheers excitedly.

“And maybe this afternoon,” Callum said smiling at his little girl. “You, Georgie and I could go get some ice-cream.”

“ICE-CREAM!” Macy squealed as she jumped up and down. “Can Uncle Liam come? He has an ouchie.”

“Aww, Macy Cakes,” Liam exclaimed, picking up the little girl and giving her a big kiss on her cheek before blowing a raspberry on her face. “I would love to come, but I think your old dad wants to spend the day with his special girl. How about I come by on Saturday, and you and I can go all on our own?”

“YES!” She exclaimed, hugging Liam once more.

“It’s a date,” Liam said, kissing her once more before setting her back down.

Macy hurried back to Callum, taking hold of his hand, dragging him towards the door.

“Let’s go see Georgie,” Macy demanded, tugging down on Callum’s hand.

“I guess we’re going to see Georgie,” Callum smiled, looking back at his brothers and Amelia. “About last night…”

“Forget it,” Liam replied with a smile, looking at Amelia and Landen before he turned back to Callum. “As long as you and Macy are happy.”

“Thanks,” Callum replied, before he turned, allowing Macy to pull him towards the door.

As he drove back to his apartment, he smiled to himself. The last time he made this journey in the back of Landen’s driver’s car, he was sure that he had screwed up his life completely. He had blown it with Georgie, and he didn’t know that his family would ever understand or forgive his behaviour.

He released a long, relieved breath knowing that maybe everything was going to be okay after all.

“She’s asleep,” Callum said as he made his way back down the stairs, into the living room where Georgie was waiting for him later that evening. She had taken a bottle of wine from the fridge, and two glasses from the cupboard as Callum requested before he put Macy up to bed. “I was sure she was never going to settle, but she just dropped straight off.”

“She’s had a couple of busy days,” she replied as Callum joined her on the sofa. He reached for the bottle of wine and quickly opened it. “Hopefully she will sleep straight through.”

“I think she will,” Callum smiled, pouring a glass of wine for them both before he handed one to Georgie. Then he lifted his glass, holding it up to her. “Here’s to us.”

“To us,” Georgie repeated as she softly touched her glass to his, and smiled at him, but something wasn’t right. Callum could feel it.

“What is it?” he asked, setting his glass down without taking a drink. “What’s wrong?”

“I was just thinking,” Georgie shrugged, giving him a nervous smile. “I should probably tell my mother; that I’m living here I mean. She doesn’t know I left my old apartment.”

“Why haven’t you told her already?” Callum asked surprised by what she said.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, but something in her eyes told Callum there was something she wasn’t saying. “It’s just complicated.”

“Well, maybe if you tell me,” Callum offered, trying his best to reassure her. “I could help make it uncomplicated.”

“I will figure it out,” Georgie assured Callum, but he knew whatever it was, was something she didn’t want to tell him either.

“Georgie,” he said leaning forward, reaching for her hand. “You know there is nothing you can’t talk to me about.”

“I know,” she replied, but her eyes betrayed her. There was something she was holding back, and for some reason Callum was worried.

“Then talk to me,” he pleaded, suddenly feeling a little unsure of himself.

She stared at him for a moment, and he could see she was trying to decide if she should tell him whatever it was, or just say nothing.

“You remember the day we met,” Georgie asked, finally. “That day in the coffee shop.”

“Of course,” he replied with a smile, happy she was finally talking to him.

“The reason I was in the coffee shop that day was…” She stopped and took a calming breath before she continued. “I had just walked away from my whole life.”

“You mentioned you had to move out of your apartment,” Callum replied, confirming what he already knew.

“I never told you why,” Georgie said, as her face flushed with embarrassment. “I had to move because of my boyfriend, or rather, my ex-boyfriend.”

“Your ex-boyfriend?” Callum asked as Georgie’s gaze dropped to her hands.

“Shane,” Georgie replied, and Callum could see the worry in her face. “I caught him having sex with a girl who works in the bar where we both worked. I’d come home early from band practice, and I walked in on them, doing it right there on the sofa of our apartment like it didn’t matter that he lived there with me. So, I just packed my bags, and I left.”

 “He cheated on you?” Callum asked as something in his voice made her look up at him.

“He was supposed to love me,” Georgie whispered holding his eyes with hers. “He was the reason I came to live in San Francisco. He wanted to come, and I wanted to make him happy, so I said yes when he asked me to come too. We had been dating for so long, I guess it just felt like it was right thing to do. The strange thing is, I wasn’t even that upset when I caught him with that girl. I mean, I was mortified, of course I was, but I wasn’t that upset that it was over. What does that say about our relationship?”

“It says he wasn’t the right man for you,” Callum said as he reached up and softly touched her face. “And he was a complete idiot for letting you walk away.”

Georgie smiled, but still, she looked worried.

“What is it you’re not saying?” Callum asked, looking down into her eyes.

“I just don’t want you to think that I’m here because I have no place else to go,” Georgie whispered, as once more she couldn’t look Callum in the eye. “And I don’t want you to think that this thing between you and me, that it’s just some kind of rebound thing…”

Callum leaned forward, as he softly pressed his lips to hers, stopping her mid-sentence.

“Don’t over think this,” Callum whispered, pressing his head against hers, looking down into her eyes. “I don’t think anything other than I’m so glad that you’re here with me right now. I also think that whoever that guy was, he made the biggest mistake of his life letting someone like you walk away. But it’s a mistake I’m never going to make.”

“Really?” She asked looking up into his eyes,

“Really,” he replied, taking her face in his hands. “I promise you; we are going to make this work. So you can tell your mother, or your ex; hell, you can tell the whole world that you and I are for good.”

Georgie smiled, and this time it was a genuine one. Callum softly kissed her lips again, before he eased her back onto the sofa, moving over her.

“What about Macy?” Georgie whispered as she looked up into his eyes.

“She’s fast asleep,” Callum breathed against her skin as he kissed along her jaw and down to her neck. “And we can be quiet.”

“Are you sure?” Georgie breathed out in a rush. Callum instantly smiled against her skin, knowing that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

“I’m sure,” he whispered before he claimed her mouth once more. “Please.”

Georgie didn’t reply. Instead, she reached for the bottom of the t-shirt he was wearing, quickly pulling it over his head.

“That’s my girl,” Callum moaned against her mouth before he claimed it with his once more.

He didn’t know why, but the more he had of Georgie, the more he wanted her. She was like an addiction, but one he never wanted to quit.

Callum knew that somewhere deep down inside, he didn’t just want this girl, he needed her. She was like coming up for air after he’d been drowning for so long. She was his now, and he was going to get lost, deep inside her.

It was a little after midnight when Callum and Georgie climbed the stairs. When they reached the top of the stairs, they both walked to Macy’s room, looking in on her. However, as they closed the door once more, Callum was surprised when Georgie moved towards her room.

“Where are you going?” He asked, holding her hand, pulling her back towards him.

“Um… to bed,” she replied, looking surprised by his question.

“But I want you to sleep in my bed,” Callum said, looking down into her eyes.

“And I would love that,” Georgie smiled. “But what happens when Macy wakes up in the morning and comes to find me, but I’m not there.”

“Shit,” Callum sighed, feeling frustrated. He knew she was right, but still, he wanted to spend the night with her.

“I know this is hard,” she said leaning into him, taking his face into her hands. “But it’s only for a little while.”

“I know,” Callum sighed again as he looked down into her eyes. “Doesn’t mean I like it.”

“I know,” Georgie smiled, leaning up, kissing him on the lips softly. “Goodnight, Callum.”

“Good night, Georgie,” Callum whispered, as he slipped his arms around her body, drawing him into his embrace. “I hope you have sweet, naughty dreams about me.”

“I hope so too,” she replied before he claimed her lips once more before reluctantly releasing her.

Callum stood and watched as she slowly turned, then disappeared in through the door.

Fuck! He thought to himself as he turned and walked down the hallway to his bedroom. This is going to be a long night.