A week had passed since the incident with Callum. I had to admit; I sometimes checked my phone out of the blue, wishing that I would get a message from him. Be it a mere hi or hello, anything merely to check in and let me know that he was okay. I could take the initiative and call him, yet I was reluctant just in case I heard Zara in the background. One thing I didn’t want to do was interrupt their relationship.

After I had gotten entangled with Callum, I had avoided the gossip rags and tabloids, but that didn’t stop Luciana or Sienna checking for me on a daily basis. Sienna was becoming a good friend and I appreciated her effort for the past week. She was so sweet, bringing me coffee twice a day, so that I didn’t have an excuse to drag and moan about whilst working.

“What’s the news today?” I lightly inquired just as Sienna slid the Starbucks coffee cup towards me, avoiding my gaze.

“You know, the usual tit and tat.” She was skimming towards one of the order forms, flashing her massive ten-carat yellow diamond engagement ring as she did so.

She was being suspicious and I was getting curious. She usually had the juicy bits readily available. Besides, now that she was acting all odd, I was like an addict in need of her daily juice. “I like tits and tats.”

Sienna smirked, lifting those unusual golden-green eyes of hers. “They’re reporting that he purchased her a new home, so I guess that means he’s not living with her. Blake assures me that a man in love wouldn’t be caught dead having his woman living in a different house.”

How thoughtful of Knightly to relay that information, I wondered how much Sienna had let on about my unusual affair. I never meant for anyone to know, but with Luciana’s big gob and with Sienna working with me closely, it was difficult for her not to catch on.

We both turned at the door when someone knocked. Ally opened the door to let a deliveryman in, carrying a black Lalique vase full of summer blooms. Ally ordered the man to situate the vase on the coffee table before all three of them immediately left me alone, but that was before I caught Sienna winking at me.

With a thudding heart, I got up and inspected the flowers. It consisted of vintage lilac roses, powder blue hydrangeas, tracheliums, mint green carnations, lisianthus combined with sandriana foliage and peonies. It was superb, but what really caught my interest was the card that vied for my attention.

Reaching for the note, I calmly opened it.

You’re one of a kind.

CK

CK. Ha. Bloody. Ha.

“Callum Kensington. Great.” I took in a sharp breath and tried not to think about the fact that he had bought Zara a house. “Hope you’re living the life, buddy,” I muttered, scathingly.

It took me an hour—yes, I was bloody counting the time—to grab my phone and type a reply.

Me: Got your flowers. They’re wonderful, thank you.

Almost immediately, my phone beeped back.

Callum: Can I see you tonight? Dinner, perhaps?

“Shit,” I hissed, placing my phone down, nervous. I was so tempted to say heck yes, but I knew I should move forward. Where the hell was Sienna or Luciana when you needed them most? Those two sucked for emotional support.

Deep breaths.

Okay, Callum wanted to take me to dinner. With dinners, the outcome usually could vary. Coffees and lunches were typically friendly, neutral. Dinners on the other hand were complicated, too intimate. I was treading on a fine line and I didn’t want to fall flat on my face. He was with her. Zara. I had to remind myself that. So a dinner with Callum was out of the question. Besides, there was that dinner invitation from Derek…

Speaking of moving on with my life, I best get a move on with that one. Picking up my phone again, I sent a message to Derek, letting him know that I would love to meet him for dinner. The second message was for Callum.

Me: I’m going to see Derek tonight. Maybe some other time, coffee or lunch would do. Say next week?

There! Sent. I sounded like a rational woman. Not an ounce of jealousy oozed out of those words. I was proud of myself. My phone shrilled again immediately. “My, aren’t you a busy one today!”

Callum: You’re going back to him then?

Getting personal much? Hell. What did he care if I did or didn’t? He had just bought a house for Zara, that’s a massive purchase. For him to dole out that hefty sum, it could only mean one thing and I hated him for it… a little.

Me: I’m not sure yet.

I was hoping he’d leave it at that, but nope! He wasn’t done.

Callum: Does he make you happy?

Derek was great, for some time. That was until he went berserk with his relentless pursuit to get my virginity out of the way.

Me: He did at one point.

Callum: Now, what about now?

I had no idea. All I knew was that I was in love to a man who didn’t want it because his heart belonged to her, his Zara. If this was his attempt to make sure that my dating life was great so he wouldn’t feel a tad guilty, then he was fine. He had nothing to worry about. I was fine without him.

Me: I’ll know soon enough.

I stared at my phone for a full minute, waiting for his reply, but when I didn’t get one, I convinced myself that he had only been feeling obligated towards me.

So, I tried to mask my hurt and delved into work.

An hour later, he finally responded.

Callum: I miss you, S.

“Oh God!” I freaked. “No need to have a panic attack, so calm down.” I coached myself to breathe evenly. This was Callum after all; it could mean so many things. I miss you might be different in his terms. “Yeah, he was used to having me around. So, don’t get yourself affected, Stella. Just fucking don’t or you’ll be fucked,” I repeated to myself until I released the phone and didn’t bother replying to his message.

It was bad, but his words never left me. Even when I went on the date with Derek, Callum was in the back of my mind. I hated how affected I was with his words.

Yet I was determined to move on, broken heart be damned.