Chapter Thirteen

Eddie

I normally love the sound of skin hitting skin, but the slap she gave me stung like a son of a bitch and now Callie’s words are ringing through my head over and over, I’d never stopped to consider that maybe she’d been through anything like what I have. I thought wrong. I won’t deny that her stripping down did things to the monster that I shouldn’t have felt in that moment, and I won’t deny she fascinates me. A woman immune to my charms…I’ve only met one other and that’s my mother, given she hates me.

Kicking the last of the women out, I make my way to her room. I want to apologise to her, even explain myself. I acted like a jealous boyfriend and I hurt her, something I never wanted to do. I like to frustrate her a little because she gets funny when she’s getting mad, but tonight she wasn’t mad at me, she was beyond furious and that’s a kick in the gut.

Her door swings open as I lightly knock on it, most of her things are gone, she really didn’t mess around. I thought I’d be able to talk her into staying. I really can’t do this without her. Sitting on her bed, I run my hands through my hair. What did I do? I ruined another good thing in my life. Normal people learn from their mistakes. How many times do I have to repeat the same shit over and over before I get it through my thick head, I’m not invincible and I’m certainly very replaceable.

Her keys are sitting next to her bedside lamp. One thing people say about me is how impulsive I am and I always considered that a good thing. I swipe up the keys and run out to the car I bought her, the thought of her driving that death trap of hers scares the hell out of me. Robert, the security guy at the gate, can see me coming, I click the button on her keyring and open the gate. When Marcus finds out I left by myself he’s going to kill me, so I want to get away quietly.

Pulling up to the curb in front of Callie’s sisters house, I see the death trap parked in the driveway. I instantly lose all my nerve and contemplate simply driving away; she won’t want to talk to me anyway, so why upset her even more. I need a cigarette so bad, I scramble around in her car, opening the console I find an unopened pack; she even thinks to buy me smokes. I truly am an asshole. Reclining the seat back a little, my nerves start to calm with each draw. The passenger door swings open and a shorter version of Callie jumps into the car, the shock of how much she looks like her has me lost for words.

“Eddie, I presume. You should put that thing out because you wouldn’t want a pregnant woman inhaling second-hand smoke.”

“Sorry,” I say, flicking it out the window.

“You’ve really done a number on my sister. I knew when Sasha came to me it was a bad idea, but she convinced me that you two would be able to heal each other. It must have been a lapse in judgement on my behalf.”

“Sasha?” I ask.

“Yes, Sasha is, or was, our sister-in-law, she was married to our brother before he was killed. For a rock star, and someone who really should look into who works for you, you don’t seem overly careful.”

“You’re Amelia’s aunt?”

“Yes, welcome to the conversation genius, Amelia is our niece.”

“How come I never met you before then?” I ask, sceptical. How could Callie be Amelia’s aunt and I not know.

“When Amelia was sick, Callie’s drug addiction was possibly at its worst. She blames herself for our brothers’ death. I saw how happy Sasha and Amelia were with you around and I had to save my sister or at least try. I couldn’t lose another sibling, and I couldn’t let a little boy grow up without his mother.”

“Did she try to commit suicide before or after Amelia?” I ask, all this information is so much to take in.

“I’ve said enough. I can tell she cares about you a lot more than she admits to herself, she wouldn’t have stayed longer than the first day if she didn’t. She risked staying sober for you that night at the club. Now, I’m going to sneak back inside and what you do next is up to you.” And with that she’s gone. What am I supposed to do with all this information. I thought I was messed up, but Callie…my heart breaks for her, the pain she’s had to endure is more than she should have to. I’m a man, I should have acted like one. Climbing from the car, I try to run through my head what I’ll say to her if she agrees to speak to me. Ringing the doorbell, I wait. Her sister answers and smiles, and my heart does a backflip, her smile reminds me of Callie’s.

“Callie, you have a visitor,” she says and invites me in. I take one step inside the door and wait.

“Oh, it’s only you. Go away, I have nothing left to say to you.” I watch as she turns and walks back through the doorway she walked from. I look back to her sister to get some non-verbal permission to follow her, she nods her head and I push through her door; maybe acting like me will ignite the fire I see in her eyes every time we’re around each other.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know about your brother and Amelia.”

"Don’t you dare feel sorry for me, I don’t want your damn pity!” There is that fire. “I spent five years clawing my way back to normal, it was hard and so many times I wanted to give up, but I never did. But since I met you, I’m drowning again and it’s just too much,” she says through tears as she falls to the floor and covers her face.

“I don’t pity you at all. For the first time since we met, I’m getting to see the real you, maybe it’s not a side you wanted to show me, but I’m sorry for the way I acted.” Sitting beside her, I place my hand on her shoulder and she shrugs me away.

“So, you should be,” she says, looking up at me.

I place both my hands on her face and she tries to pull away, but I don’t let her.

“Stop fighting me for a second and look into my eyes.” She humours me and looks, I can tell she’s doing what I say so she can get rid of me. “What do you see?”

“What should I see?” she says, her voice laced with sarcasm.

“That’s the soul of a broken man, Callie, begging you to give me another chance and help me. I acted that way because I was jealous. Me, Eddie Diamond, was jealous. I have never felt like that before and I was confused.”

“I can’t, I’m sorry. I never expected to fall for you, but I did and I can’t watch you do this self-destructive shit any longer, you need serious help and I can’t be that person for you now that I care so much,” she says, pulling away. “Whatever this weird thing is between us, it’s toxic. We’re two fuck-ups who can barely get their shit together.”

“I don’t accept that, we could be good. I’ll go to rehab for you and get clean, and maybe we can at least be friends and see what this is between us?”

“It won’t work unless you want it. I don’t want to be this person, I don’t want to be dragged back to that place I was in.”

“I’ll prove it to you, I promise, just you wait and see,” I say, leaning in and half expecting a slap across the face, but she surprises me and doesn’t move as my lips almost touch hers. “You’re worth fighting for.” Feeling her breath against my lips, I pull away, leaving her breathless. I walk away before I do something I’ll regret, like screwing her. To get her back in my life I need to prove to her how serious I am, and to do that I need to follow the damn rules.

Walking from Callie’s house, I see Marcus standing beside his car; didn’t take him long to find me. He doesn’t say anything, but I’m sure he witnessed my not so fine moment back at the house. I left the keys to her new car in her room, she is keeping the damn car. I jump in with Marcus and ask him to take me to Fontaine Records, I need to speak with Oliver. I take out my phone and hit Mickki’s number.

“What’s up, bro?” he says when he answers.

“Did you know?”

“Did I know what?” he questions and I’d expected that answer.

“About Sasha and Callie knowing each other, that she’s Amelia’s aunt.”

“Yes.”

“And you didn’t think I should’ve known that?” I shout.

“Would you have worked with her if you’d known?”

“No, but that’s not the point, you’re my brother, the one person I should be able to trust.”

“Then trust that when Sasha called me and I met with Callie, I could see what she could. Trust that we did this for you. I want you here by my side, doing what we love, I don’t want to do this without you. I fought for you Eddie, if you were gone so was I. That’s how we got this chance.”

“What if I no longer love what we do? What if I love her and this life could destroy her?”

“Then we walk away. We had a good run, but you’re my blood and we’re in this together.”

“I can’t let you give up your dreams for me, you’re the face and heart of Black Diamond, the guys need you. It’s come to my attention, my brother, that I’m replaceable and I think I’m okay with that.”

“Don’t do anything rash yet. Sleep on it and see how you feel tomorrow. I’ll support you whatever you decide.”

“I love you. You know that, right?”

“I love you, too.”

**

We pull up at Fontaine Records and I go find Oliver. He and Alex are in his office, maybe they have a thing, maybe her being at the poker game was some sort of test so she could report back to Oliver that I’m a fuck up, but I don’t care.

“Sorry, he just stormed in,” says his feisty little assistant or whatever she is. She’s adorable and I normally would have spent time trying to get her into my bed, but not today.

“It’s okay Rach, Eddie doesn’t follow the rules. Hold all my calls until we’re done here,” Oliver says to the little red head before she leaves the room.

“What can I do you for today?” he asks, directing his attention to me.

“I want to quit, get me out of my contract.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he says.

“Why the fuck not? I want out and I can always just drug and booze my way out, because I know Daddy won’t be happy if that happens.” He looks pissed, and so he should, I didn’t want to pull the ‘Daddy’ card, but I’ll do whatever works. Alex just sits and watches us like a fly on the wall.

“What caused this change of heart?” he asks.

“A certain busty woman with an ass to die for, I presume?” Alex says.

“Callie has nothing to do with this, so leave her out of it,” I spit out.

“Two can play your game Eddie, I can always drag Callie through a media frenzy.”

“Asshole,” I mumble.

“I’m a businessman Eddie and I know if you go so does Mickki, he made that clear. Now, maybe we can come to an agreement. If you don’t fuck up at this charity event Alex has set up, I’ll think about a way to get you out of your contract.”

“Deal,” I say before I turn and leave. I never imagined someone like Callie would ever deserve someone like me, but I want to try. I want to be the type of man she does deserve, and when I am I’ll come back and win her over. I can honestly say I’ve never wanted anything as badly as I want her.