Chapter Sixty One
The Hug
“So, you guys got back together?”
Ava asked wide-eyed.
I shook my head with a smile. “We had dinner, just us and Clay.”
Ava looked at me, confused, “and that was after the…hugging?”
She hooked her fingers into air quotes.
I pushed her hands down. “Why are you quoting hugging?”
I laughed, “we really did just hug,” my eyes bounced to the corner of the room, “like, for a really long time,” I said almost too proudly.
Her smile slowly dropped as she squinted at me, “why are you smiling? Somehow that’s worse than breaking up.”
“Yeah, I have to admit Juliette, that sounds depressing.”
Val looked at me with a sour face.
I rolled my eyes. “As always,”
I dragged out, “you guys are being dramatic.”
Val scratched the back of his head. “Wait, are you guys even broken up?”
My eyes dropped to my thigh as I spaced out thinking about it—strangely I’d never actually thought about it because I never considered us broken up, but now that Val mentioned it, it was worth thinking about.
I shrugged, dumbfounded. “I don’t know.”
“Juliette, how do you not know?”
Ava chuckled, “sometimes you remind me of my friend Pinky.” She slowly shook her head.
Val and I just stared at her waiting for her elaboration.
She blinked at us. “She’s not that bright,”
Ava said flatly.
My mouth dropped open as Val laughed.
Ava slowly shook her head. “I meant like when it came to stuff like this, romantically—”
I shook my head as I crossed my arms over my chest. “No, I heard you,”
I cut her off.
“Juliette—”
Ava grabbed my arm as the door twisted open.
“Can you guys come out to help at least? There’s a line out the door.”
Bailey said before he stormed out of the office.
Ava and I slowly turned to stare at each other, then burst into laughter.
“It must be really bad out there,”
I laughed, “I’ve never heard Bailey talk like he actually cared.”
Ava wiped a non-existent tear under her eyes. “I know right,”
she stood and pulled me up, “let’s get out there before he throws a fit and quits.”
I sighed. “Wouldn’t be the first time he almost quit.”
Val looked at us, confused. “Aren’t you closing up early for the hockey game?”
Ava looked at me like I killed her cat. “You’re even going to the game?”
“He invited me!”
I defended myself.
Ava shook her head disappointedly.
By the time everything slowed down, Cal finally came with Clay. They picked me up to go straight to the game. Clay was in a cute coat and a huge blue New York Rangers jersey. I laughed at the sight of that as Callum pushed his stroller inside. He spent the day at home with Clay, though he won’t stay the night with us. But I was grateful nonetheless. I planned to take as much as I could.
“Hi.”
I smiled as my brows furrowed. Callum had a hand hidden behind him as he pushed Clay’s stroller with one hand.
“Hi, Julie.”
He smiled back.
“What?”
I whispered, laughing softly as I moved my head to the side and tried to peek around him to see what he was hiding behind him. Callum moved in every direction I turned to see what he was hiding.
I took a step back as I laughed, finally giving up.
Callum grinned as he slowly pulled out a bouquet of lilies behind him.
I placed a hand over my mouth as I felt my cheeks burn, my eyes softened as I finally reached out and grabbed the flowers from him.
“They’re beautiful,”
I muttered, “thank you.”
“Yeah—”
“Ugh, I should’ve done what Bailey did and went home instead of helping you close down.”
Ava cringed at us. “Now I’m suffering the consequences for being kind.” She pulled her purse over her shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jules.”
“See you tomorrow!”
I waved at her.
She shuddered as she clutched her bag over her shoulders and finally walked out the door.
I looked back at Cal, and he was still smiling as he stared at me.
“Are you ready to go?”
I nodded.
I was shocked. The arena was full. Granted it wasn’t as big as an actual hockey arena—this was a local arena I was describing here. It was relatively big, but not huge—bottom line was, the place was packed. Cal had reserved me a seat. Two rows after the front row. He called and had them reserved for him.
I still couldn’t believe it, it was like almost the whole town came to see them play—Cal and his friends. At least I thought they were his friends.
Callum grinned as he walked towards me. I smiled as I adjusted Clay on my hip. Callum looked handsome, messy hair, those tired eyes. . .the jersey was just cherry on top. He was truly irresistible.
He shook his hair, and for some reason it felt like I was watching him do it in slow motion as he approached me.
“Hey,”
he whispered in a husky voice.
“Hi.”
I smiled, “the game is starting soon?”
He nodded as he pinched Clay’s cheeks, “yeah, and I’m tired, tell me something motivating.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works, nothing will come to mind now that you’ve asked me to do that,”
I said nervously.
“Juliette.”
He looked at me as he tilted his head to the side.
“Fine, okay. Um, if you don’t win this, I’ll stop talking to you.”
He smiled softly then leaned down and pressed his forehead against mine.
“Did that help?”
I muttered as I closed my eyes.
He took a deep breath. “A good luck kiss could’ve done the trick sweetheart.”
He chuckled softly.
I sighed as I pursed my lips into a thin line. “I didn’t know I could still do that.”
“You can’t get rid of me that easily, Juliette.”
He pulled away as he kissed my forehead then he kissed Clay’s forehead.
“I’ll win so you can speak to me again,”
he said as he pulled his helmet on.
I nodded as I watched him get in the rink, I grabbed Clay’s little hands and waved at Cal. “Say good luck Daddy!”
I sat down with Clay in my lap and the game started.
“You’ve got no shame, do you?”
a voice whispered over my shoulder.
I turned to look at Amber behind me. I closed my eyes as I sighed, annoyed at the fact that I had to acknowledge her. If I could ignore her in real life, I would. Unfortunately, I had noticed her. And it’s true what they said, hell is other people.
“Can we not do this right now, Amber?”
I looked around, trying to remind her we’re very much in public.
I’d been ignoring Amber and her mouth for far too long, and now she was barking at me in public like I owed her something.
I glanced at her over my shoulder. “Let’s grab coffee at my place after this, we’ll talk.”
I watched Callum with a religious fervor. He moved effortlessly, and my eyes only followed him—instead of paying attention to the game like everyone else, I was blinded by Callum. It didn’t matter anyways, I didn’t know the first thing about hockey. I was more than happy to just focus on Callum. The way his body bent with the stick, how fast he moved, how smoothly he caught the puck, and how easily he passed it on. And every time he scored, he lifted his shirt up and slightly pushed back his helmet and wiped his face with the hem of his jersey. God—I wondered if everyone else was drooling as bad as I was, but then his eyes would briefly find me in the crowd, and he’d grace me with a wolfish grin that solidified everything I felt for him.
I wasn’t surprised when they won, Callum was determined.
Everyone was cheering, including Clay and I—well, he wasn’t cheering but I was waving his little hands as we watched his dad and the team come out of the rink. I smiled once Cal started walking towards me—I felt so proud of him, and it felt so good to know he was walking back to us—Clay and I. Our little family.
I couldn’t hold in my excitement.
“Everyone!”
I shouted, “celebration at my shop! Free drinks!”
“Julie,”
Callum laughed as he grabbed Clay from my arms, “you’re gonna go out of business if you keep giving people free things.”
I smiled, “it’s a scam, they just don’t know it yet.”
He shook his head with a proud look on his face. “That’s my girl.”
I gave Marshall a polite smile as I handed him his free coffee. Since I quit working at his place he visited my coffee shop every once in a while. I’d like to think it was to check on me, but we didn’t say much, we just checked in with each other and before he could offer me money I made it clear his coffee and snacks and whatnots were free. He was at the game and he came down here to celebrate with the rest of us. I saw Amber hovering like a bad day. She kept pacing back and forth in front of a table near the registers.
I sighed as I wiped my hands. I dropped the towel on the counter then turned to Amber. “C’mon, let’s go,”
I said as I walked towards my office. Amber wasted no time to follow me.
Instead of going into my office, I went into my art room with Amber because I figured if anyone noticed my brief disappearance, they would look for me in the office and if I wasn’t there, they assume I’m busy in the bathroom, somehow. they wouldn’t think twice about being in this room.
I closed the door and turned on the light. “What did I ever do to you?”
I asked as I turned to face her.
“That’s rich—”
“Besides somehow stealing a man who was never yours, what have I ever done to you?”
Her face reddened, and before she could say anything I spoke again.
“I just want to know why you’ve been spying, plotting on me with Christian, and dragging my name through endless, meaningless gossip?”
I tilted my head to the side as I placed a hand on my hip.
She scoffed as she rolled her eyes. “Do I need a reason?”
She laughed, “what? You think you’re special? That I’m jealous of you or something?” she said in a mocking, condescending tone.
I blinked as I looked around the room awkwardly looking for an invincible camera because Amber couldn’t be real.
She didn’t just say that.
After countless attempts to get into my head, trying to psych me out every time she had a chance, using all her breaths to belittle me.
“You didn’t just say that,”
I deadpanned.
“I’m jealous of you?”
she asked as she chuckled.
“Yes, and it’s very clear.”
She laughed as she pushed her hand through her hair.
“It’s weird, Amber, you’re weird, you’ve never dated Callum, yet you act like he’s your property and you don’t even know me or half of the shit I’ve gone through to be where I’m at, yet somehow you always find something to say about me to everyone but me.”
I shrugged as I shook my head, “and I’d understand if you had something with Callum. I swear if you even had a fling with him, I’d never in a million years overstep, and I’ve been quiet this whole time but it stops now, all of it.” I glared at her. “I don’t want you going around talking about my son, having everyone raise questions about him and making him out to be like some science experiment,” I paused, “we’re both adults so if you have a real issue with me, please let me know, or if you can’t even do that, then just stay the hell away from me and my family.”
Her nose flared. “Your family?!” she spat.
I rolled my eyes as I turned to leave the room.
It was pointless talking to her. There was no getting through her. She seemed crazed with this idea of being with Callum.
Amber followed after me, screaming down the hallway.
“What family, Juliette?”
She pushed me.
“Hey!”
Callum ran towards me with Clay in his arms.
It was the first time Clay was still out around this hour. His little hand balled into a fist in his mouth as he drooled over Callum’s jersey. And of course, Callum wouldn’t care about that.
Callum pulled me behind him, and glared at Amber. “What the hell are you doing?”
Silence surrounded us, if that scene from before didn’t get anyone’s attention, this just did.
“Callum,”
she cried as her face turned red.
For a single second, I felt bad for her. She looked crazy in front of everyone right now.
Callum shook his head as he walked up to her and whispered something only the two of them could hear. Clay started crying and Callum pulled away and walked back towards me, trying to soothe Clay with coos as he fussed.
I looked past him and looked at Amber who looked frustrated as she pushed her hand through her hair.
“Are you okay?”
Cal asked as he tucked my hair behind my ears then cupped my face.
I nodded, “is she?”
Callum shrugged. “This won’t happen again.”
“Aren’t you two friends?”
Cal made a face. “More like acquaintances.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but someone grabbed my arm, I turned to face Ava with furrowed eyebrows. “What’s going on?”
“Pink is here.”
I blinked. “Pink? Like the color pink?”
“No,”
she said breathlessly, “my friend Pinky.” She paused as she squeezed my hand, “she left home.”
I nodded. “How can I help?”
Ava looked at me nervously, “she needs a place to stay.”