Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
KEELEY
My head’s throbbing the next morning as I sneak out of Sal’s apartment, an image of his locked jaw and tense gaze playing on my mind.
I still plan on calling him out on his attraction to me, but doing it wearing last night’s dress and morning-after smudged makeup is not the way to go, even if I did attempt to wash it off.
I type a text to Sal as I ride the elevator, though I’m almost certain he wasn’t there. It was too quiet when I woke up at nine a.m., and Sal is both a night owl and morning person. He’s like a robot; he doesn’t need sleep to survive.
After hitting send, I lean my head back against the mirrored wall and close my eyes until the elevator stops, jolting me to open them again.
I glance over at the door, my eyes drifting past the floor level on the screen, and my stomach drops.
I’m on Easton’s level. Of course I’m on Easton’s goddamn level.
I hold my breath, my eyes wide as the door opens, and fuck… One internal groan later, I’m smiling by the time Easton glances up from his phone.
“Hi.”
“Keeley?” He frowns, his eyes bouncing around the small space as though he’s going to find something to clue him in on this strange occurrence. “What are you doing here?”
Good question. “I came to visit.”
“I’m on my way to the stadium.”
“I know. But I…” I what? What am I doing here?
Easton folds his arms over his chest, waiting for me to continue until his eyes bulge. He scowls as his gaze moves from my face down to my disheveled dress, and a grumble flows out of him.
“Are you doing the walk of shame? Fuck, Keeley. Did you sleep with someone in my building?”
“No. Jesus. Of course not.”
“The elevator was coming down. You were coming from a higher level.”
“I was. But only because I forgot to push the button for your floor.”
Easton leans back against the wall, his blue eyes clouded with suspicion. He doesn’t even speak and I fold, another lie spilling out of me.
“Fine. If you must know, I drank myself into an emotional state and needed my mom. I slept in the spare room. I’ve been feeling?—”
“Nope.” He holds up a hand to stop me. “I don’t need the details. I believe you.”
“Are you sure? We could go out for breakfast and I could fill you in on everything going on in my life.”
“Where are you going? If not my floor?”
“Back to Mom’s. I forgot something.”
“Fine.” Easton pushes the button for Mom’s level and the underground parking lot, then turns back my way. “Are you okay?” he asks after a beat, the hint of concern marring his features.
My lips curl into a smile as a warmth flows through me. Try as he might to keep up the grumpy-asshole persona, it’s been fading since Isaac was born, and even more so now that he has Paige. Some days you wouldn’t even know he was grumpy at all.
“I’m good, I promise.”
“Okay. Good.”
“Thanks, Easton.”
He nods as the doors open to Mom’s floor, and I squeeze his arm as I walk past, grinning until the doors shut behind me.
“Goddammit,” I mumble under my breath. Me and my stupid lies. Now I have to convince Mom and Phil to pretend I slept here last night. In case Easton decides to get nosey.
Inhaling on a groan, I knock on the door and listen as movement sounds on the other side. I force a smile preemptively, just as my mom’s boyfriend, Phil, opens up. “Hi, Sweetheart. How are you?”
His eyes briefly flit to my dress, and his brows furrow to hint his concern, but unlike Easton, he doesn’t voice it, putting on a smile of his own as he waits for me to respond.
“I’m good, thanks, Phil. Is Mom around?”
“She is. Come in. She’s having a shower but shouldn’t be too long. Anything I can help with?”
“Actually, yes.” Phil gestures for me to walk through to the kitchen, and I nod before following behind him, filling him in on my predicament. “I need you to tell Easton I spent the night here if it comes up. No questions asked. Please.”
He stops abruptly and I almost bump into him. “Wow. Oh-kay. Yep. Sure. No questions asked.” He nods to himself, and the smallest laugh escapes me. I’ll forever be grateful that my mom found him later in life.
“Thank you, Phil.” I can always rely on him to help me out—that or he’s terrified of me because he doesn’t have any daughters himself.
“I’m asking questions.” Mom joins us in the kitchen, her eyes beaming with intrigue, and I curse under my breath. “Why are you asking Phil to lie to my darling son? I’d never?—”
“Oh, stop. You lie to him all the time. ‘Of course I didn’t let Isaac watch TV before bed.’” I put on my best Mom voice and Phil laughs.
“Okay. You’re right. I still want answers.”
“Of course you do. I drank a little too much last night, and one of my friends let me crash at his place. Easton saw me leaving just now.”
“His place?”
“Yes.”
“A friend?”
“Yes, Mom. Jeez.”
“Do you work with this ‘friend’?”
“What? No. He’s not an athlete.”
“I never said he was.” Her eyes sparkle with mischievous wonder, and I have to fight myself not to groan. Does everyone secretly think Sal and I are something more than we are?
“So…we’re not covering you for a one-night stand?”
“No. I can promise you, there was no inappropriate behavior.” I hold my gaze steady and Mom nods. While I often like to pretend otherwise, Mom always knew my tells. It was impossible to lie to her. Easton, on the other hand…
“I believe you. Only…sex isn’t inappropriate. Who taught you that garbage?”
Goddammit. Now I know how Easton felt when I let it slip that Paige had been staying over at his place when they first got together. I laughed at Mom’s teasing.
Oh, how the tables have turned.
I glance at Phil, hoping he’ll save me, but he simply shrugs, his eyes full of their own humor.
“I didn’t mean it like that, Mom. I just meant that my sleepover was purely platonic.”
As much as I wish that wasn’t the case.
“Okay. He’s a good guy, that one.”
“What? Who?” My stomach sinks and I frown to keep the fear out of my eyes.
“The man who took care of you. Most guys these days would try and take advantage.”
“Not this one.” He’s a true gentleman. Not that I say that aloud. The less I say on the topic the better. “So, now you know the why? Can you please lie for me?”
“Of course. A little white lie never hurt anyone, and you know I’d do anything for you. All you have to do is ask.” She smiles sweetly and I groan.
“Mom.”
“What?” She raises her hands in innocence and I roll my eyes, my gaze once again drifting to Phil for assistance. But he’s no use. He’s too busy staring at Mom like she hung the moon.
“Okay. Well, thanks. I’m going to go.”
“Have a nice day, sweetie.”
“You too.”
I spin on my toe and stalk toward the door, desperate to get home. But Mom has to have the last words.
“Oh, and Keeley?” she calls out as my hands wrap around the door handle, my eyes closing in resignation. This is not going to be good. “Say hi to Sal for me. We haven’t seen him for a couple of weeks.”
I wince internally, but on the outside I’m the picture of calm.
“Will do. Bye.” I wave, refusing to look back, because while that could have been an innocent request, I’m not so sure it was.
Especially after her questions about my “friend.” Mom’s always been observant.
But I can’t for the life of me think of anything Sal and I have done to arouse suspicion. And yet Hayley hinted at the same.
Not that anyone has anything to be suspicious about. There’s nothing going on between us. At least there’s not now.
With my phone pressed to my ear, I absentmindedly stare out my window as I return Callum’s call, brushing my fingers through my freshly washed hair.
“You’re alive,” he answers slowly, his usually gruff voice holding no hint of concern until he adds, “Are you okay?”
“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”
“You called me three times.”
“What? When?”
“Your middle of the night.”
“Oh. Sorry about that. I was pretty drunk. I don’t remember calling you. Why didn’t you answer?”
“Because I was working. Different time zones, remember? I called when I got back to my car. Why didn’t you answer my calls?”
“I was sleeping. In another man’s bed.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And yes, it’s the man you’re thinking it is.”
“I wasn’t thinking of anyone, but now I know who. A part of me wants to say I told you so, but if he took advantage while you were drunk, I?—”
“He refused to sleep with me. At all. He wouldn’t even sleep next to me. Despite me asking him to.” I hate that I can remember that. There may have even been begging.
A strange noise comes through the line and I roll my eyes.
“Did you just snort?”
“No.”
“It sounded suspiciously like you tried to suppress a laugh and snorted. But the Callum I know doesn’t snort. Or laugh for that matter.”
“Exactly. So it can’t be that.”
“You like him, don’t you?”
“I haven’t met him so I can’t say for sure.”
“But…”
“But I think he’s good for you. And if he wasn’t Easton’s future father-in-law, I think Easton would agree with my assessment.”
“Of course I’d be attracted to the one man that Easton would care about me dating. Other than Sal, he couldn’t care less about my love life.”
“Have you told him?”
“God, no. I’m not stupid. There’s nothing to tell.”
“That’s true.”
That’s true. Callum’s delivery is so dry that you’d think he was teasing me about that notion, but he’s just stating a fact. A fact I want to change. And I will. Soon.
“Anyway, are you coming over for Easton and Paige’s wedding?” I change the subject, needing to move on from last night. “I know last time we spoke you were looking into it. Easton would love it if you could. As would I. But I know you’re busy.”
“Actually, the timing worked out. I’ve been contracted for another castle construction that’s starting early in the new year, so I’ve hired a few extra people to make sure this one’s done before winter.”
“So many castles, so little time.”
“You’re hilarious.”
“I am, aren’t I. I can’t wait to see you. It’s been too long.”
“You could visit.”
“I know. One day I might.”
We chat for another few minutes, and I almost don’t want to hang up knowing I’m going to have to face my day. It’s been a long time since I was last drunk. So long that I’d forgotten how awful the morning after is.
I think I’ll be working from home today.