Chapter 20
C allum barely waits for me to respond to his knock before he’s pushing my bedroom door open. Rory and I have both stopped bitching about it, and are just waiting for the day he walks in on something he does not want to see, in order for him to learn his lesson. The resulting therapy bills will be worth finally getting the boundary thing drilled into his head.
We never claimed to be good parents.
“If I stop asking for a third bathroom, can I have a kitten?” he asks, holding his phone out.
“No. You’re not getting a kitten.” Maybe. Rory was close to caving, at least.
“But look, it’s so cute.”
Sighing, I look at the picture of the tiny black and white kitten on Callum’s phone. “That a shelter photo?”
“Yeah. They got a whole litter last week. Most have been adopted, but a few haven’t, and this one really stuck with me.”
“Callum…”
“I know, I know,” he says, tone slightly dejected. “No pets because they’re a big responsibility and a lifetime commitment. I’ve heard it all before. I just…” He shrugs. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. I’ll just ask Nat to keep sending me pictures of Caroline.”
He turns to go and I gently reach for him. “What’s wrong, Mon C?ur?”
“Five hours is a long way to be from your best friend. Hell, it’s hard to have a best friend you’ve never even met in person.” He shrugs and gives me a small, sad smile. “I don’t know… It's just something that’s been on my mind lately. How I hang out with the homeschool group, and they’re friends, but not the type of friends I would want to tell my secrets to, ya know? I guess I want that, in person, not just over the phone like I have with Nathan.”
And now I feel like an asshole. It’s so hard to forget sometimes that Callum is still really a kid. At fifteen, my friendship with Rory was solidified enough to help set the foundation to what we are today.
Callum, for as much of a handful as he can be at times, is a good kid. The no pets thing was established because, at the time, neither Rory or I had the capacity for another mouth to feed. Even when I decided to quit my job because it was sucking the life out of me, I was adamant that I didn’t want to be chasing after another creature all day.
But…if Callum says he needs something, I’m here to listen. Since his best friend, Brianna, moved away a few years ago, he hasn’t gotten close with anyone else. Except Nathan Cassidy, but they live in another state, and Cal apparently needs more.
“I’ll talk to your da when I get home later, okay?”
He looks at me with soft gray-blue eyes that match my own. “Really?”
“I make no promises,” I warn. “But we can discuss it more seriously.”
His smile is bright in a way I haven’t seen in a while, and it pisses me off that I’m just now realizing how good he’s getting at hiding his true feelings from us. Something else to discuss with Rory later.
“Thanks, Dad.” Callum hugs me tightly before pulling away. “You look hot, by the way.”
I smile, my cheeks heating a little. “Thanks, glad to get your stamp of approval.”
“Where are you going?”
“The aquarium.”
Callum blinks at me. “Really?”
I laugh at the incredulousness in his tone. “Yes, really. Luka’s never been, which I think is a travesty. Don’t judge, you love the aquarium.”
“I do,” he agrees. “It’s just…well, now I can’t take a date there.”
I stare at him. “What do you mean?”
Callum rolls his eyes. “Like, how am I supposed to take any future dates somewhere where I know my dad has wooed his date? It’s weird .”
“You’re weird, Callum. I don’t think anyone but you would ever think something like that.”
He shakes his head. “You don’t get it.”
Clearly not. Another thing added to the Talk to Rory About List. “Are you interested in someone? Is this your strange way of telling me?”
Callum flushes, going bright red. “No! I am far too young to even be thinking about dating right now. I’m just making a point.”
“Uh-huh. Well, you know you can talk to me, right? If and when you ever meet someone you might want to take to the aquarium.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Anyway…good talk. I’m just gonna…go.” He rushes out of the room, stumbling over his feet.
Oh, he's definitely interested in someone, but I’ll let him come to terms with it and tell us in his own time. Seems he takes after me in the “be a complete moron about anyone you may potentially be interested in” way, rather than having Rory’s smooth confidence. Poor kid.
The aquarium is just how I remember it, down to the green sea turtle that’s been here since the 70s. Luka, of course, thinks it’s amusing to know I remember being fascinated with said sea turtle when I was a kid.
“This is so cool,” he says, looking down into the tank as we stand at the top of the four-story exhibit.
“Isn’t it. I’ve always loved coming here. Callum does too.” I cringe. “Sorry.”
Luka looks up at me. “What for?”
“Not everyone appreciates hearing about Cal, especially on a date. We’ve…been told in the past that it’s weird to mention him so much. Rory much more than me.”
Luka’s features darken a moment. “That’s bullshit. He’s your kid, a big part of your life. It’d be weird if you guys didn’t talk about him. I don’t mind when you bring him up. It gives me a little more insight into your life, and the type of father you are.”
My chest warms with pleasure and my face heats with embarrassment. “Thank you. I hope so, all we can do is our best and hope we’re not irrevocably screwing him up.”
Luka moves in closer, his arm pressing against mine. “That you’re worried about it tells me you’re doing something right. Just love him unconditionally. And I promise you, you can’t go wrong from there.”
“Speaking from experience?” I ask, my voice soft.
He gives me a small, pain-filled smile. “Something like that. I think things would have been different had I had parents like you and your ex.”
Smoothing my thumb across his cheek, I lower my voice just loud enough to be heard over the sounds of the tank, the employee educating people about the tank, and the people around us. “I’m sorry the people in your life weren’t supportive, but I happen to like the man I’m coming to know. No one should experience life without knowing the unconditional love of a parent, but I know all too well how it happens far too often and easily.
“But you’re here—we’re both here—because we made ourselves into the people we want to be without them. Take pride in that. I love my life, and while I’d love to have my family more involved in Callum’s, I’m also proud and happy of what I’m able to provide him on my own. Your upbringing may have shaped you, Luka, but the man you are today is because it’s who you want to be, not what they want.”
Luka’s lips part and he stares at me with shiny hazel eyes. I hate that he knows what it feels like to have family who doesn’t accept you, especially since I’ve been through it myself, but I meant what I said. We both became better, stronger people because of those who tried to make us fit into their neat little boxes.
“Can I kiss you?” he asks, and then immediately flushes.
With a gentle smile, I move in close, crowding him against the railing behind him. “I’d like that.”
Luka’s cheeks are a pretty rosy color, but he lifts his chin, his hand moving up to grip the back of my neck and pull my face down to his.
The first touch of our lips is soft and sweet, a barely-there press of mouth against mouth. The second is a little harder, his soft lips pressing firmly to my own. The third has me sweeping my tongue against his bottom lip, tasting him.
Luka gasps and his tongue comes out to play, swooping into my mouth and making me groan. We’re pressed so closely together, our groins rub against one another and I moan as my packer is pushed firmly against my dick.
Our kiss stays slow and soft, as we take our time exploring each other’s mouths. When we have to break for air, the world rushes back in, and the fact we’re in a public place seems to register as Luka groans and tries to cover his reddened face with his hands.
Gripping his wrists loosely, I meet his wide eyes and give him a reassuring smile. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Amour. I liked it, and I want to do it again. What about you?”
Luka sucks in a breath, and manages to give a small nod. “Yeah… I do, too.”
Pressing a soft, chaste kiss to his swollen mouth, I reply, “Then that’s all that matters.”