30. Callum
THIRTY
Callum
The love we lost won’t slip away
Wednesday, April 9
Sienna’s Brownstone
7:52 PM
I glance at the time on my phone as I wait outside her building. It’s late, and part of me hates sneaking around like this, but I get it. Sienna’s still careful about Ollie. She is slowly realizing that Marcus' threats are just that, but she doesn't want to risk it.
Still, it doesn’t make waiting any easier. I’ve been hearing about Ollie for so long now that I feel like I know him. And our mutual love for music will be our instant connection. I want to get to know him. I want to know the kid who lights her up every time she talks about him.
But tonight isn’t about Ollie. Tonight is about Marcus.
Sienna called me earlier. Her voice was quiet but sharp, telling me about an app she found on her old statements. Some $5.99-a-year charge she canceled a couple of years ago after Marcus told her it was nothing.
She didn’t think much of it then, but now she is convinced it could be something. She doesn't know how to find it since it has been a while, but I told her we will comb through everything together to find it.
The door opens quietly, and there she is, standing in the soft glow of the hallway light. Her hair’s loose around her shoulders, and she’s wearing an oversized sweater and leggings and leaving her feet bare. She looks tired, but the determination in her eyes keeps her upright.
"Hey," I say, stepping inside as she closes the door softly behind me. "How are you? How’s Ollie?"
"Out like a light," she says with a small smile. "I’ve got a sound machine running in his room. We won’t wake him."
I nod, following her into the living room. There’s a stack of credit card statements on the coffee table and her laptop is open with the screen glowing faintly. She sits cross-legged on the floor and gestures for me to do the same.
"Okay," I say, settling beside her. "Where do we start?"
She exhales, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "I’ve been looking for anything weird, but it’s a lot. If it is an app on my phone, will the credit card statements even help? I don't know where to start."
"That’s why I’m here," I say, nudging her shoulder gently. "Two pairs of eyes are better than one."
She shoots me a grateful look, and we both dive in.
10:10 PM
Sienna flips through another stack of papers and my eyes are starting to glaze over. Her brow is furrowed and her bottom lip is caught between her teeth with a determination that is sexier than the black dress she wore to the gala.
I scan another statement, each line of charges starting to blur into the next, when suddenly her sharp intake of breath makes me look up.
"Wait," she says, holding up a page. "Here—January, two years ago. $5.99 to... Vingy Labs, LLC?"
I frown, leaning closer to read over her shoulder. "Vingy Labs? What the hell is that?"
She shakes her head, her fingers gripping the paper tightly. "I have no idea. But that has to be it, right? It's for $5.99 and I've never heard of them."
"Maybe," I say, nodding slowly. "But let’s go back another year. If it’s something he set up, it might’ve been there even longer."
Sienna glances at me, her eyes flickering with both determination and hesitation. "Good idea. Hang on."
She leans over to grab another stack from the coffee table, rifling through it quickly. "I think I had that credit card back then. Let me check."
I watch as she shuffles through the papers, her movements growing more frantic the longer it takes. Finally, she pulls out a statement and slaps it onto the table.
"Here," she says, her voice tight with excitement. "January, three years ago. Same thing—$5.99 to Vingy Labs, LLC."
"That’s got to be it," I say, leaning forward. My chest tightens as I point to the charge. "It’s too specific to be a coincidence."
Sienna nods, pushing her laptop closer and typing the name into Google. The screen glows softly as we sit shoulder to shoulder, watching the search results load.
At first, it’s nothing but random links—some tech articles, a couple of vague reviews—but then she clicks on one, and my stomach drops.
Vingy Labs: #1 Smartphone Applications
We click on the link and there must be a thousand apps. When she scrolls down, there is a headline for Top 10 Apps by Vingy Labs.
"Callum, look at their number two best-selling app!"
TrackApp
The words sit there on the screen, bright and damning, as Sienna’s breath catches. The description says it all: a top-selling app rated five stars, promising everything from GPS tracking to call blocking to hacking email accounts.
"That's it, Sienna! Look at the price. It's $5.99 a year."
"Oh my God," Sienna whispers, her voice shaking. "This is it. This is what he used."
I clench my jaw, anger bubbling just below the surface. "He didn’t just block me—he hacked you. He made sure you couldn’t reach me, and I couldn’t reach you."
Her hands tremble as she sits back, her eyes wide and glassy. "I can’t believe this. I can’t believe he actually—" She cuts herself off, pressing her hands to her face.
"Sienna," I say softly, reaching out to touch her arm. "Hey, look at me."
She lowers her hands slowly, her gaze locking with mine.
"This is huge," I say, my voice steady. "This is proof. Proof that he interfered, that he went out of his way to keep us apart."
She nods slowly, her lips pressing into a thin line and a single tear slips down her face. I pull her close and hold her. My heart is beating out of my chest as I process what this means.
If she is feeling the same way I am, this changes everything.
Friday, April 11
Prospect Park
4:18 PM
The lake glimmers under the sun, and I swear it’s like something out of a postcard. Ducks paddle lazily across the water while a couple of kids on the opposite bank try to skip rocks and fail miserably. It’s the kind of scene that almost feels too perfect, like the universe is taking a victory lap after a long winter.
"I didn’t peg you as a duck-watching kind of guy," Sienna says, her lips quirking into that teasing smile that always gets me.
I smirk, shoving my hands into my pockets. "You kidding? This is basically my dream date. Nature, wildlife... Ollie wielding a stick like he’s about to duel a wizard."
She laughs, glancing ahead at Ollie as he swings his stick through the air, humming a tune that’s surprisingly catchy. "Well, I did promise a walk. It’s not my fault you’re this easy to entertain."
"You’re giving yourself way too much credit," I say, bumping her shoulder lightly. "I’m just here for the free concert. The kid’s got skills."
Sienna showed me a video the other day of him with the harmonica and he seriously does have a natural ear for music. I was impressed at how quickly he picked it up and could blend complimentary notes. I think he is ahead of where I was at his age.
Ollie’s a few steps ahead, clutching his harmonica in one hand and a stick he’s using to draw invisible shapes in the air. His focus is intense, his tiny face pinched in concentration like he’s composing his magnum opus, and it makes me smile.
I don’t take this moment lightly. Sienna’s been hesitant about letting me spend time with Ollie, especially with all of the drama. But today, the stars aligned. Marcus is out of town for work, and Sienna decided it was safe enough for us to go for a walk together after school.
She didn’t say it outright, but I know it’s a big deal. Letting me into this part of her life, even for something as simple as a stroll through the park, is huge.
"This place is something else," I say, glancing around. "Peaceful. Almost reminds me of Folly Beach, minus the salt air."
Sienna glances over, her lips curving into a small smile. "I was just thinking the same thing. Remember those long walks we used to take on the beach at night? How we’d sit on the rocks and try to name the constellations?"
"Yeah," I say, my chest tightening with the memory. "You always got Orion wrong."
"That’s because you’d tell me the wrong stars on purpose," she says, laughing softly.
"I plead the fifth," I say with a grin.
We fall into a comfortable silence, the kind that feels easy now in a way it didn’t before. Ollie hums a few notes, and it catches my ear—a rhythm, a pattern that’s more deliberate than random. Sienna must notice too, because she glances at me and shakes her head.
"He’s been like that ever since you gave him the harmonica," she says. "It’s constant. Here, let me show you."
"Most kids just make noise," I say, my voice low. "But that video you sent to me is something else. He’s got it, Sienna. Natural talent. You can’t teach what he’s doing. It's really cool to see, honestly."
Her face softens and her smile is tinged with pride. "He loves it. I love watching him excel at something he loves."
"Fun’s where it starts," I say, glancing ahead at Ollie as he swings his stick like a conductor’s baton. I catch myself wondering what it would be like to have a kid like that. A kid who sees the world through music, who just gets it the way I always have.
The thought is foreign—big, almost—but it’s not unwelcome. For a second, I picture a tiny version of myself, all messy hair and oversized energy, picking up an instrument and falling in love with it the way I did.
The image is gone as quickly as it came, but it leaves something behind, a faint ache I can’t quite place.
Sienna must sense the shift in my mood because she nudges my arm lightly. "You still with me? Looks like you went off somewhere and left Ollie and me behind."
I exhale, my shoulders relaxing. "Far from me. Just thinking about everything. Imagining a future with you."
She nods, her expression turning serious. "Speaking of the future, I talked to Gus. He thinks our little PI session yielded enough to subpoena Marcus’s electronic records, so that’s something. At least it’s gotten him to back off about the private school. The deadline passed, so Ollie stays where he is, at least for first grade."
"That’s a win," I say, giving her a small smile. "You’ve been dealing with a lot. I’m glad something has been taken off of your shoulders."
"Me too," she says softly. "It felt like a daily barrage there for a while. It's nice to just be. And I love feeling free to be with you and Ollie, doing something as simple as walking and enjoying this beautiful afternoon."
We walk a few more paces in silence before I clear my throat. "I've been meaning to talk to you about what I have coming up. They want me in LA next week, Tuesday until Friday, to shoot a couple of music videos. It’s all part of the rollout plan. Any chance you could come with me?"
Her face lights up, and her pride is evident. "That’s huge, Callum. I’m so happy for you. I wish I could say yes, maybe one day. But I have Ollie from Wednesday until Friday. I don't think now is the time to ask Marcus to change it up."
"I get it and figured that would be the case," I say, scratching the back of my neck. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too," she says warmly. "It’s amazing, Callum. Every song is going to be a hit. People are going to love it."
The sincerity in her voice does something to me, grounding me in a way I didn’t know I needed. I reach for her hand, lacing our fingers together as we continue walking.
For the first time in a long time, it feels like things might be falling into place.