Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
CALLUM/CASH
Then
Glass Castles & Polished Promises
Every vow I make to her feels holy…and still I wonder which one will damn me first.
The blood in my veins races as I pull the box out of my pants pocket and drop to one knee. She gasps and her face pales.
What if she says no?
I pull back the lid. “Livianna, I know we’re young, but I wanna grow old with you, have babies together, build a gigantic mansion we live in, and have you tour the world with me.
Will you please accept this promise ring that signifies one day I’ll make it official and change this out for a diamond? ”
She trembles and tears flow down her face. “Callum…”
I hold out a gold Irish wedding band. “It’s called a Claddagh ring. It symbolizes love, loyalty, and friendship. Will you take this as my promise that I’ll always give that to you?”
“Yes, I accept and love it.” She places her left hand out and stares at an intricate design of two hands holding a heart, topped with a crown.
“We’re not married or engaged yet, so you wear it on the right hand with the heart pointed inward. It lets people know you’re in a committed relationship.” I take her other hand and slip it on her finger. “The heart represents love, the hands signify friendship, and the crown indicates loyalty.”
She wipes her tears away as I stand. I lift her off the ground and swing her around.
“I was gonna give it to you for your birthday gift, but things… Well, there wasn’t time.” I stop and stare into her eyes. “Happy birthday, Lily. Let’s make this the year all our dreams begin.”
“Thank you, Callum. I love you!”
“I love you, too.”
Our lips smash together. We’re about to go another round, but someone clears their throat near the door. We both turn our heads that way.
Her pops is watching us from the room’s opening. “Cash was running around like a madman, so I followed him down here to make sure everything was okay.”
I slide her down my body until her feet hit the floor and shove my hands into my jeans. “Sorry I scared you, sir. I had to grab Livianna’s birthday present out of my car. I should’ve told you what I was doing.”
“Hi, Daddy. Everything is great.” Livianna rushes to him, beaming from ear to ear. “Look what Callum just gave me. Isn’t it so pretty?”
She lifts her finger and shows him the band.
“It’s…nice.” He stares at it. “What does it mean?”
She peeks back at me. “It’s a Claddagh ring—”
“It’s an Irish wedding band. I know that much.” His expression hardens and his eyes come to me. “What are you trying to do, Cash?”
My cheeks turn red and my mouth goes dry. “I wanna make sure Lily knows I’m committed to her.”
“It’s a promise ring, Daddy.” She gets on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek. “It’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever received.”
His shoulders drop and he studies her for a second. “It’s good to see you happy, darling.”
“I’m the best I’ve been since March.” She glances back at me, grinning and practically glowing. “Thanks to Callum.”
“Why don’t you go show it to your mom? I’m sure she’d love to see that smile of yours just like I do.” He nudges her out of the room. “Cash, stay here. I’d like to talk to you for a minute.”
I stand in place with my stomach knotting. Fucking hell. I guess I should’ve asked him first.
Livianna skips off. Once it’s clear she’s gone, he faces me.
He takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. “That was a thoughtful gift. Thanks for bringing some hope back into her eyes.”
“You’re welcome.” I shrug. “I know we’re young and you might not believe in us—”
“That’s not what this is about.” His gaze travels to the bed.
Something catches his eye. He strolls over and snatches the condom wrapper from where it’s peeking out from under the pillow. I shrink and remain still.
He crumples it up and tosses it in the trash can next to the bedside table. “It’s good to see you’re taking precautions, but she hasn’t even been home for an hour and…”
“We weren’t trying to disrespect you. We saw each other…” I motion toward the door with a wave of my hand. “It’s been months since we’ve been around each other. I’ve missed her and just wanted to show her how much I love her. I apologize.”
“It’s fine, Cash. I understand more than you can imagine.” He nods and half laughs. “You know something? You remind me of myself at your age.”
“Really? Why?”
“That’s when I met Lorna. Nobody thought we’d make it and look at where we are now.” He sits on the edge of the mattress and sighs. “All I ask of you is to be careful with Livianna. She’s in a fragile place.”
“I realize that.” I shuffle to a chair in the corner of the room and sit. “If it makes you feel better, she seemed sincere with me about going to therapy. She even brought up our loss. She’s never done that without it being centered around her saying sorry.”
“I can only hope she deals with it. It’s a traumatic thing to experience.” He pushes in the slightly ajar drawer where the condoms are.
I lower my head. If he knew why she miscarried, I’m not sure what would happen.
I would put money down that he’d make sure my family was out of her life and my dreams of a life with Lily and Mayhem would go up in flames. That’s the only reason I didn’t tell him what my uncle did to her.
“Honestly, Cash.” Mr. Hemings shifts and brings my attention back to him. “Do you see yourself marrying her someday? Because if you don’t and this is just something to—”
“I absolutely know I’m gonna be with her. It’s gonna take a while because I wanna be able to support her and have things with my ma squared away first, but it will happen.”
“That’s refreshing to hear you say.” He rises to his feet. “I thought you might be thinking you two would get married as soon as she’s eighteen. It helps knowing you’re going to take your time.”
I nod and keep my mouth shut. If things go my way, I plan on having the resources to make it occur and that’s about the time I think it’s gonna take.
There’s no reason to wait. Not if it’s up to me.
I stand, listening to the guys riff in the background. “Well, I’ll take it day by day.”
“Good. Now let’s go find the ladies. I’m sure they’re planning a great meal to celebrate.” He leads me out of the room. “One of the perks of being with a Hemings woman, they know how to cook.”
“Do they ever. It’s the cherry on top.” I follow him out with my heart growing out of my chest. “You know, Mr. Hemings. You and your family… Thanks for making me feel welcome and part of something special.”
“Of course.” He waits for me to get to his side and pats my back. “I’ve never found the right time to say this and this is as good as any other. I love you like one of my own. Just quit giving me ulcers.”
I stop in my tracks as his words seize me up with overwhelming emotion. I’m getting choked up and my windpipe squeezes. My chest fills with warmth I haven’t felt since my pops was alive.
Mr. Hemings looks me over. “You okay?”
I clear my throat. “Yeah, but what you said. It means a lot to know you feel that way. Thanks.”
“You’re a good kid, Cash. Don’t let anyone make you believe otherwise.”
I don’t realize it now, but I should burn his statement into my soul. It could prove to be the protection I need to make it in this life.
Three months fly by with everything going my way. I’m on top of the world when Ur Boyz gets dropped and Leon Baker calls to tell us he’s ready to sign Mayhem.
He summons me for a meeting alone before that can take place, though.
I adjust my leather jacket as his assistant leads me into his office. She announces my presence. He’s on a phone call, sitting behind a large, exquisite mahogany desk.
He points to a fancy chair that faces him, directing me to take a seat. There’s another one and a table that is situated between them. While he finishes up his business, I scan the room.
It reeks of a billionaire record label owner’s office that blends luxury with its high ceiling and large windows with views of the city.
It also mixes creativity through an artistic flair in the music-themed design and vibrant colors and cutting-edge technology like a state-of-the-art sound system and high-definition screens for video conferencing.
In an instant, I feel about an inch tall. It reminds me of how I felt when Mr. Hemings put Livianna and me up at The Beckett Brand Whispering Pines resort.
How am I ever going to be able to repay someone for this kind of opportunity?
I turn to the side when another area across the room catches my attention. It’s a spacious area with a large, seemingly custom-made dark suede sectional couch big enough for at least three people to sleep on.
Two chaise lounge chairs are situated on either side of it. There’s a table placed in the middle of the furniture and a full-sized bar area against the wall, full of all kinds of high-end liquor and snacks.
I release a heavy breath and lift my gaze to the sky, ready to say a prayer. The ceiling above is made of mirrors.
That’s fucking weird, but who am I to judge?
“Cash.” The power in Leon’s voice causes me to jump. He gets to his feet and strolls toward the bar. “Don’t be afraid to come in. Take a seat somewhere. Let’s share a drink and talk.”
“Yeah, sure.” I try to settle down by silently telling myself I’m meant to be a rockstar and follow him. “I’d like that.”
“Guinness?”
“Yes, please. That’s perfect.”
He gets behind the bar, pulls two bottles out of a see-through fridge, and hands me one. My ring, which was a birthday present from Livianna, hits the side of the glass and clinks.
Leon notices it. “Nice bling. What’s the design in it?”
“It’s black gold, blue topaz, and sapphires.”
“I see that. What’s the pattern?”
“It’s two hands holding a heart with a crown over it.” I take a drink of my beer, standing on the other side of the bar.
“Oh, it’s an Irish wedding band.” He leans closer, inspecting my right fourth finger. “Or do you call it a Claddagh ring?”
“Either. I tend to lean toward a Claddagh ring, though.”