53. Use me
CHAPTER 53
Use me
A surprise proposal by Calum means only one thing to me. To have Calum Dissick forever. My ring is too pretty. I stretch my hand in front of me and wiggle my fingers. Calum is all smiles beside me. The rest of the table has similar grins. We changed tables when everyone arrived. Two bottles of wine sit open on it. My glass is as full as it was when we shared a toast to my future with Calum. I can’t drink or eat with all the butterflies dancing in my belly.
“Now we can call you Mrs Dissick,” Lucas says.
The whole table laughs. The boys are all dressed so formally. No suits for them but matching button-up shirts and tailored slacks. Lucas even wore proper Oxford shoes. Mace too. Ugh. My heart might burst from seeing my babies and all these wonderful people around me.
Rose smiles, and Taylor mirrors it. They are seated side by side. She glances at Calum, her red hair whooshing as she tilts her head. We joined a few tables together to form a long one.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re about to marry your stepbrother,” Rose whispers. But her voice carries round the table. The place falls quiet as tension crawls in. She brings her glass to her lips, offers a remorseful grin, and gulps the entire content down. “Cheers, mate.”
Lucas clinks his glass to hers to lighten the situation. Taylor follows, and a chorus of cheers fills the air. Dani and Dad only stare. Some of the tension dissipates as Calum takes my hand under the table. I want to marry my stepbrother. So what? Who cares? He makes me happy.
Dad is sitting beside Dani with a serious look. The past few days since the tour ended have seen them spending more time together. Does he want to get back with her? He’s still my first love. Maybe he’s the parent, but I’m worried about him. We won’t be in the same country.
Mace steals a piece of chocolate cake from the table, struggling in Sam’s arm to get more access to it. Jason pries him from Sam. I watch keenly, my glass to my lips and my eyes following his movement. A silver ring peeks out from his collar. Calum also got Mace a ring, but since he didn’t trust his son not to swallow it, he made it into a pendant for his necklace.
“Mama,” Mace cries out.
I stretch out my arms and Jason walks around the back of the chairs to drop him on my lap. Once seated, his cries cease. A tear catches on his lashes, and he sticks out his bottom lip.
“Mama is here,” I whisper.
Calum squeezes Mace’s ankle so he knows his papa is also here. He pushes into a kneeling position. I help him stand on my thighs, and he nods towards the table. My boy wants cake.
“Mama, cake,” Mace says when I don’t provide his needs. The chat around the table resumes. Calum pushes the saucer with a slice of cake towards me. I scoop a bit, and Mace tries to collect the spoon. I shake my head. Tears fill his eyes, but I don’t budge. “Mama.”
I make a show of opening my mouth and he mimics me. I feed him reasonable bits until that portion is finished. The rest of dinner goes by in a happy blur. Calum’s hand doesn’t leave my knee. I feel his touch even when my attention is somewhere else. Once dinner is over, everyone takes turns to hug me. Jason, Sam, Lucas, and the girls leave first. Dani and Dad stay back. At first, I thought it was because of Mace, but the change in their countenance worries me.
Dad takes a swig from his glass, and Dani refills it. Since they are seated across from us, I can read their faces. They act like they never broke up. I sit Mace up so he’s facing them. Maybe seeing his face will force them to hold off on whatever bad news they have to deliver.
“Dad?” I call out. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t it be, Catherine?”
The song changes again, and I relax. Alanis Morissette’s voice washes over me in calming waves. Mace runs his fingers across the silk of the table cover. Calum is quiet, engaging in a stare-off with Dani. She breaks it off and sighs, looking at Dad as if asking his permission for her next move. He nods, and she flattens her palms on the table. Her ring finger is empty.
“We have something to tell you two,” Dani says. Mace coos. She laughs. “Or you three.”
Mace bounces on my leg. Straightening up, he pinches my cheeks. I grab his wrists before a second attempt. He struggles for a bit and gives up. Hiding his face on my shoulder, my baby licks my skin first, then bites me. Dani gazes at us with open affection. I’m not a negligent mother, but Mace will spend tonight with her. Calum and I need to talk, and not with words.
“What about?” Calum asks.
From the frown on my fiancé’s face, he is as confused as I am. I’m worried. Dani takes a sip of her wine and Dad places a hand over hers when she reaches for the glass a second time.
“We are getting a divorce,” Dad says.
A pin-drop silence follows his announcement. Mace’s head jerks up.
“Why?” Calum asks. “What’s going on? Is it because of what Rose said? Who cares, Pete?”
“No. Not at all. It’s the best thing in this situation.” Smiling at me, Dani adds, “Your dad and I have had time to think about this. More than enough time if you ask me, Cathie. Cal doesn’t have to be your stepbrother, and you two don’t have to listen to those silly jokes anymore.”
“Rose didn’t mean it,” I say in my friend’s defence. Mace wobbles on my thighs. I hold onto him for strength. I don’t know how I feel about this. Was this Dad’s or Dani’s decision?
“With or without the joke, the divorce would have happened. We haven’t lived together in months. And now that we have got a chance to sit and talk, we decided to do what’s best for everyone,” Dad states. My head bobs. “I hope you both can understand and support that.”
“Yeah,” I say. I clear my throat. “We can.”
Calum sighs. “Mum, are you sure this is what you want?” He turns to Pete. “If it’s her idea, you don’t have to go through with it. I mean, you can try to change her mind or give yourself time.”
I nudge him with my elbow, and he throws his hands up. His eyes close, and he nods.
“As long as both of you are happy,” he grudgingly adds. Our parents smile in unison. Maybe they are better off as friends. “We are fine and will support whatever choice you make.”
After a teary hug, we leave the restaurant. I sit still until we arrive at the hotel. Mace follows his grandparents while Calum and I head to our room. On our way, I unlock my phone and turn it off silent mode. I want to know when Mace needs my attention. My phone buzzes as notifications pour in. Swiping across the screen, I open my official page, and my heart skips.
“I got a new follower,” I tell Calum.
The handsome man rolls his eyes. Maybe I say that to him each time I see the new follower count. I’m up to a hundred thousand followers now, but it feels like a dream each time I see the numbers climb. I uploaded a clip of my opening act to my new account. The person handling the band’s socials also did the same on Mending Hearts official page. They tagged me, and since then, I’ve had an outpour of love. People want to hear me sing again. They don’t want an opening for a band. They want a full song. Another Cathie Jenkins rendition.
“You should let Lucas manage your page,” Calum says. I smack the back of his head. Lucas offered to manage it the first time I got a troll comment and spent half the day sulking. According to the boys, he has the best comeback. On the few occasions Scott allows them to fool around, he bites back.
“No, thank you. I’ll pass.” Besides, I’m already building a super-fandom.
Some people found old clips of my singing, and I’ve done a few recreations of them. While the boys practise for their next location, I make covers and post teasers of songs that will go into my EP.
Calum opens the door. Once we enter, he pins me against it. My breath catches in my throat. My body comes alive under his stare. He leans in, and I wet my lips in anticipation of a kiss that never comes. His lips touch everywhere but mine, teasing my nose, my jaw, my neck.
I bounce on my toes and slide my arms around his neck, forcing his head into place to kiss him. He grinds against me, his bulge pressing into my stomach. I work on his belt as he rolls down the straps of my dress. He steps back to view the strapless bra pushing my breasts up.
His tongue rolls over his bottom lip. Our eyes meet, and warmth rushes between my legs. Stalking back to me, he pulls me flush to his chest as his other hand slides behind me.
“My God. I need to take care of this,” he says as he unhooks my bra to free my breasts. I cross my arms on my chest, unfamiliar with this new shyness that spreads over me. “Cathie.”
The warning in his voice has my arms dropping. He lifts me. The walk to the bed is fraught with sloppy kisses and hot, eager touches. He drops me on the bed, tearing my dress off me. My hands shake as I try to do the same for him. He discards the clothes, leaving both of us naked. Our lips do most of the talking while his hand explores, bringing me close to the edge.
He positions himself between my legs, his dick hot and heavy against my entrance. I’m about to pull off my ring when he shakes his head. “Keep it on, Superstar,” he tells me. “Always.”
My lips form the sincerest smile. “Always.”
His head lowers, and his forehead touches mine. “I need you, Cathie,” he whispers.
My hand reaches up to cup his face. “In what capacity?”
“Every capacity, Superstar.”
“I’m here,” I tell him. “Use me.”