42. Callie
CHAPTER 42
CALLIE
T here are both garlic and beer on Rick’s breath, but they’re not the reason I’m repulsed by him. I try to step to the side to get away from him, but he clamps an arm on the counter, blocking me in.
“You and I are done, and you know that,” he says, his voice like vinegar. “So you have no business running around telling Alexis stories about me. Your lies aren’t going to break us up. I’ll never get back with you, so you need to move on.”
I’m so shocked by the motivations he’s accusing me of, that I can’t speak. Surely, he doesn’t think I would ever—ever—want him back? I knew he was many things, but I had no idea he was this much of a narcissist.
The bartender sets the glass of chardonnay on a napkin in front of me. She gives Rick a look, but his voice was low enough that she wouldn’t have heard what he said. He’s probably smiling at her over my shoulder.
As soon as she turns away, he clamps his hand on my shoulder, so I’m no longer blocked in, but I still can’t move. “Now, get back to your pretty boy and stay out of my business, or you’ll regret it.”
“Get your hands off her.” It’s Miles. His voice is quiet but dangerous, and he’s in Rick’s face just enough to intimidate him without drawing attention from others in the room. He’s in his face as much as someone as tall as Miles can be with someone as short as Rick.
I already knew this, but up close, it’d be hard to label them both as men. And that’s not because of their height difference, but because Rick is pathetic, and contrasted with Miles, he’s an absolute joke.
Miles tucks me into his side, sheltering me under his arm, and angling his body to put distance between mine and Rick’s. “Is there anything else you’d like to say before you get the hell away from us?”
Clearly outmatched in every way, Rick shakes his head, his face tight like there’s something bitter in his mouth. What did I ever see in him?
“How about I’m sorry?” Miles demands, keeping his voice low. “How about you apologize to the best woman you’ll ever have the chance to know? How about you apologize for being such an asshole?”
Instead of saying anything, Rick turns and hurries away from us and toward the door. Honestly, it’s what I’d prefer rather than having to hear him say another word.
From the energy radiating from Miles, I get the strong impression that if he wasn’t keeping up appearances for the sake of the occasion, he very well might use force to pull an apology out of Rick.
For a few seconds, I let my imagination run wild with the image of Miles punching my ex squarely in the jaw, and I very much enjoy the idea, but in reality, I’m grateful that he kept this altercation so quiet that absolutely no one’s head has turned. The last thing I’d want to do is cause a scene that would disturb Sadie’s special event.
Once Rick is gone, Miles turns his full attention to me, looking me over to make sure I’m okay. “Want to get out of here?”
“Yeah.” My voice is a whisper as I gesture to the wine on the counter to remind him of my original mission.
Keeping me under his arm, Miles scoops up the glass and walks us over to my sister, where he delivers it like everything is perfectly fine and normal. Engaged in a conversation with Adam and his best man, she smiles and thanks “Max” and me, without completely looking my way, thank goodness. I can’t imagine what my face must look like, even though I’m feeling much better than I was a minute ago.
Then, instead of exiting through the main entrance, Miles leads me to a door that goes directly outside. I didn’t realize how loud it had been in the dining room, with everyone talking and laughing, until we’re immersed in the stillness of the garden.
The sweet scent of flowers blows on the gentle ocean breeze. Soft lighting mingles with the trees and shrubbery that line the path. There are other people outdoors, but they’re at such a distance that I feel as if Miles and I are in our own little world, far from everything that just happened.
“Are you okay?” he asks after leading me a distance away.
I nod quickly. “I’m okay. Thank you for stepping in.” The edge of his jaw is hard as stone as he nods once. “And thanks for what you said about me. That was really nice of you.”
He frowns, at first appearing not to remember what I’m referring to, but then he nods his head again. “Just stating facts.”
Miles said something about me being the best woman Rick would ever meet. He didn’t also mean that from his own perspective, did he?
His hand strokes my back as we stand looking out toward the moonlit beach. “I don’t know what he did to lose you, but I know he didn’t deserve you.”
I let out a long breath. “I’m sorry for the ordeal tonight.”
“Why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I was so stupid to ever be involved with him. I made such bad decisions, and now I’m paying for it.”
Miles appears lost in thought for a moment before he speaks again. “We all make mistakes. You shouldn’t blame yourself for that.”
“He confronted me tonight because I warned Adam’s sister about him earlier today. I didn’t go into details. I just warned her to be careful. I guess she told him what I said.”
“It was good of you to try, for her sake.”
“Yeah, and I get it. Alexis has no reason to trust me over him. From her point of view, I probably look like a jealous ex trying to cause trouble.”
He gives me a sympathetic look as his hands continue to soothe me. “Want to walk around for a while?”
“Would you mind if we go back to the room instead? These shoes are killing me.” The pale pink heels, which are from the pre-wedding shopping trip with my mom, are cute, but have been pinching my toes all evening.
“Sure, I’ll let Max know we’re coming.” After Miles types a message on the small screen of his smart watch, he glances down at my feet. “And let’s take care of this problem.”
For a split second, I think he’s going to suggest I take off my shoes and walk back barefoot, but it quickly becomes clear he has something else in mind. Scooping me up, making me feel like I’m weightless, he lifts me off the ground and into his strong arms.
“What are you doing?” I’m laughing at the surprise and pleasure of suddenly being in his embrace.
“I’m going to carry you so your feet won’t hurt.”
“It’s a long way.”
“Good thing you’re so light.”
I’m not light, and what he should say is that it’s a good thing he’s so strong. But I don’t protest. Instead, I lean into him and enjoy every moment of being pressed against his body, surrounded by the warmth and rich, spicy scent of him.