54. CALLUM
54
CALLUM
“Auds, hey. Can I call you back in an hour? I’m in the middle of reviewing—”
“No,” she cuts me off. “This is your three-second warning that Mom learned that Liam is proposing and that you are coming to London. She’s going to be calling you—”
My cell beeps with an incoming call.
“Right now. I better jump.”
“May the odds be in your favor,” she quotes her favorite movies.
Switching lines, I answer Sienna Sullivan on the second ring.
“I expect first ring, Callum Jasper.” As soon as the second ring sounded, I knew she’d have a comment ready to go.
“ Mom . How are you today?”
“No better than learning you are coming to London and told no one in your family.”
“Audrey knew. It’s going to be a quick weekend trip. Liam and Emerson are getting engaged.”
“So I’ve heard.” She pauses. Huffs. “Honestly, for the best. Thank heavens. You follow him like a lost dog; whatever Liam does, you do. Always been a follower, never a leader.”
I grit my teeth. Wonder why that is?
If only you were like your older brothers.
“When Chloe and I are ready to get married, we will.” The thought rolls off my tongue casually. “There’s no rush, no due date, no plan that says I’m required to do any of that right now.”
I do want to marry her at the right time. That could be tomorrow, it could be in a decade. I don’t care as long as she’s by my side. This life with her right now is exactly as it should be, an anchor in a storm. A slow Sunday morning.
“Still dating that girl, I see.”
“That girl is Chloe, and yeah, I am.”
“I set you up on dates with proper, beautiful young women from good families, and you settle on tattoos and—” I can hear her face scrunch. An ugly face—I’d never call my mother ugly, but this behavior is, she’s contorting her mouth and eyes into.
“—And what? I love her tattoos. She is beautiful and from a proper, incredible family. You’d know this if you paid an ounce of attention to us.”
She scoffs. “Not true.”
“It is.” I’ve given up on craving her attention, wanting praise that I know will never come. I don’t know where her distaste for me originates. I used to believe she hated me, that there was something wrong with me that caused her not to love me as she does my brothers or Audrey.
“I don’t want to bicker with you Callum. Come to dinner, and we can get to know her.”
I’m shocked. Thoroughly shocked. “Yeah? I’d love that, Mom.”
“Sure.” There’s a shuffling on her end before she adds. “And Callum, tell her to cover her tattoos. I don’t see yours, so I don’t need to see hers.”
The line goes dead, and so does my excitement about that dinner.
I text Chloe to let her know about dinner, but I leave out the part about covering her tattoos. Whatever she wears will be perfect, just like the ink that paints her skin and the memories and moments that makeup who she is.
Maybe I’ll wear shorts and show off my thigh tattoos to add to the fun.
** *
“Why are you giddy?” I ask Chloe.
“I’ve never been on a private plane before.”
“Most people haven’t.”
“Don’t ruin my fun. I’m only dating you for your money and because you’re phenomenal in bed.” She swipes a hand down my chin, flicking me a wink.
We climb the stairs into the plane after the pilots take our bags. The sun an ombre of cotton candy. I scheduled an overnight flight, hoping we could sleep the eight hours.
The plane seats ten. Four executive style, two rows of two facing each other. Across the aisle from them are two rows of single seats. Behind the two rows are two couches with enough room to seat two. There is a table in front of the sofa behind the executive seats—all neutral interior with glossed wood finishes.
Chloe sits in the chair by the window. I sit opposite, facing her.
She looks out the window the entirety of takeoff. Once we’re 10,000 feet in the air, she pulls out a book before beating me in back-to-back games of Rummy. Chloe falls asleep a little after ten, four and a half hours left in our flight.
We extended our trip to a full week, enough days to include dinner with my family and to give Emerson and Chloe a few days together. Emerson is clueless to Liam proposing and Chloe flying in.
A month ago, Liam called George and me with his mother’s engagement ring repurposed into a unique piece for Emerson. It’s gorgeous. Her in a ring form.
I accidentally asked him if it wasn’t too soon. "I’ve waited years to be with her; I’m not waiting another moment to spend forever with her, " he responded.
Chloe, my sister, and Beatrix were tasked with planning a small engagement party—not that there would be anyone else there besides the seven of us. I gave Chloe my card and told her to put everything on it .
Her lips are zipped tight about the ‘party,’ but I’ve caught her on several calls with Audrey and Beatrix laughing.
Chloe keeps her circle tight. I picked up on this when we met, but it makes sense now. Outside of Emerson, she doesn’t have a lot of girlfriends in the city. Adler, her childhood best friend, and her talk monthly on the phone, but that’s it. That’s not a terrible thing—quality over quantity.
She’s terrified of goodbyes. Her loneliness clawing at the threads of the people in her life, waiting for the day that one of those threads is pulled on and that person is gone.
I get it. I do.
It breaks my heart for her that she’s thought this since Aaron, even putting herself into a few situations with shitty people.
CHLOE
Man, do I love a London boy.
I love my London boy.
Sitting across from him at a pub in Kensington, I can’t help but watch him. Rolling the dice and catching a side of him I haven’t seen before. He’s less refined here. Comfortable.
“Audrey is meeting us here with a date? And you knew she was dating someone?” Maybe not.
“We talk.” I raise a shoulder casually.
“Never should have let you become friends,” He takes a sip of his pint.
Setting it down on the table, a pair of hands cover his eyes.
“Guess who,” Audrey says in an accent, more of a deep silly voice.
I look around her and spot Maya. She’s even more stunning than Audrey described.
“My least favorite sibling in the entire world. ”
“Ha. Ha.” She drops her hands, wrapping her arms around her big brother. Pecking his cheek with a kiss. “Welcome home.”
Home.
Audrey’s words, as truthful as they are, have my stomach somersaulting. Does Cal wish he was here, home in London? I thought… or felt like Chicago was his home. That maybe I was his home.
Nope, not tonight. We aren’t doing this anymore, Chloe. We aren’t that girl.
“Cal, there’s someone I want you to meet.” Audrey appears nervous, but when she rotates to glance at Maya, they disappear. “This is Maya, my girlfriend.”
Cal looks at me and I nod with a supportive smile. He gets up from his chair, giving them both his full attention. Audrey came out to Cal in December before she flew back.
“I’m Maya.” She reaches out her hand to shake his.
“Callum. Audrey’s favorite big brother.” Audrey groans. “And no handshake.” He opens his arms, pulling her into a hug. “Come, sit. Can I get you a drink?”
We play musical chairs. I sit next to Cal while they sit across from us, scooting their chairs close together.
A waitress walks over, bringing two one-drink water glasses. “Hi, I’m Hazel. What will you two ladies be drinking tonight?”
“I’ll have a Bramble, and she’ll have—”
“Whatever beer he’s drinking,” Audrey orders.
“Any preference on gin?” Maya shakes her head no.
I locate the drink on the menu. “I’ll have one of those too,” I add to the order.
As soon as the waitress leaves, Cal’s interrogation begins. I warned Audrey this would happen when she called me earlier today. He will go full big brother and want to know everything about who his sister is dating. She laughed, denying Cal could even muster up more than ten words. When it comes to someone he loves, he can and will .
It’s rapid fire, but she answers every question.Grew up in Southeast Asia before moving to London. Has been a special needs teacher for four years but wants to get her master's. Wants three kids. Has no allergies. Richmond is her Premier team. Favorite number 43. Night owl.
“Cal, that’s enough,” Audrey encourages him to let up.
“It’s my turn.” Maya smiles.
I snort. “Good luck with that.”
“Fineeee. I approve,” he sighs dramatically and teasingly.
“I haven’t approved of you for Chloe yet,” Audrey taunts her brother. “What’s your favorite thing about her?”
“She’s—” Cal is saved by the voice booming over the already loud pub.
George Eaton.
“Cully Sully!” he shouts.
“Shhh.” Beatrix points to Sofia in her carrier.
Cal glares at Audrey, pointing a finger at her. “Stop spreading that nickname.” She rolls her eyes.
Liam arrives next. Emerson isn’t coming, photography gig tonight.
Beatrix mouths, “She’s a babe,” after meeting Maya.
“I know!” Audrey replies with voiceless words, face mimicking Bea’s.
“You know, I’ve kissed my fair share of girls. Had a whole fling back in my early twenties,” Beatrix tells the group.
George’s mouth drops. “How come I’ve never heard about this?”
She shrugs, nuzzling her nose into the stomach of their daughter. “Gotta keep you on your toes somehow.” Beatrix smells the air, grimacing. “Someone pooped. It’s your turn, Daddy.”
He shimmies his shoulders. “I love when she calls me Daddy .”
“Speaking of dads.” Everyone’s eyes bolt to me. I burst out laughing. “I’m not pregnant.” Liam massages Cal’s shoulder. “My brother, a single father, appreciates the invite to the weekend and sends his congratulations.”
“Riley did bring a packed suitcase over earlier this week. He was convinced Tucker and him were coming with us.”
“It was so cute, it hurt. He made space in his bag for Tuck’s favorite toys.” I took tons of photos and videos, promising to show Emerson. Riley latched onto her the weeks she was back in Chicago, and it was the first time I saw his longing for a mom after he said she’s so pretty and kind. When he asked if she could date his dad my heart fractured . “He didn’t understand that his dad was playing for some silly little cup.”
Miller’s team made it to the Stanley Cup semi-finals. If they win out, I’ll return home to a happy brother and free hockey.
“Hockey players are so hot,” Beatrix sighs. “He couldn’t introduce you to one of his teammates.”
“Prefer them British, I guess.”
Cal puts his arm around me, pulling me to him and kissing me in front of everyone.
“Dammit. I always miss the good stuff,” George says when he returns to the table. “Can you run that back? Kiss again?”
“George, that’s weird.” Audrey takes the baby into her arms.
“It’s weird that I want to see my best mate happy and in love? Chloe’s a fit girl. No need to get cross about our guy finding someone to give his heart to. You all love seeing Bea and I’s PDA.”
“We don’t,” Liam deadpans.
George groans. “Whatever.” He kisses Beatrix, making sure to use tongue.
“Give us the plan for Saturday?” Cal asks, of course, needing to know exactly the who, what, where, when, and steps A through Z.