Chapter 33 #2
We clinked carefully, laughter spilling over again as the movie continued.
Callum drifted in and out of the room throughout the film, never interrupting, always appearing just long enough to refresh drinks or quietly replace an empty bowl.
Each new mocktail came with a brief explanation and a new color palette, and the girls were openly teasing him with each one.
“If the movie night thing does not work out,” Thalia said, sipping her drink, “you could absolutely pivot to event planning.”
“Noted,” he replied. “I will update my résumé.”
I watched it all with a strange, glowing awareness, the way my friends laughed, the way the room felt full without being overwhelming, and the way Callum moved through it all perfectly in character.
He glanced at me occasionally, giving me a smile and an occasional wink, and each time I caught his eye, something warm settled in my chest.
As the movie played on, the laughter came easier, the conversations drifting in and out of focus, and I leaned back against the couch cushions, surrounded by familiar voices and easy joy. The tension I had carried for so long was gone, replaced by pure joy.
Callum lingered at the edge of the room for a moment, scanning the space to make sure everyone was comfortable, and our eyes met again. He lifted his chin slightly, a silent question.
I nodded back, just as quiet.
He tipped his ridiculous hat once, then retreated toward the kitchen, leaving us to our movie, our laughter, and the soft, steady hum of a night that felt, finally, uncomplicated.
Once he was gone, Thalia leaned slightly toward me, her voice dropping just enough to be conspiratorial. “Okay,” she said, eyes flicking briefly in Callum’s direction, “I am going to say this very calmly, so do not panic.”
I glanced at her. “That is never how anything good starts.”
She smiled, unapologetic. “His eyes never leave you. I think he is obsessed.”
I felt heat rush up my neck immediately. “What?”
Kara snorted. “Oh, he absolutely is. It is actually kind of impressive. We are all just background noise to him.”
“That is not true,” I said, though my voice lacked conviction, and I was suddenly very aware of my posture, my hands, the fact that I had been mid-laugh a second ago.
Andrea smiled softly. “It is very true,” she said, kinder, observational. “Things seem like they’re going really well between you two again. I’m really happy for you.rdquo;
Teddy chimed in from the floor without looking up from the screen. “Yeah, it is very husband-coded. Fitting.”
I choked on my drink. “Please never say that sentence again.”
The girls laughed, entirely unrepentant, and I pressed my cold glass briefly against my cheek, hoping it might counteract the warmth flooding my face.
“That is not fair,” I said, though I was smiling despite myself. “He is just hosting.”
“He is hosting like this is his personal mission,” Thalia said. “And you are the objective.”
As if summoned by the accusation, Callum reappeared at the edge of the room, holding another tray of drinks, his expression neutral but attentive. His gaze flicked to me instinctively, quick and soft, a check-in so subtle that I might have imagined it if I had not been primed to notice.
Thalia lifted her eyebrows dramatically.
I dropped my face into my hands. “You are all terrible.”
Callum paused, clearly clocking the sudden laughter and my conspicuous attempt to disappear. “Did I miss something?&rdquo He asked mildly.
“No,” Kara said far too quickly. “Everything is perfectly normal.”
He gave her a look that suggested he did not believe her even slightly, then turned his attention back to me. “You okay?” He asked, quietly enough that it felt private even in a full room.
“Yes,” I said, and meant it, and the ease with which the word came surprised me. “Just being bullied.”
He smiled faintly. “That tracks.”
He set the drinks down and moved away again without fuss, and the moment passed as naturally as it had arrived, the movie reclaiming our attention, the jokes pulling laughter out of us again.
A little while later, during a lull in the dialogue, Andrea spoke again, her tone thoughtful rather than teasing. “You seem lighter,” she said to me, not making a spectacle of it. “Not like fixed, or anything dramatic. Just… more here.”
I considered that, the words settling easily instead of scraping. “I feel more here,” I said. “Which is new.”
Thalia nodded. “It shows.”
The rest of the movie blurred together in comfortable fragments, shared glances, synchronized laughter, mocktail refills appearing like magic.
Callum stayed mostly in the background, present without inserting himself, but always close enough that I could feel him there, like a steady line under the whole evening.
When the credits finally rolled, no one moved right away. Teddy stretched with a groan, Kara started scrolling through her phone in search of something to quote, and Thalia leaned back with a satisfied sigh.
“That,” she declared, “was exactly what I needed.”
“Same,” I said, and the word felt fuller than it usually did.
As the group slowly began to gather their things, Callum stepped back into the room properly, hat long since abandoned, sleeves rolled casually. He hovered near the doorway, giving everyone space to move without crowding them.
Thalia hugged me carefully on her way out. “You look good,” she repeated, more quietly this time. “And happy.”
I swallowed past the unexpected thickness in my throat. “Thank you.”
Once the door closed behind the last of them, the house settled again, not into silence, but into a softer echo of laughter and warmth that lingered in the air. I stood there for a moment, holding an empty glass, feeling the absence without the drop that usually followed gatherings like this.
Callum met my eyes from across the room, his expression open, questioning without pressure.
“That was…” I said, choosing my words slowly, “really nice.”
He smiled, relieved and pleased in equal measure. “I am glad.”
I caught myself smiling back, unguarded, my cheeks still warm, and happiness filled my chest.