The threat in his tone was like a fist in my face.
And for the first time, I retaliated.
I grabbed him by the collar of his T-shirt and the adrenaline pumping through me was like a superpower. I lifted Gavin off his feet and slammed him into the wall like he barely weighed anything. His head cracked off it, his eyes wide with shock as I shoved my face in his, teeth bared. “You come near Beth or her family or me ever fucking again, and I will ruin you!”
Hands were on me, pulling me off. At first I struggled against them.
Then Baird’s voice was in my ear. “Calm doon, Callan. Calm doon, pal.”
Vik and Danny had a hold of Gavin and were practically carrying him to the exit as he struggled and swore and cursed.
I realized the arms around me, holding me back, were Baird’s.
I slumped. “I’m fine.”
Baird let me go and I stepped out and turned to find my friend and the gaffer at my back.
Embarrassment cut through my fury. “Sorry.”
The gaffer squeezed my shoulder. “It’s okay. You say the word, and he’s banned from the grounds. I’d prefer it. I can’t have that man fucking with your head, Keen.”
I wanted to nod and tell him to do it. To ban him.
But with Beth on Gavin’s radar and the fact that I’d reacted to his threat against her … I was afraid if I banned him, he’d retaliate where it would hurt me. So I shook my head and turned away.
As Baird walked me back to the shower room in silence, I knew the only real answer to this was to let Beth go. I didn’t want Gavin anywhere near her, and I knew for damn sure her parents didn’t either.
However, I didn’t pick up my phone to text her that we needed to talk. Instead, I looked at my calendar. Our six-week deal ended in two weeks. And I wanted those two weeks.
I couldn’t give them up.
I couldn’t give her up.
Not yet.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
BETH
I’d been dreading this night.
We hadn’t spoken about it out loud, but the Friday of the last night of our six-week deal arrived before we knew it. The past two weeks we’d avoided talking about it, instead burying ourselves in work and in each other. My solicitor had sent a cease and desist to the author who slandered us and requested a public statement retracting claims, or we’d take legal action. It turned out the author, realizing with no evidence to back her up because she was a liar, issued a social media statement. She said she was dealing with depression and had lashed out with lies against Social Queens when we dropped her (she made no mention that we’d dropped her because she hadn’t paid her invoices) and apologized for any harm she’d caused. We also issued a statement on social media acknowledging her apology.
Callan was right—the furor blew over, and Iain Erstwhile was still interested in discussing social media management for the Edinburgh store. He was back in London but would be returning to Edinburgh next week. We were trying to get a meeting on the books.
As for Callan, Caley United lost their match in the quarterfinals of one of their tournaments. I thought he’d be so depressed he wouldn’t want to see me after it, but it turns out losing made for an intensity in Callan that he enjoyed expelling in the bedroom. If awesome sex made him feel better, I was all for it.
I’d do anything to make him feel better after how wonderful he’d been with me. He didn’t treat me any differently now that he knew I had anxiety. No, that wasn’t true. He was, if anything, more affectionate. He did ask me how I was doing, and I could honestly say I was good. Confiding in him had lifted a massive weight from my shoulders, and it made me feel safe enough to talk to my parents about everything that had been going on with me for the past seven years. I needed to find the time to discuss it with them. The first dinner after their return from Asia wasn’t the right time, but I was definitely ready to do it.
What I wasn’t ready to do was end things with Callan.
I had a horrible feeling I was falling for him.
Which was actually pretty shit since tonight was our last night.
Callan had a game the next day, but he had Friday free. So we decided to prolong our time together and have an early dinner before one last night in his bed.
I attempted to shake off the butterflies. It wasn’t excitement. It was dread. But I didn’t want that emotion to ruin our time, so I ignored it.
