“What are you talking about?” I chuckle.
She gives me a pointed look. “You are falling for Callum. I know you.”
My face warms. “Shhh. No, I’m not.”
“Then why do I have toshh?”
“She has a point,” Fallon chimes in, filling the pail with ice from the dispenser.
“You have to stop this right now, or youwillget hurt,” Roxy continues.
“You’re totally overreacting,” I say, a hand on my hip. “Everything is under control. We’re not really dating, you know that. We haven’t even kissed.”
“Well, the look in your eyes says you want to change that,” Roxy says, leveling me with a knowing stare.
My eyes widen in horror. I can’t look like I want to kiss Callum. No matter how much I actually do.
Fallon nods vigorously. “I noticed it too. You’re always sneaking glances at him, and you blush if he looks at you.”
“I do not,” I protest, pressing my palms to my cheeks as if that’ll quell the redness blooming there. “You two are delusional.”
“Um, no.” Roxy leans against the counter, rubbing her belly. “Youare. Callum is a complicated man, and I have never seen him with a girl.”
I swallow hard. That’s a piece of information I didn’t ask for—but had secretly been dying to know. I had a feeling he wasn’t a big relationship guy.
“And?” I ask, defying her with my gaze.
Roxy tilts her head. “And he probably won’t start now.” Her tone softens, and she leans forward to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “I love you, Millie, but you always see the good in everyone.”
“Look, Callum and I are just friends.” I force a smile. “Don’t worry about me. I know exactly what I’m getting into.” With that, I straighten my shoulders and grab the ice bucket before either of them can press further. Channeling feigned confidence, I walk back to the living room with a practiced smile and a pounding heart. Because the truth is, I have zero clue what I’m doing, or how I’ll get out of it unwounded. There’s no denying—at least to myself—that I feel something for Callum. But I’m not stupid. I know he’s not interested.
Roxy is right. Maybe I should put an end to this fake dating thing before it’s too late.
As everyone’spreparing to leave, I ask to use the toilet to avoid being alone with Callum in the garage. I’m in a fragile state right now, and I need to regroup. Who knows what I’d do if I ended up alone with him in a semi-dark garage?
I take my time washing my hands, letting the cool water ground me. Once I’ve composed myself, I bid Archie goodbye and take the elevator down. The soft hum of the lift fills the silence, but my pulse is anything but quiet. When the doors slide open, I step into the dimly lit garage and freeze.
Callum is there—leaning against a concrete column, his face half-shadowed by the low lighting.
My heart leaps in my chest, and I beg it to calm down. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Just wanted to make sure you reached your car okay,” he says, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Underground garages aren’t exactly safe.”
I frown, looking around the polished and quiet garage. “This one probably is, though. It’s a private garage for the residence, isn’t it?”And it’s not even late,I silently add.
He glances around, a soft chuckle escaping him. “Right, I guess you’ve got a point. Anyway, thanks for coming today, even if we lost. Having company was actually a good thing.”
I smile. “Of course. I’ll support my team, win or lose. And I’m glad being with your friends helped. I’m guessing it’s not your usual post-loss routine.”
He exhales slowly, his voice quieter now. “Naw. I usually get heckled by Fergie until he falls asleep. So yeah, no contest there.”
I laugh, the sound echoing faintly off the walls. “By the way, I sent the shelter the video you made for Princess, and they love it. Since we have the big Valentine’s Day post tomorrow, I was thinking we could post it on Monday? Make sure it gets the full spotlight.”
“Yeah, that works.”
I shift on my feet. “Well, I’d better go, but thanks again for helping Princess.”
“Anytime,” he rumbles in a low voice. I’m not sure who moved, but he’s suddenly closer to me.
