“I don’t know if he’s available,” I tried.
“Make him available,” she snapped. “If he’s serious about you, he'll come to dinner.”
My heart pounded.
“I’ll ask him,” I said reluctantly.
“No,” she corrected. “You’ll tell him.”
I sighed. “Okay.”
Her tone softened slightly. “I’m happy for you, you know.”
Guilt tugged at my chest.
“I just wish you had trusted me enough to tell me,” she added.
“I’m sorry.”
“Saturday,” she repeated firmly. “And Evania?”
“Yes?”
“Don't be late.”
I don’t know what Callahan was expecting when I got off the phone. But the longer I stood there in silence, the more serious and nervous he seemed to get.
How could you keep something like this from me?
You met his parents before he met us?
You will bring him for dinner this weekend.
Her words echoed in my mind, refusing to leave me alone. She had every right to be angry. I did keep a lot from her, but the worst part was that there was still so much she didn't know. And I had no idea how to explain myself now, not when she was already disappointed in me.
Callahan cleared his throat softly. “Vani?”
I blinked and looked at him, surprised by what he called me. Was that a pet name?
“Is everything okay?” he asked carefully. “What did she say?”
I swallowed.
Why was my throat suddenly so dry?
“They…” I started, then stopped.
He stepped away from his desk and walked toward me slowly, like I was something fragile that might shatter if he moved too fast.
“Vani, you’re scaring me.”
I huffed out a breath. “I’m scaring you?”
“You look like someone just declared war on your books.”
That almost made me laugh.
Almost.
