“Okay,” Cal agrees.
“Agreed,” I say.
“Birdie can know,” he continues. “Jonah, and your mom. That’s it.”
“And Cal,” I tease.
“Well, obviously,” Wilby says. “The groom should be informed.”
Cal laughs softly. “Appreciated.”
Wilby looks over at him. “You still good with all this? Feel like running?”
My chest tightens all of a sudden at the thought of Cal not being around. I hold my breath as I wait for his reaction.
“I’m fine,” Cal says, glancing over at me. As if he can sense I’m nervous, he lays his hand on my thigh.
He doesn’t do it in a sexual way, but a calming,I’ve got you,way. As if he’s saying,I’m here. Everything is fine.And I have no idea how Cal can do that, but he does seem to calm me when I’m anxious.
It’s a small gesture, but my body still reacts. Heat blooms where his palm rests, and my panties, embarrassingly, are soaked.
No one ever touches me like this. Tyler never did. He had no interest in soothing or caring for me.
I glance at him, expecting him to pull back and realize what he’s doing, but he doesn’t. His eyes stray to mine, and they’re calm and steady, too. He isn’t afraid or intimidated by any of this.
My body relaxes and my shoulders loosen. I relax under his hand and let myself feel it. Safety. And I swallow, picturing for a second what it would be like to always have this. To feel safe. To have someone in my life who wants me to feel safe. I have always wanted a relationship deep down. I know I was never going to get that with Tyler. He wasn’t half the man Cal is.
And that’s when it hits me. This might just not be pretend anymore for my heart.
That complicates things.
Wilby brings me back to reality as he continues his checklist. “I’m surprised that the paparazzi haven’t found you yet. This is really good. But I’m just surprised.”
“I know,” I say.
“And honestly, even more shocked that Tyler didn’t leak your location to mess with you,” Wilby adds.
I stare down at my coffee. “I’m not sure he knows.”
Cal stiffens and jerks his head up. His eyes narrow and jaw clenches. He sweeps his gaze around us as if searching for the paparazzi threat that isn’t here. His voice is sharp as he says, “That’s unsettling that he would do that and risk your safety.”
It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Cal remotely anything other than chill surfer dude. Right now, he’s alert, tense, and protective. My heart patters wildly in my chest. I’ve never had someone care that much, to the point of anger, so naturally, it does dangerous things to my attention-starved heart.
“Everything about Tyler is unsettling,” I say quietly.
Cal looks over at me, moving his hand, as the brief anger melts away to concern flickering across his face. He doesn’t pry but pours me another water from the pitcher that’s sweating at the center of the table. He’s always making sure we have food and something to drink, specifically me. I love that about him.
Wilby watches this too and seems to file it away. “Oh, hey, good news. That turd is officially moving out of your penthouse. I’m going to have the locks changed and have it deep cleaned. I also ordered a new bed. It’ll be here next week.”
“You think of everything.” I smile appreciatively, feeling relieved.
“It’s my job,” Wilby says as he continues to type.
“You’re getting a raise.”
Wilby grins and keeps typing. “Excellent.”
“This guy is a miracle worker,” Cal states, smirking.
