Page 31 of The Strength Of A Woman

Before long, the waiter walks outside with a tray of drinks.

We’re waiting for him to set everything down and leave before Callum speaks as he picks up his coffee.

“I’m listening.”

I wrap my hand around my glass of water, the cold soothing my nerves as he takes a sip of coffee.

“Why is she here?” I ask quietly, my eyes pinned on his face.

He’s about to roll his eyes again and laugh me off, maybe, which would be a record-breaking moment, but that quickly gets replaced by a stern look.

He’s good.

He is so damn good at controlling his reaction that I can’t tell he is the same man who was about to be entertained by my question just by looking at his harsh expression.

“You’re not here, so you can question me about Vittoria.”

“No, I’m not. But my question stands. Why is she here?”

He sets his elbows on the table, tilts his chin down a little, and drinks me in.

I’m not mistaken.

The way he looks at me feels like he dips his mind into my soul in search of an answer.

“What do you want from me, Leilani?”

His voice is soft like a feather and has the effect of one moving slowly down my spine.

“I don’t want her to be here,” I say like a spoiled child who wishes for things that can never happen in real life.

He purses his lips as he looks down, pondering.

“I spent time with you last night, raising all kinds of questions in your grandmother’s mind. Do you think it would’ve looked better if I had invited you to dinner?” he asks.

His stare floats up from the table like a magic sword of sorts.

“That is not an answer,” I retort.

“It absolutely is. It’s the only one I have. I’m getting questions about you, Leilani. Your family is watching us. And I assume you’re here because of them. Am I wrong?”

I shake my head.

“No.”

“Good. Now that we’ve got this out of the way, tell me why you’re really here.”

A few moments pass.

“Please tell her to go,” I say, not a muscle moving on my face.

He’s weighing my request with a scolding expression on his face.

“She and I are having dinner.”

“I understand. But I don’t want to see her.”

“She’s not––”