Absolution(76)

“Hey, I just pulled up outside your house. Meet you at the door.”

“No, wait!” she hissed, heart racing. “Jack’s here!”

“I know, I’m looking at his car.”

“So can we put a pin in this tonight? Please?”

She heard him sigh and she cringed, glancing towards the living room.

“Come on, it’s only twenty minutes. Surely whatever you’re doing can wait that long?”

He didn’t sound happy.

“Please don’t do this to me,” she begged.

“I don’t have to tell you how important this is.”

“Callum!”

In response, she heard a click, then a knock at the door.

Damn it! She was not ready to give up yet. Gritting her teeth, she called out to Jack. “It’s okay, I got it!”

Speeding down the hallway, she reached up to yank open the door, ready with another tactic.

“Forget it,” Callum announced as soon as she opened the door. “Whatever you were going to say, just forget it. It’s twenty minutes out of your night – deal with it.”

“No,” she glared up at him. “I told you – not tonight!”

Callum winked at her. “As the actress said to the bishop.”

“I’m not kidding!” she hissed. “We’re watching a movie!”

“Hey.”

They both turned to see Jack standing in the living room doorway.

“Hey,” Callum said evenly. “I hear you’re watching a movie.”

“Something like that. Join us, if you want?” Jack offered.

Ally glared up at him and he turned his attention back to Jack. “What’s the movie?”

“Armageddon.”

“That’s a blast from the past,” Callum said. “I’ll give it some thought. I’m actually here to see Ally, we have something we need to do. Pass that mat over, will you?”

Jack picked up the yoga mat off the floor and offered it to him.

“Thanks.” Callum walked over to Ally’s bedroom door. “We’ll be about twenty minutes or so. You don’t mind waiting do you?”

Jack shook his head, as Ally flashed him an apologetic smile. All she could think about was punching Callum in the groin, which was conveniently at eye level.

“Won’t be long. There’s beer in the fridge, I think – help yourself,” Ally offered, cheeks burning as she followed Callum into her bedroom.

As soon as she had closed the door behind her, she whirled on Callum. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Settle down. You heard him, he doesn’t mind.”

“Are you even listening to me?”

Callum sighed dramatically and sat down on the edge of her bed. “Okay then, out with it. What’s this all about? Is it because he’s here?”

“Of course it is!” she blurted out, wishing immediately she could take it back.

“Why?”

Her blood pressure soared as she tried to control her racing heart. The thought of Jack walking in on them made her break out in a cold sweat.

“You know why!”

“Okay, listen,” he soothed. “You know this is important. Just because he’s here, you want to start letting this stuff slide? For how long, Ally? How long do you want to hide this from him? Because if he’s going to stick around like he says he is, that’s gonna get pretty damn awkward, pretty damn quick.”

He knew her too well, which was more irritating than usual right now. Of course she wanted to hide it from Jack, why wouldn’t she? How could she convince Jack that she was in control after he saw her like this? And why the hell was Callum being so reasonable about it? That was her domain, damn it.

“The clock’s ticking,” Callum said, laying out the yoga mat on the floor.

She wished she could stand up and knock him out cold. Instead, she threw him a withering look and hoped he could read her mind.



Jack squirmed on the couch, trying to get more comfortable. He shot a glance at Ally, sitting on the other end of the couch. To all intents and purposes, she looked engrossed in the movie, but he suspected otherwise.

He turned back to the TV but the uneasiness in the air was impossible to ignore. They both liked this movie, that’s why he had chosen it. She had seemed happy enough to see him when he arrived but as soon as Callum had shown up, things had gotten weird. First there was the hold-up while they did whatever it was they were doing in her bedroom – he assumed some kind of workout or massage or something, judging by the yoga mat – and then Callum had left without saying goodbye straight afterwards. Ally had been withdrawn and moody ever since.