Stripping Callum (Last Hangman MC Book 6)(82)

“I never doubted you, just myself. I’m sorry for even thinking those things about you. I didn’t mean them.”

“Yes, you did if you talked about it with someone. They crossed your mind so there must be some truth in there.” I shrug.

“It did, but it was stupid. With what I’ve learned about Alina, it made me think that you could be the same, I can’t say enough how sorry I am.”

“It was stupid and even stupider to think that I’d be just like her.”

“I fell in love with her and turns out she didn’t love me. She just wanted money and protection. With the way we met, it did cross my mind that you could be the same. I fell in love with you hard, and the lack of reaction from you whenever I scream her name in the middle of the night made me doubt you. I’ve never felt love until you.”

“I don’t react to it because there’s nothing I can do. I know you’re not thinking about f*cking her and that’s enough for me to know not to worry about it on an emotional level. Of course, I worry about you and how it’s affecting you. Besides, you have your brothers’ love. It’s not like you’ve never had people love and care about you.”

“Not that kind of love. My mother abandoned me and my father. He made my life a living hell as payback. Hell, he’s not even my real father, but I ruined his life nonetheless so he thought he was entitled to it. The few people I’ve loved have been ripped away from me one way or another. I don’t want you to join the long list. I thought I had lost you for good.”

“What makes you think that I want you back in my life? You’ve brought me nothing but heartache,” I say, and I regret it instantly.

“I deserve that,” he says through gritted teeth.

“No, you don’t.” I sigh.

“Yes, I do. I nearly got you killed. Your place was wrecked. You saw me get head. Your car was blown up. I thought you just wanted me to take care of you and Elijah. Where’s my little man anyway?” He smiles looking around hoping to see him there.

“I just wanted you to love us and care for us but not take care of us. I’ve taken care of myself for years, even before I left my aunt. I don’t need a man to pay the bills and keep a roof over my head. Talking about head, almost forgot about that.” I frown. “Elijah is at the daycare center.”

“I should learn to shut my mouth,” he groans.

“Yes, you should.”

“How about I get you out of here and back home?” He smiles and places his hand over mine on the counter, softly caressing small circles near my thumb.

“I like it here.” I take my hand back and fiddle with the rag that I was using to clean the counter.

“No, you don’t. I can see it in your eyes.” He holds my gaze, and I just want to say ‘Yes! Take me home. I hate it here.’ but I don’t because I’m a coward.

“Callum, this is home now.”

“It’s okay, Bella. I’ll wait for you for as long as you need. I know you’ll come back. My door is always open for you. I love you, Annabella, and I know you love me, too,” he says with finality and joins Bennett who seems to be whining because he thought he was getting food. If the severity of the situation wasn’t so great, I’d totally laugh at Bennett’s outburst, but I can’t.

I want Callum. I love Callum, and he loves me. Why am I so f*cking stubborn that I can’t just back down from my position on the entire thing and leave with him. That’s all I want right now, to go with him and go back to our lives, to our friends and family. To something better and that feels like home.

“Are you okay? That was intense!” Mary, the diner owner, asks me.

“I’ll be alright.” I sigh watching Bennett and Callum leave. He turns around and looks at me, mouthing the words ‘see you soon, Bella,” at me. If I listened to myself right now, I’d run after him and jump into his arms, but I don’t. I stay behind the counter and go back to wiping it.

“Sometimes you have to re-evaluate what you think is right. You’re miserable here, everybody can tell. Stop thinking that you’re doing the right thing and actually do it.” She looks at me and leaves, letting her words linger.

What the f*ck am I supposed to do?

I feel like I’m back to five years ago, lost and confused about what I’m going to do with my life. I didn’t turn out so bad. I actually turned out pretty good considering everything that’s happened in my twenty-two years of life. Why am I making things so f*cking complicated for myself?





Callum

January 10, 2017

It’s been three f*cking weeks since I’d been to Denver and tried to convince Bella to come back with me, I’d failed miserably.

I know she hates it there. It was written all over her face, but she wouldn’t come back home. Probably out of pride or to prove a point that she could do it on her own all over again. I just hope it’s not too late and that we can get back together. I wanted nothing more than to be able to bring her and Elijah back and for us to start our lives together again, but she thought otherwise.

In the back of my mind, I know she’ll come back eventually. Unless she’s heartless, she’s going to miss her friends and family. Elijah is bound to miss us, and I know she won’t want to make him miserable.