by Pamela Ann
Stella nodded, baring me her beautiful eyes. “If you think it’s necessary, yeah, I suppose we could.”
Where the fuck did I start with this catastrophe? I mentally went through all the crap in my brain, racking to find what the best way to deliver things without sounding crass would be, but I was rendered speechless. After my third sigh, I frowned as I glanced at her impatient looking face. “Would you mind if I take a quick shower? I’ve had a long day and a shower would do wonders for me. I hope that’s all right? If it isn’t, then it could wait until later.”
“Sure, go ahead, Cal. I’ll just wait right here.” Stella even added a sweet smile. It was too sweet, it left me unsettled, but I brushed it off as I thanked her for understanding before striding towards the bathroom and showering as quickly as possible.
In less than ten minutes, I was dressed in jeans with some strands of my hair dripping with water due to the fact that I had been in a rush and I didn’t have the time to dry it with a towel while Stella awaited my return. Alas, the woman wasn’t there.
Right then, I heard a loud slam of the front door. Did she just leave? Renewed energy buzzed throughout my body.
Striding out of the bedroom, heading downstairs, I called out to her, “Stella?”
Once I reached the front door, I peeked my head out just in time to catch a glimpse of her getting into a cab. “Blasted fucking fuck!” I screamed as I darted towards the foyer table and took hold of my keys and my wallet.
Dressed only with jeans and nothing more, I literally ran towards my car barefoot, jumped inside my silver Pagani Huayra and gunned the engine, going after her.
It was mental, truly it was, but I didn’t want to part this way with Stella. When it came to women, I was a completely pompous, callous tool… but Stella was different. “Hell, she’s my fucking wife! Of course she’s different, you soddy bastard!” I growled as I tried to catch her cab. The traffic was atrocious, but still, I could make out her head appearing in the back of the cab.
After a lot of swerving in between cars, tons of honking and yes, I almost crashed into a few cars, I made it out alive and finally caught up behind the blasted black cab at a stoplight.
Leaving the car running, I stomped towards the cab and yanked the door open. “How dare you walk out on me!” I barked at the apoplectic looking Stella.
“Kindly walk away, sir, or I might have to call the—” the driver started to fuck with me, so I laid it out quite nicely for him.
“Interrupt me one more time and you won’t like the consequences, mate.” I wasn’t to be fucked with. Today of all days, it had wrung me dry. I was past exhaustion, but I knew I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t settle this amiably with Stella.
Stella glared at me before quickly apologizing for my ill-mannered behavior. With a fierce look, she pinned me on the spot. “There’s nothing to talk about. Please, let’s leave it as is… I don’t want to drag this out.”
“Well, I do. We have to talk. You can leave afterwards, but either way, we’re talking. Get out of the cab, Stella.” There were horns honking and some expletive words flung towards us, but I was unperturbed. “You’re holding up traffic.”
With her chest heaving, her eyes ready to spit fire and her skin aglow, she had never looked more radiantly gorgeous than at this very moment. “Damn you, Kensington!” Stella hissed as she exited the cab.
She only had a large tote with her, so it didn’t take that much effort to pluck it out of the seat. Expressing a relieved sigh, I dug in my pocket and handed the cabbie his due. He was more than grateful when he saw it was three hundred quid in his hands. “Cheers mate!” he bid me goodbye as I nodded towards him, slamming the door shut.
It was starting to rain with light showers. Summer time in London wouldn’t be the same without these showers. I used to like it, but right now, since I hadn’t donned a shirt, I wasn’t that appreciative.
Was I surprised to find Stella pouting as she stared at my running car? Not really. “Get in,” I commanded as I tightened my grip on her purse and strode towards her.
She shook her head, stubborn as a goose. “No. I don’t want to, Cal.”
“Get inside!”
“Callum. I. Said. No.”
She was testing my limits and I was about to explode like a ticking time bomb if she decided to play stubborn. “Don’t defy me, Stella!” I roared, yanking the door open, past caring that she was fuming and throwing curse words at me. I ignored her and shoved her purse inside the car. The road was starting to get wet, but I was beyond caring about my underdressed state as I failingly tried to act calm. Holding the door wider this time, I directed her again for the umpteenth time. “Get inside, Stella.”
“You have no right to manhandle me. No. Right. Do you hear?” She screamed, unmoving.
In normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be so brutish, but this wasn’t one of them. Planting both of my hands around her sides, I lifted and carried her before gently dumping her tenacious self on the seat. Ignoring her hisses and growls, I securely placed the seatbelt across her tensed body and then slammed the door shut then went to the driver’s side.
Stella was furious, but she was unbending. What else was there to do? All I cared about was for her to get in the goddamned vehicle and drive back to my home so we could sort this out rationally. No matter what happened after this, I couldn’t for the life of me let her leave in this condition.
This was Stella… Richard’s sister… the woman I vowed to take care of, which I wasn’t doing exceptionally well in that department.
Chapter 116
Callum
My immediate plan was to drive back to my home and talk there, but noting how we both were still so pumped with anger, I decided to take us for a spin about town.
Still simmering from Stella’s little stint, I broke the silence. “I told you we would talk after I showered. Why the hell would you even think about leaving when we haven’t discussed anything?”
Her gray eyes flashed at me, hard as crystals. “What the hell is there to discuss, huh?” she stormed. “Are we supposed to hug each other and say, ‘Oh it was wonderful being shagged by you for the past weeks. Thank you, dear Callum. We should have lunch sometime.’ Is that what you’re looking for here? Because if it is, well, THANK YOU! You can stop the car, so I can get back to my life.”
“We aren’t through yet!” I yelled as I gunned the engine and parked behind a private garden. I had no clue where we were, but that didn’t even faze me a bit.
“You need to get back to Zara,” she bit out, fetching her purse as she tried to yank the door open, but found it securely locked. “Fuck!”
“I don’t like the thought of you leaving. I feel like I should do something, but I don’t know what, Stella.” I shined on a little of what I was going through. I respected Stella, but for some reason her immediate want to leave made me feel like I had failed her. I know I shouldn’t because it wasn’t making any sense, however it was what I was feeling.
She sighed.
Her back sagged a bit, defeated somehow. When she twisted to face me, there was something in her eyes that I couldn’t understand; yet when I sought it out, she lowered her gaze, staring at the interior. “Cal, we shouldn’t even be fighting about this. I realized that since your life is pretty hectic, and so is mine, that it would be better to just go back home. Besides, I didn’t want to be in the way with Zara. We started this whole thing with no expectations. I want to simply leave it at that. I know I should’ve told you that I was moving back into my place, but I thought that it would be better this way, since you have so much on your plate as it is. I didn’t want to be a burden.”
“I apologize.” For neglecting and forgetting you, I silently added because it was true. I did somehow forget about Stella. “I hope you’ll forgive me someday.”
Stella brought her face to mine, smiling brightly with a hint of sadness in her eyes. “For what? You had so much going on. You didn’t even have to reach out to me this w
ay. I understand, Cal. So if you’re worried about letting me down, you shouldn’t. You always thought well of me, even if you were a mere stranger. You’re a great man, Callum. Don’t try to tell yourself otherwise.” She then moved closer, wrapping her arms around me, her heavenly scent annihilating my senses.
Her gesture certainly surprised me, but when her arms wrapped around my neck with her intoxicating smell blanketing my nostrils, it dawned on me that this might be the last time I could hold her. When that entered my mind, I felt somehow rattled and incredibly uneasy about it.
“Thank you, for all you’ve done for me. I may seem like a spoilt woman at times, but I do appreciate everything you have done for me, Cal,” Stella whispered into my ear and then she brushed her lips against my cheek and kissed it gently. “Please take care of yourself. If you need a friend, I’m a phone call away.”
I swallowed, a tad shaken by this small exchange. What was going on here? The pitted ache in my stomach now lashed harder. “Stella…”
She shook her head, stopping me from saying anything. When she asked me to unlock the door, I obediently did so. I came out of the car, opening her door. I knew she didn’t need me to do it, but I simply wanted to.
For the last time, she brushed her lips against mine. “It was my pleasure to finally have met the man inside. I’ll never forget it.” Stella bestowed me a beautiful smile before walking away.
I wanted her to stop, maybe take her back to her flat, have dinner or whatever else I could conjure up, however even though my mind was busy, my tongue was frozen. My feet were glued to the floor, unmovable.
From a distance, I waited until she let herself into a cab without looking back at me. My eyes immediately closed tightly when I heard the car door slam shut, driving away.
“Goodbye… for now, Stella.”
For now.
Chapter 117
Stella
A week had passed since the incident with Callum. I had to admit; I sometimes checked my phone out of the blue, wishing that I would get a message from him. Be it a mere hi or hello, anything merely to check in and let me know that he was okay. I could take the initiative and call him, yet I was reluctant just in case I heard Zara in the background. One thing I didn’t want to do was interrupt their relationship.
After I had gotten entangled with Callum, I had avoided the gossip rags and tabloids, but that didn’t stop Luciana or Sienna checking for me on a daily basis. Sienna was becoming a good friend and I appreciated her effort for the past week. She was so sweet, bringing me coffee twice a day, so that I didn’t have an excuse to drag and moan about whilst working.
“What’s the news today?” I lightly inquired just as Sienna slid the Starbucks coffee cup towards me, avoiding my gaze.
“You know, the usual tit and tat.” She was skimming towards one of the order forms, flashing her massive ten-carat yellow diamond engagement ring as she did so.
She was being suspicious and I was getting curious. She usually had the juicy bits readily available. Besides, now that she was acting all odd, I was like an addict in need of her daily juice. “I like tits and tats.”
Sienna smirked, lifting those unusual golden-green eyes of hers. “They’re reporting that he purchased her a new home, so I guess that means he’s not living with her. Blake assures me that a man in love wouldn’t be caught dead having his woman living in a different house.”
How thoughtful of Knightly to relay that information, I wondered how much Sienna had let on about my unusual affair. I never meant for anyone to know, but with Luciana’s big gob and with Sienna working with me closely, it was difficult for her not to catch on.
We both turned at the door when someone knocked. Ally opened the door to let a deliveryman in, carrying a black Lalique vase full of summer blooms. Ally ordered the man to situate the vase on the coffee table before all three of them immediately left me alone, but that was before I caught Sienna winking at me.
With a thudding heart, I got up and inspected the flowers. It consisted of vintage lilac roses, powder blue hydrangeas, tracheliums, mint green carnations, lisianthus combined with sandriana foliage and peonies. It was superb, but what really caught my interest was the card that vied for my attention.
Reaching for the note, I calmly opened it.
You’re one of a kind.
CK
CK. Ha. Bloody. Ha.
“Callum Kensington. Great.” I took in a sharp breath and tried not to think about the fact that he had bought Zara a house. “Hope you’re living the life, buddy,” I muttered, scathingly.
It took me an hour—yes, I was bloody counting the time—to grab my phone and type a reply.
Me: Got your flowers. They’re wonderful, thank you.
Almost immediately, my phone beeped back.
Callum: Can I see you tonight? Dinner, perhaps?
“Shit,” I hissed, placing my phone down, nervous. I was so tempted to say heck yes, but I knew I should move forward. Where the hell was Sienna or Luciana when you needed them most? Those two sucked for emotional support.
Deep breaths.
Okay, Callum wanted to take me to dinner. With dinners, the outcome usually could vary. Coffees and lunches were typically friendly, neutral. Dinners on the other hand were complicated, too intimate. I was treading on a fine line and I didn’t want to fall flat on my face. He was with her. Zara. I had to remind myself that. So a dinner with Callum was out of the question. Besides, there was that dinner invitation from Derek…
Speaking of moving on with my life, I best get a move on with that one. Picking up my phone again, I sent a message to Derek, letting him know that I would love to meet him for dinner. The second message was for Callum.
Me: I’m going to see Derek tonight. Maybe some other time, coffee or lunch would do. Say next week?
There! Sent. I sounded like a rational woman. Not an ounce of jealousy oozed out of those words. I was proud of myself. My phone shrilled again immediately. “My, aren’t you a busy one today!”
Callum: You’re going back to him then?
Getting personal much? Hell. What did he care if I did or didn’t? He had just bought a house for Zara, that’s a massive purchase. For him to dole out that hefty sum, it could only mean one thing and I hated him for it… a little.
Me: I’m not sure yet.
I was hoping he’d leave it at that, but nope! He wasn’t done.
Callum: Does he make you happy?
Derek was great, for some time. That was until he went berserk with his relentless pursuit to get my virginity out of the way.
Me: He did at one point.
Callum: Now, what about now?
I had no idea. All I knew was that I was in love to a man who didn’t want it because his heart belonged to her, his Zara. If this was his attempt to make sure that my dating life was great so he wouldn’t feel a tad guilty, then he was fine. He had nothing to worry about. I was fine without him.
Me: I’ll know soon enough.
I stared at my phone for a full minute, waiting for his reply, but when I didn’t get one, I convinced myself that he had only been feeling obligated towards me.
So, I tried to mask my hurt and delved into work.
An hour later, he finally responded.
Callum: I miss you, S.
“Oh God!” I freaked. “No need to have a panic attack, so calm down.” I coached myself to breathe evenly. This was Callum after all; it could mean so many things. I miss you might be different in his terms. “Yeah, he was used to having me around. So, don’t get yourself affected, Stella. Just fucking don’t or you’ll be fucked,” I repeated to myself until I released the phone and didn’t bother replying to his message.
It was bad, but his words never left me. Even when I went on the date with Derek, Callum was in the back of my mind. I hated how affected I was with his words.
Yet I was determined to move on, broken heart be damned.
Chapter 118
Callum
Stella d
idn’t bother replying and all afternoon I was plagued by images of her.
It was the first time I had admitted to her that I missed her, and yet, the tenacious woman decided to ignore it. I wasn’t sure if I was in awe or furious at her. I suppose I was a combination of both. I had to give it to Stella, though, by her not responding to that consequential message, it made me want to seek her out.
“Callum?”
“Yes, Zara?” I asked, glancing at her a bit.
She had insisted on cooking me dinner, so she was already here when I got back from work, chopping and humming her way in the kitchen.
Dinner was great, but she chatted my ear off and I needed a reprieve. With a bottle in hand, I strode towards the garden outside, needing some fresh air.
However here she was again, following me. I had avoided heavy discussions about the future since I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go, but I suppose Zara was adamant.
It started when my father died of a heart attack. Two hours later, Zara was on a mission to inject every single memory we had as a couple back into my life. My father was had just been declared dead, but she was already pestering me then about our future together.
“You look deep in thought.” She smiled, pressing her hands on my chest.
As I looked down on her, I remembered the same look she had back in the day, one where she vowed to love me. “Thinking is what I do. Money makes money, but money doesn’t just sprout without formulated ideas.”
It was a good excuse because, well, I used to think about business all the time, yet now, Stella had dominated my mind. After last night’s dream, I woke up, reaching out across the bed for her, but it was empty. Sleep evaded me afterwards, however Stella remained.
Knowing that she was out on a dinner date with her ex didn’t help my uneasiness. When my mind wandered to the subject of her letting another man touch her, I wanted to commit murder.
