Chapter 52
They were asking about the dinner. It’s purely about business, and I am not talking about it romantically, Ciara explained.
He nodded, but the clench on his jaw was telling her otherwise–that he wasn’t thinking that it was the case.
–
“Seems not to me,” he murmured nonchalantly.
Somehow, she was thrilled that he was acting jealous, and he was directly showing it, as he wanted to be vulnerable to her, like what he had said, that he wanted her to know when he was happy, mad, and jealous.
“Why? What would you expect me to say in front of the media while there were a lot of people watching and could watch it- that I have a daughter with Callum Haynes?”
Callum side–eyed her, looking mad but controlled
“You’ve given him a chance to assume that you are available,” he said in a thick voice.
“Well, I am. I am not taken at the moment,‘ she said fearlessly, knowing that Callum would react to it.
She wanted not to be too soft for him, like her old self, that she wasn’t too available for him, and she was still in control even if he was pursuing her. She wasn’t afraid to turn her back on him, and she wasn’t afraid to walk away.
But there was always that slight tugging that made her want to just assure him that she couldn’t even fall in love with anyone because she was too invested in him or because she was only attracted to him.
Even so, she would always control herself because she doesn’t want that old version of her who’s so drowned in Callum that she almost forgot her self–worth. She doesn’t want that to happen anymore.
Though Callum right now was different from the old him because right now, he is more expressive and persistent, it would always give her the idea that he would just repeat the same mistake he made in the past.
“Right…” Callum nodded, his jaw clenching, but he seems to have full control of his emotions not to lash out because he knows his position in her life at the moment and he doesn’t want to it up.
She looked at the flowers again, which were a baby pink rose, as she lifted them so she could smell them.
Callum glanced at her and calmed down a bit when he saw her enjoying the flower he gave her.
“I also bought it for Cara,” he said, looking in the mirror to check the back where he put the other flower.
Ciara glanced at the back and saw the other bouquet of flowers that seemned so colorful, which Ciara could really tell Cara would appreciate.
“She would like it,” she said.
Callum’s expression was still stoic. Ciara doesn’t know what to do. But what she learns from the past, which also Callum advises her, is to always say what’s on her mind, no matter how small it is.
“You scare me sometimes,” she blurted out randomly.
Callum relaxed a bit, stunned by the words that he glanced at her in the middle of the traffic when their car slowed down.
“Like right now?” he asked, a bit gentle compared to the coldness he showed earlier.
“Sometimes, when you do things like this,” and she looked at the flowers. “When you were too good to be true when you’re almost unfamiliar…
His brows knit. “You aren’t comfortable with it?”
“I like it, but I worry that this is just…” She shrugged as if the words she would be saying next would damage what they had at the moment.
Chapter 52
“Is it just… he asked, trailing.
“I don’t know. Maybe it seems like a fantasy to me.”
“You’re doubting that this isn’t what I really want from you?” he asked, interpreting it more.
Ciara nodded. “Yes”
Indeed. When the trust is snapped from the past, you can’t seem to trust them anymore. They were just going to repeat their mistake because they had already done it once and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
Callum was about to say something when he paused as if there weren’t any words that could defend him at the moment, and he would never ever convince her through just words coming out of his mind.
The car was now moving, so he took his time driving for a while while Ciara was looking out the window.
He can’t blame me. It wasn’t easy to heal from something that broke you. I don’t think I’d ever recover from that. It is already etched in my mind.
With the long ride, Ciara was kind of curious as to why they were heading to a familiar place. And how would he forget it when it was the place she pretended her parents owned?
“This is my place now,” he explained when Ciara looked around while the sunset was still peeking around the corners and making the whole place look so peaceful and quiet.
She looked at the white house as she remembered how she took Callum there, knowing that it wasn’t really their house.
“When it was up for sale, I immediately bought it because I knew I could use the land as an asset. It seems like you were so wealthy from the past that you throw it away as soon as you are finished with your act, huh?” Callum glanced at her, arching
his brow.
She doesn’t know what to say, because somehow she felt guilty for doing it in the past and for lying to him about who she really was, which could also spark trust issues for Callum
“We’re both flawed,” she pointed out as the car slowly stopped.
“Yes, we are. You are a pain in the too.”
Ciara immediately glanced at Callum, who just opened the door and went out of the car as he walked to the front seat and opened it for her.
“How am I a pain in the ?” She asked.
“You didn’t know? You were so cold and distant that it was hard to deal with you.”
“Maybe you never just paid attention, she murmured as they both walked to the big white house.
“I’ll pay attention more this time,” he said, tilting his head and looking at her.
Ciara looked at him for a while, then took her eyes off him.
Earlier, he was sulking and seemed mad about the guesting, but now it seems like he has completely forgotten about it and that he was more interacting with her compared to the coldness he showed
“Why did you bu
“Why did you buy this land anyway?” she asked as they finally reached the balcony.
She suddenly remembered that moment when she went back, and saw Callum waiting for her outside. It was that moment that confused her to the core, but she didn’t want to give meaning to it because she knew that Callum was treating all the girls the same, as how he treated Coleen.
“It’s quite a good memory with you. I don’t want to waste it. And during the time you were in Paris, this was one of my comfort places. Maybe because this is where I had more nice memories with you?”
“Good memories, huh?” she said as she leaned her butt against the railings.
Chapter 52
Callum walked toward her, putting his hands at her sides until he crouched so their faces could level.
Her chest was banging loudly as she remained calm. She could always pretend to be that stoic person who seemed to be so unbothered, but deep inside, she was already screaming and cursing.
“I slowly find it funny now that you…. built another life just to be closer to your crush?” He teased.
Her eyes slightly widened while Callum’s lips were stretching for a playful smile while he was looking at her lips as well.
“Crush? Oh, please…” she laughed, despite knowing all too well how deep her feelings for Callum were during those days.
“Oh… right. It was more than a crush.” He nodded innocently.
Ciara shook her head while smiling, as she couldn’t deny the fact that he was telling the truth. He likes him more than having a crush on someone else. It was a deep love, something about which you’ve been so sure that you can’t find a man like him anymore because you just want someone like him.
“Past is past,” she defended.
Callum smiled more as if he wasn’t buying it because he had seen evidence that she was lying despite being serious–looking.
“Do you
o you want to check inside?” He invited.
Ciara nodded. Callum stood straight as he walked toward the door and opened it for her until Ciara got a view of the living room, and she immediately noticed that the interior design of the place was now fully changed as well. It looked so aesthetic because of the three colors that complement each other and how minimal the designs were.
“I was actually planning this house as our own. If you wish to marry me again, Ciara…”
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