“Okay.”
“I mean it. If I find you like that again, then I’m calling a moving company to bag your stuff for you.”
His head hangs and his sunglasses slide down the bridge of his nose, revealing his bloodshot eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Apologizing doesn’t mean anything when you have no intention of fixing the problem in the first place.”
His hands clench by his sides. “You’re right.”
“I am?”
He looks up, and the tick in his jaw has my heart sinking in my chest.
I don’t want to hurt him, but I have a kid to think about. There is no way I want Cami to find Cal stumbling about the house, drunk and incapable of controlling his emotions.
She deserves better than that.
"I have a problem. An addiction.”
My mouth opens only to shut a second later.
“I know I’m powerless over alcohol. They taught me as much in rehab and AA. But I can’t ignore how ashamed I am, knowing I’m only slightly better off than I was six years ago.”
My eyes burn.
He takes a deep breath. “I can’t quit drinking completely yet, but I’ll limit myself for you. I don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have, and what happened in the attic was unacceptable and pathetic.”
Oh, God. My whole chest aches.
“Okay?” he asks.
“Okay,” I rasp.
He releases a heavy exhale before grabbing the largest box from the pile and turning toward his car. With the size of his trunk and back seat, he only manages three boxes before he runs out of room.
Rather than stick around, I slip back inside, leaving him to sort out the rest of his packages, along with how the hell he plans on tackling the attic without drinking again.
12
ALANA
It only took Cal two days after the attic incident to schedule a meeting with the appraiser. I didn’t have an option to say no, especially when Cal went out of his way to plan it around my school schedule.
Cami promised to stay upstairs in her room and play with her toys, so long as I order pizza for dinner tonight. It’s a fair price to pay for her cooperation. I’m not ready for her to ask me questions about the house, especially when there is a risk my plan might fail.
Doubts about Violet’s idea sink in, eating away at my confidence as I near the front door.
All you need to do is make it impossible for Cal to sell the house.
Easier said than done, the antagonistic voice that always speaks up at the most inconvenient times replies.
I roll my shoulders back and open the door. “Hello.”
“Hi there. I’m Mr. Thomas,” the older man introduces himself. From the horn-rimmed glasses to the suspenders, I’m not sure where Cal found this man. Based on the pinstripe suit and his black-and-white wingtip shoes, I suspect the 1920s.
Mr. Thomas shoves his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Are you Ms. Castillo?”
“That’s me.”
He looks down at his clipboard with an arched brow. “Is Mr. Kane here?”
I haven’t seen him since he disappeared inside of the attic an hour ago.
An idea dawns on me.
I pout. “Actually Cal isn’t able to make it today, so it might be best if we reschedule.”
“Oh. Okay then. When are you thinking?”
“Does December work for you?”
He looks down at the calendar on his phone. “Of this year?”
I shake my head. “The next.”
One of Mr. Thomas’s brows raises in question. “I’m not booking that far out yet.”
“A pity then. I’ll be sure to have Cal give you a call in a year then.”
Speaking of the devil, his steps echo off the vaulted ceiling as he runs down the stairs two at a time. “Ignore her. She’s just joking.” He stops in front of Mr. Thomas and offers his hand. “Please call me Cal.”
“Nice to finally meet you.” Mr. Thomas gives Cal’s hand a good shake. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to get started. Given the size of the property and my tight schedule, I’d like to not rush before my next appointment.”
“No problem.” Cal shuts the door behind him and gestures toward the double staircase. “Would you like to start upstairs or down?”
“Downstairs works for me.” Mr. Thomas grabs a pen from the inside pocket of his suit.
While he scribbles something on his clipboard, Cal makes it a point to lean in and whisper in my ear, “Behave or else.” His sultry voice makes my heart jolt.
I turn to glare at him. “Or else what?”
“Don’t taunt me.” He tries his damnedest to look intimidating and fails. One would think after growing up with a brother like Declan, Cal would have mastered the art of looking unapproachable by now.
I chuckle to myself, which earns another glare from Cal.
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to have a quick look around by myself.” Mr. Thomas looks over at us with a quirked brow.
“By all means.” I shoot him a tight smile.
Mr. Thomas disappears down a hallway, leaving Cal and me to our stare down.
He crosses his arms, drawing my eyes to his rolled-up sleeves. His golden forearms have always been a weakness of mine. “What’s your issue?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I told you I don’t want to sell the house.”
“And I told you it’s happening whether you want it or not.”
“We’ll see about that.” I smirk.
His eyes drop to my lips, making them tingle with a single glance. “What are you planning?”
“Why ruin all the fun by spoiling the surprise?”
“You know how I feel about those.”
“About the same as you do clowns. Thrilled.”
I have never been able to throw out the photo I have of Cal crying at the circus. It’s one of the few things that brings me joy on a shitty day, right after Cami’s hugs and fresh baked goods.
“You know me so well,” he replies dryly.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I better go check on dear Mr. Thomas. I’d hate for him to get lost somewhere between the conservatory and the parlor.”
I swivel on my heels, only to be stopped by Cal grabbing on to my elbow. His hold is soft, although his words come out sharp. “Whatever you’re doing needs to stop now. It’s only going to prolong the process.”
Now that’s an idea…
His head tilts as his eyes scan my face. “Don’t even try it.”
I rock back on my heels. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He steps closer. The smell of him wraps around me like an aromatic hug, making my head swim from the pheromones. “You’re scheming. I can tell by the little sparkle in your eye. It’s the same one you always got right before you goaded me into doing something I knew I’d regret.”
“It’s not my fault that you couldn’t turn down a dare.”
“That’s what I made you think. I was just miserably trying to impress you, even if it meant risking a few broken bones and a criminal record to do so.”
My mouth drops open. “You…” Any reply gets lost in the mess of my mind as I try to process Cal’s admission.
Cal curses under his breath. “Forget I said anything.”