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“Speaking of the cleaning,” I said, “it’s going to take me some time to clear this place out. I don’t know when it will be ready to hand over the keys.”
“That’s alright. We can go at your pace. I don’t want to rush you into anything.”
The words felt too apt for our own relationship, or whatever this was brewing between us, and I looked away from his intense gaze.
“Maybe by the end of the summer we’ll be ready to start on the renovation,” he suggested.
“I’d like some say over things,” I said, looking down at my hands that I held clenched in my lap. “I know this recording studio is your dream, but I’d like to see more detail on what you plan to do with the place. And maybe give some input.”
“Of course. I don’t want to do anything you don’t approve of. I really do want to keep the magic of this place. We should make a place we’re both proud of.”
I looked up at the words, surprised by how open he was being.
“You look surprised,” he said. “Were you expecting me to fight you?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I thought you might want more ... creative control or something. Or free reign of the place.”
“I don’t need free reign,” Callum said. He was gazing back at me, and his voice sounded serious, as if he needed me to understand something. “You’re giving me a great gift here, Darcy. I’m not going to take advantage of that. You can be as involved as you want to be. If you want the final say over every decision in the place, then just say the word!”
“Please, no!” I laughed. “I have enough things to worry about with my own business. But I’ll appreciate being kept in the loop. And having a glimpse of the plans before you start constructing walls or knocking things down.”
“Of course. And the rent—no friends and family discount or anything like that. You have a mortgage to cover and taxes to pay. You should charge me accordingly.”
“No mortgage,” I said, shaking my head. “I think that was paid off by my grandfather. We own the building outright.” I stopped myself as I heard the word: We. With my dad gone, there was no “we” anymore. It was just me. The building and everything inside was my responsibility. Well, mine and Callum’s if he agreed to renovate the place.
“Even so,” Callum said, “a place like this, right on Main Street, should have a competitive monthly rent. And God knows I can afford it.”
“I don’t think that’s a good thing to be admitting to your new landlord,” I laughed.
“My landlord?” he asked, mischief in his eyes. “I like that.”
There was innuendo in his voice, though I didn’t give myself time to think about what he was getting at. I was still wrapping my head around how this might work and what I needed to make him understand before we shook hands on this deal or wrote up an agreement.
“Don’t get too excited,” I scolded. “I want to make sure we’re not making a mistake here. We might be crazy to get into this.”
Callum shrugged, brushing aside my comment.
“I’ve done a lot of crazy things in my life.”
“No, I’m serious,” I said. I felt a churning unease in my stomach as my mind started to imagine everything that might go wrong. What if we started this project and we disagreed on what should be done to the space? And did committing to this project mean committing to Callum? And then there was that date all those years ago. Callum had abandoned me once—how did I know he wouldn’t do it again?
Before my mind could spin out into terror, I took a breath and tried to ask him.
“Getting into something like this ... it’s a commitment. And it’s something we should both be ready for.”
I was pleased that my voice didn’t shake as I got these words out. I kept my eyes on Callum’s face, trying to read his expression, but he looked stoic. His characteristic smirk was no longer on his face.
“I’m serious about this, Darcy,” Callum said. “I meant it when I said I was ready to settle down. That there are people here I care about and that I want to be with.”
His gaze was intense, and it seemed like he was telling me he wanted to commit. Did he want to give whatever was between us a chance? But I couldn’t stop wondering if I could trust him. I couldn’t stop thinking about the past and the times he had let me down.
“And what if that changes?” I asked. My voice was small as I said it, filled with uncertainty and the fear of pain. I forced myself to look at him and, when my eyes caught his, Callum stood up from his seat. He put his hands on the edge of the desk to lean closer to me.
“I’m not running away, Darcy,” he whispered. “I’ve been running away from my past for far too long. It’s time for me to see what’s right in front of me. It’s time for me to see what’s been staring me in the face for all this time.”
He was inches away from me, and I felt a flutter of warmth flush through me at his words. I couldn’t speak. Instead, I leaned forward and pressed my mouth into his, finally allowing myself to say yes to the man standing in front of me.
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