Page 35 of The Bitter Words

CALLUM/CASH

Then

Glass Castles & Polished Promises

Every vow I make to her feels holy…and still I wonder which one will damn me first.

The blood in my veins races as I pull the box out of my pants pocket and drop to one knee. She gasps and her face pales.

What if she says no?

I pull back the lid. “Livianna, I know we’re young, but I wanna grow old with you, have babies together, build a gigantic mansion we live in, and have you tour the world with me. Will you please accept this promise ring that signifies one day I’ll make it official and change this out for a diamond?”

She trembles and tears flow down her face. “Callum…”

I hold out a gold Irish wedding band. “It’s called a Claddagh ring. It symbolizes love, loyalty, and friendship. Will you take this as my promise that I’ll always give that to you?”

“Yes, I accept and love it.” She places her left hand outand stares at an intricate design of two hands holding a heart, topped with a crown.

“We’re not married or engaged yet, so you wear it on the right hand with the heart pointed inward. It lets people know you’re in a committed relationship.” I take her other hand and slip it on her finger. “The heart represents love, the hands signify friendship, and the crown indicates loyalty.”

She wipes her tears away as I stand. I lift her off the ground and swing her around.

“I was gonna give it to you for your birthday gift, but things… Well, there wasn’t time.” I stop and stare into her eyes. “Happy birthday, Lily. Let’s make this the year all our dreams begin.”

“Thank you, Callum. I love you!”

“I love you, too.”

Our lips smash together. We’re about to go another round, but someone clears their throat near the door. We both turn our heads that way.

Her pops is watching us from the room’s opening. “Cash was running around like a madman, so I followed him down here to make sure everything was okay.”

I slide her down my body until her feet hit the floor and shove my hands into my jeans. “Sorry I scared you, sir. I had to grab Livianna’s birthday present out of my car. I should’ve told you what I was doing.”

“Hi, Daddy. Everything is great.” Livianna rushes to him, beaming from ear to ear. “Look what Callum just gave me. Isn’t it so pretty?”

She lifts her finger and shows him the band.

“It’s…nice.” He stares at it. “What does it mean?”

She peeks back at me. “It’s a Claddagh ring?—”

“It’s an Irish wedding band. I know that much.” His expression hardens and his eyes come to me. “What are you trying to do, Cash?”

My cheeks turn red and my mouth goes dry. “I wanna make sure Lily knows I’m committed to her.”

“It’s a promise ring, Daddy.” She gets on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek. “It’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever received.”

His shoulders drop and he studies her for a second. “It’s good to see you happy, darling.”

“I’m the best I’ve been since March.” She glances back at me, grinning and practically glowing. “Thanks to Callum.”

“Why don’t you go show it to your mom? I’m sure she’d love to see that smile of yours just like I do.” He nudges her out of the room. “Cash, stay here. I’d like to talk to you for a minute.”

I stand in place with my stomach knotting. Fucking hell. I guess I should’ve asked him first.

Livianna skips off. Once it’s clear she’s gone, he faces me.