Page 118 of The Broken Keys

Istill can’t get over how strange it is to be sitting in this house that I supposedly own, staring at Callum. He pulls me out of my thoughts. “Why are you staring at me?”

“Sorry.” I blink and refocus on him. “I was just noticing how different you look.”

He shifts to face me. “In what ways?”

“Bigger. Older.” I tilt my head, studying the angles of his jaw that seem sharper than I remember. “Your shoulders are broader, you’re more muscular, and you have more tattoos. Even your hair is different—longer, styled instead of just messy.”

The changes should feel foreign. Wrong somehow. Like I’m looking at a stranger wearing Callum’s face. But they don’t.

He’s still the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. The realization hits me with startling clarity.

Five years might’ve vanished from my memory, but my body remembers him. The way my pulse picks up when he’s close. How my breath catches when those blue eyes lock on mine.

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” He runs his hand through his hair.

“Good. Really good, actually.” Heat crawls up my neck.

Callum’s lips curve into the smallest smile. “Thanks, I think.”

“You’re welcome.” I glance away from him toward the windows. “So, are you going to show me around or just sit there looking pretty?”

He laughs, and the sound wraps around me like a hug I’ve been missing.

“Yes, Lily, I can show you around. Come on. Let’s start with your office.”

I follow him down a hallway lined with abstract art I don’t remember buying. Everything about this house screams expensive taste and careful design. It’s beautiful but impersonal, like walking through a showroom rather than a home.

The office stops me in my tracks. Fabric samples cascade across a massive desk. Sketches cover an entire wall, and designs in various stages of completion are everywhere.

A dress form stands in the corner, draped in emerald silk that catches the light. Something about this space feels right.

“This is mine?” My voice comes out in awe. “These are my ideas?”

“Yeah.” Callum leans against the doorframe. “This is where you create when you’re working from home.”

I step inside, fingers trailing over the sketches. The lines are confident and bold; everything I’ve ever dreamed of. These creations know exactly what they want to be.

“They’re beautiful.” Pride swells in my chest even though I don’t remember designing any of them. “I really did this?”

“You really did.”

The praise should feel good, but instead it lands hollow. Looking at these designs is like admiring someone else’s work. I can appreciate the skill without claiming ownership of it.

“Can we keep going?” I back toward the door. “I think I need to see the rest.”

“Sure.” Callum leads us out.

We make our way to the upper level and end up in my bedroom. It’s massive.

There’s a king-sized bed with white linens, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a sitting area I probably never use. There’s a balcony off the room with views of my backyard and the ocean in the distance.

I sink onto the edge of the bed, testing the mattress.

“Lily?” Callum hovers near the doorway, like he’s not sure if he’s allowed to enter.

The question forms before I can talk myself out of asking it. “Have we ever had sex in here?”

“No.” The single word hangs between us, but something flickers in his eyes.