Page 30 of The Broken Keys

“We need to slow down.” My words come out shaky.

He immediately gives me space. “Too much?”

“No. God, no. It was perfect.” I touch my mouth, still tingling from the contact. “But I need to take my time.”

“Understood. Take all the time you need.” He clasps our hands together and kisses the top of my hand. “I’m not going anywhere. I can wait for as long as it takes.”

“What if it takes a while?”

“Then it takes a while.” His smile is soft, patient. “You’re worth waiting for, Lily. You’ve always been worth waiting for.”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For…loving me.”

“Every day since I laid eyes on you.”

My stomach swirls with tiny butterflies. We spend the rest of the evening curled up on his couch, talking, laughing, and stealing small kisses that leave me spinning in confusion. I can feel myself slipping…falling all over again, but I’m not sure where that leaves us.

When I doze off with my head resting on his shoulder, he carries me to his bed. “I’ll give you a minute to change.”

“I need to brush my teeth. Can I get ready in your bathroom?”

“Sure. I know how you feel about clean teeth.” He smirks and leaves me alone.

When I come back, he’s already under the covers. The sheets are thrown back where I’m going to sleep.

“Don’t worry. I brushed my teeth in the other room.” He motions to the nightstand. There’s a phone charger set up, the cord already uncoiled. “In case you forget your own.”

“Thanks.” I take my phone out of my bag and plug it in.

The screen lights up, and I turn it face down, half tempted to see if Jax responded to my email.

“Whatever you’re considering that’s on the phone can wait.” Callum lifts the blankets. “Come snuggle with me.”

“Yeah, okay. My inbox can wait.” My heart bangs against my ribs as I climb into bed.

He flicks off the last lamp, and the stars on the ceiling glow. We settle in together, and a wave of exhaustion pulses over me.

He curls around me like he used to, holding me tight. “You comfortable?”

“Very,” I whisper, and sink into the choice of being in his arms. It ripples through me.

We lie there and let stillness do the work. The storm in my head thins to a drizzle. When my eyes finally slip closed, he squeezes my hand once, as if to say he felt the shift, too.

Sleep edges in with its softness. Before it pulls me under, I take in his comfort. “Don’t let go tonight.”

“Never again. Sweet dreams, vixen.”

“Goodnight, Callum.”

I let myself imagine what it would be like to fall asleep in his arms every night. To wake up to conversation instead of silence and regret. And for the first time since he came back into my life, a future with him is something I might actually want to reach for.

My alarm goes off way too early. I’m still in Callum’s arms, and it doesn’t scare me. If anything, it’s familiar.

He kisses my shoulder. “Morning, Lily.”