Page 67 of My Best Years
“Oh, that’s still her sleep schedule,” I scoff. “I swear that girl is nocturnal. I’m just happy that she’s dating again. Her last relationship was a shit show. The guy was a total douche.”
He purses his lips together and shakes his head.
“I hate hearing that,” he replies. “I’m sure Winnie put him in his place, though.”
“She did,” I laugh, remembering how she threw all of his shit out of her fifth floor apartment window and sent pictures in the family group chat. “I think she’s finally moved on from him.”
“That’s good,” he says before taking another bite.
Callum grows uncomfortably quiet as he chews, staring down at the table while clearly overthinking his next words. He wipes his hands on a napkin before running his fingers through his dark hair.
He opens his mouth to speak, then closes it. When he runs a palm against his stubble in frustration, I know that something is off.
“Everything okay?”
He nods, finally lifting his head and meeting my gaze. If I wasn’t so concerned with what’s happening in his head, I would be hypnotized by his sapphire eyes.
He clears his throat.
“Have you, uh…been with anyone?”
Well, shit. I was not expecting that.
My eyes widen as I lean back in my chair, surprised by his question.
“Been with anyone?” I repeat. “You’re going to have to be more specific than that. Are we talking about dating, taking someone home to meet my family, or just casual sex?”
“Fucking hell,”he mutters under his breath.
He’s unsettled by the thought of me having sex with another man.
Good, he deserves to feel a little discomfort after ghosting me for years.
“You know what I mean,” he grits out. “Have you been serious with anyone?”
I arch a brow.
“Let’s just get this out of the way right now,” I exhale. “If you want to know if I’ve slept with other men over the past eleven years, then the answer is yes. It’s been over a decade, Callum. I had to try to get over you. You can’t fault me for that.”
His jaw clenches as if my response stabbed him in the gut.
“I don’t want to know who you’ve fucked, Birdie,” he clips. “But just to be clear, if I ever found out, they’d have a target on their backs for the rest of their life. Just thinking about another man touching you makes me want to cut all their fingers off, and then their cock.”
He says all of this while I’m mid-sip. My cheeks expand into a bubble as I try not to spit out my cappuccino. My eyes bug out of my head at his blatant honesty. Thankfully, I manage to swallow down the coffee between coughs.
“What in the hell did you just say?” I recover as amusement takes over. “That you would cut off another man’s cock for me? Wow, chivalry really isn't dead.”
He rolls his eyes, trying to hold back his own grin.
“Just answer my question, Birdie. Have you been serious with anyone else?”
“I mean, I’ve had a few long-term boyfriends. But nothing too serious beyond that. No marriage or kids.”
I watch as he lets out a breath of relief.
“Is that something you want in the future… Marriage and kids?”
“Of course,” I answer without hesitation. “I’m just waiting for those things with the right person.”