“Right then, I’ll leave you to your day.” Sebastian smiles as he gets up, takes his cup through to the kitchen and puts it in the sink.
“I’ll tell Matt you dropped by,” I say.
“No need. It wasn’t anything that can’t wait.”
I stand up to see Sebastian out, remembering too late that I’m only wearing Matt’s shirt. It’s too late to sit back down without drawing even more attention to the fact I’m pretty much naked, so I brazen it out and walk to the door, acting casual like this isn’t phasing me in the least.
“See you later, Callie,” Sebastian says as he opens the door. “Oh and by the way. What I said earlier about not being in the habit of stealing my brother’s girlfriend? That could change if you keep wearing shit like that around me.” He winks at me and laughs.
I just stand there open mouthed.
“Later,” he calls over his shoulder from the hallway.
“Bye.” I laugh as I close the door and stand with my back against it for a moment. Sebastian is a handful, but something tells me underneath it all he’s harmless. I decide to go shower and get back into my own clothes. Just in case he comes back, or some other family member drops in unannounced. I find my panties on the balcony, blushing slightly as I retrieve them, and then I get the rest of my things from the bedroom. I shower and dress then I sit on Matt’s bed towel drying my hair.
I debate calling Chloe, but what would I tell her? I’m still not entirely sure where Matt and I stand. I should probably go, but it’s only now that it occurs to me that I have absolutely no idea where Matt keeps his spare front door key. I can hardly leave and leave the place unlocked, although Matt seems to have no such qualms as that’s twice in two days Sebastian has strolled in and caught me in various states of undress.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Callie
I wash my breakfast plates and put the leftovers in the fridge and then I take my glass of orange juice and go back out onto the balcony. It’s good I don’t have any classes today I think to myself as I sit looking out over the city, listening to the faraway sound of the traffic on the streets below.
By the time I’ve finished my orange juice, I have managed to work myself up into an agitated state. What if Matt didn’t really have to go to work? What if he realized this was a mistake and he’d left early, hoping I’d take the hint and just leave? What if he comes back and he’s angry that I’m still here?
I try to remember him telling me he loves me, Sebastian telling me he’s serious about me, but all I can focus on now is whether or not it’s weird that I’m still here. God, no wonder Matt didn’t bring me here sooner. He was probably scared of this very thing. Like he brings me here once and I just don’t leave.
I stand up abruptly and go and get my handbag. I pull my phone out and text Matt. Hey. Where’s your key? I don’t want to leave your door unlocked.
That gives him the perfect opportunity to tell me where the key is and let me know he wants me to leave. It also explains why I’m still here so late without making it weird. A reply pings in and I feel my stomach knot slightly when it hits me that I don’t want to leave. I open the message.
Do you need to leave right now? I’m almost done and I was kind of hoping you’d be there when I got back. If you do need to go, the key is in the top drawer next to the sink in the kitchen x.
I can’t keep the smile from my face. He wants me to be here when he gets back. And he signed off with a kiss, which is more than I did. I text him back.
I’ll be here x.
I wander back inside and rinse my glass and then I go and sit down and turn the TV on. Daytime TV is the worst, but it’s not like I’ll be able to concentrate on anything anyway. Not now since I know Matt wants me here. Not since I know it’s all real.
It’s almost time for lunch when the door opens again. I look up and smile when Matt comes in.
He beams when he sees me. “I’m so glad you stayed,” he says as he crosses the room and kisses me hello.
“Me too,” I say.
He sits down beside me and pulls my feet into his lap. “I planned on taking today off to spend with you, but I got a call this morning, something I couldn’t ignore.” He’s smiling and he looks quite pleased with himself.
“Go on,” I urge.
“Stewart, the new manager in the restaurant called HR and asked for my number. They refused to give it to him and tried to find out what was wrong, but he refused to talk to anyone but me. They called me with his number and he asked me to go down there straight away. He wouldn’t talk over the phone, but I could hear in his voice something was wrong. I went down there expecting the worst.”
“And?” I prompt him when he pauses.
“And he showed me some papers he found tucked away in the back of the safe. He said they showed some unusual activity, and he wanted to talk to me personally because he was afraid he would be blamed for it all. I assured him that wouldn’t be the case. The papers were pretty much the proof I needed that Marco was laundering money through the restaurant.”
I
