I pick my phone back up and I scroll through my contacts and find Matt’s name. He likes to wind me up, but when it comes down to it, surely he won’t take the piss about this. I hope not. I need his advice badly. I want to know how he knew it was the right time to tell Callie he loved her.
I make the call and he picks up within a couple of rings.
“How did you know when it was the right time to tell Callie you loved her without worrying it would scare her away forever?” I blurt out after Matt says hello.
“I didn’t,” he laughs. “I just kind of said it and worried about the consequences afterwards. Why?”
“Because I think I’m in love with Kimberley again and I’m afraid I’ll end up blurting it out and ruining everything,” I admit.
Matt laughs,
“For fuck sake Matt, can you just be serious for one goddamned minute?” I snap.
“Sorry,” he says. “I’m not laughing at you for loving her, I swear. I’m laughing because you think this is new.”
“What do you mean?” I say.
“You never stopped loving her Sebastian. I know it. Chance knows it. And somewhere deep down, you know it too. The only thing that’s new here is you finally got your head out of your ass and are ready to admit it.”
I ponder his words. Maybe he’s right. Oh screw it, of course he’s right. As if I would still have been bitter about Kimberley leaving all of these years later if it wasn’t because I never really stopped loving her. I sigh.
“Ok, maybe you’re right. Yeah, you probably are right. But that doesn’t really help me any. How do I stop myself from blurting it out and ruining any chance we have of making this thing work?” I say.
“Seb, you have nothing to be afraid of. Kimberley loves you every bit as much as you love her,” Matt says.
“How the hell can you possibly know that?” I say.
“Look, this merger. Yes, Kimberley took the idea to Joe Benton. Yes, it was a good opportunity and she did all of the leg work. But where do you think the idea came from?”
“She said she’d thought about it before and the time was right to act on it this time,” I reply.
“Yeah. The time was right, because Chance and I went to see her and told her that we were sick of you moping around and asked her if there was any chance of you two getting back together.”
“You did what?” I almost shout.
Matt laughs.
“Are you really mad about this?”
“No,” I admit. “But I’d hardly say I was moping about.”
“Well neither would I, but I figured telling Kimberley you were a serial flirt and fucked women you had no feelings for probably wouldn’t have been the best way to get her to come back,” Matt laughs.
I find myself laughing with him.
“Fair point,” I say. “Was I really that easy to read?”
“Yes,” Matt says without hesitation. “The only time you weren’t obsessing over her was when you were neck deep in a work project. And Chance and I agreed that there’s only room for one of us to be married to the job, and that’s kind of his thing.”
“So you’re saying she came back because she loves me?” I ask, needing to be absolutely sure I’m not misunderstanding what Matt is saying.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Now get your ass in gear, tell her you feel the same, and let her get settled. Seb she’s living out of a hotel room because she doesn’t want to get an apartment here until she’s sure you really want more than just a fling with her.”
I can feel my stomach churning, but this time, it’s with excitement rather than fear.
“You’re right. I’m going to tell her. Shit Matt, I’m really going to do this.”
“Go get her bro,” Matt says and then he hangs up.
I sit on the balcony a moment longer, smiling to myself. She never really did stop loving me. She was telling the truth.
I hear the door to the room opening and I jump up, full of nervous energy all of a sudden. I go into the lounge area, ready to whisk Kimberley up into my arms and spin her around. My excitement dies when I see her expression.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, frowning with concern.
“Nothing,” she says.
I move closer to her.
“Talk to me,” I say. “Has something happened.”
She steps around me.
“I said I’m fine,” she snaps.
“Where have you been?” I ask, hoping to get some clue as to what could be wrong with her from where she’s been.
“You should go or you’re going to be late for work,” Kimberley says, completely avoiding my question.
She doesn’t give me a chance to respond. She disappears down the hallway and I hear the bathroom door open and then close. I frown. What the hell has gotten into her? It’s like she was just dismissing me. I shake my head.
I’m not going to just leave until she tells me what’s wrong so instead, I go over to the coffee making area and make us both a cup of strong, black coffee. I sit down and sip mine. It’s gone cold before Kimberley is out of the bathroom and I’m starting to get really worried now. I get up and move down the hallway. I tap on the bathroom door.
“Kimberley?” I say.
No answer. I feel a knot of dread in my stomach and I knock louder.
“Kimberley? Answer me or I swear I’ll break this fucking door down,” I shout.
I can hear the panic in my voice as I
