But I don’t give a fuck.
Because with me is the safest place Lilac could ever possibly be.
LILAC
Idon’t know what happened between Callum and my brother in the hallway, but when I come downstairs from getting dressed and brushing my teeth, Callum is taking down the porch swing we had sex on last night.
“Um, what are you doing?” I ask with a little chuckle because he looks so intense. I know he’s strong, but he hoists the heavy wood up like it weighs nothing at all and carries it over to his truck. He only sits it down long enough to pull the tailgate down, hoist it up and wrap the chains around the sidebars in the bed of the truck.
Callum slams the tailgate and then looks down at me, cupping my face and just looking at me like I’m his everything. He finally says, “Consider it a wedding gift from your parents since they won’t be invited.” He’s so serious, not a hint of humor in his tone.
My parents are posted up on the front steps like they’re waiting to deliver a verdict, not watching their daughter walk away from the life they’ve always tried to script for her. My mom’s pearls are tight against her throat. My dad’s expression is flat, detached. I don’t know what Callum said or did to them, but they’re not protesting what is very clearly theft of lawn furniture.
“That swing has always been our spot, now more than ever. It’s the least they can do,” he tells me, leaning down to kiss my forehead.
"You don’t have to do this," my mom says, arms crossed like she’s holding herself together with posture alone.
I pull away from Callum to round the side of the truck and stare her down. "If you’re planning on threatening to cut me off, save it. Grandma’s estate is what’s paying for my tuition. I got the confirmation email this morning. But I’m sure you already knew that, even when you tried to control me by saying you were paying for it.” I take a deep breath before I say my final piece to her, “And I’m not coming back here after graduation. Not ever."
She scoffs, the sound sharp. "We’ve supported you your whole life. This is how you repay us?"
"You mean by choosing my own life? By not marrying someone you picked out like I’m a doll in a window?" They can’t be serious.
"You don’t understand what’s at stake,” my father grinds out the words, but he’s not even looking at me. He’s looking at Callum with so much hatred it makes me sick that I’m related to him.
"No. I do," I snap, chest tight. "What’s at stake is me. And I’m not going to sacrifice myself to protect a family name I don’t even recognize anymore. If you can’t accept my decisions, or Callum, then I don’t care what you think."
The front door creaks open behind them.
My brother steps out, looking like absolute hell, and there’s fresh blood on his face. He’s holding his hand like it’s broken, which makes me turn and give Callum a quick once over. If Adam got a punch in on it, he sure didn’t do any damage.
"You have to do this!" Adam shouts at me, and he looks like he’s going to be sick.
Callum’s already moving, stepping in front of me like he was born to protect me. In some ways, I think he was. Up until recently I didn’t believe in soulmates, but I swear there’s something more between Callum and myself than simply childhood crushes that bloomed into something more.
Callum’s voice is lethal. "Why don’t your parents pay your debts instead of putting that on your sister?"
My stomach twists.
Debts?
I glance at Callum, and he doesn’t look at me. He doesn’t need to. I don’t question him because I trust him with everything, including my life.
When my parents say nothing, I know he’s not lying about Adam having debts to Vincent’s family.
Callum’s jaw tics. "Your silence is more than enough. I know you took money from my grandmother to let me live here. I know she is the one who paved my way into Castlebrook. You’re probably still pocketing money from her since I took over all of my bills, aren’t you?"
My mother recovers, tries to spin it, but it doesn’t go unnoticed that she doesn’t even attempt to deny what Callum just accused her of doing. "He’s violent, Lilac. Look what he did to your poor brother. This is the man you want to tie yourself to?"
"Well," I bite back, "your son is vile, so a little violence was necessary."
I grab Callum’s hand like I’m claiming him in front of the whole damn world and storm toward the truck. My legs shake, and I feel like I could burst into angry tears at any moment, but I don’t stop. Not until I reach the passenger door.
Before I can open it, Callum’s hands are on my waist, spinning me. He presses me against the side of the truck and kisses me like it’s the only way he knows how to breathe.
He breaks the kiss, tugs the door open, and helps me inside.
My hands tremble as I settle in. I stare straight ahead, trying not to break in front of my family.
