Hearts on Air
Page 30
He nodded, not taking his attention off me. “You want me to stay with you?”
I waved him away. “Nah, I’ll be fine. I’m in the mood for an early night.”
Something passed behind his eyes. Disappointment? “Okay, well, let me know if you change your mind. We’re leaving in twenty minutes.”
He disappeared around the corner leading to the bedrooms and I exhaled a breath. When I looked across the room I noticed Leanne studying me, her brows drawn.
“I’m calling a taxi,” said Neil and they all dispersed to go get ready.
I slid off my stool and went out onto the balcony. Cool night air kissed my skin and I closed my eyes for a second, listening to the low hum of people and traffic down on the street. Voices trickled out and I froze. Having left the door open, I could hear Leanne and Callum’s private conversation. It seemed eavesdropping was becoming an unexpected pastime of mine. Though given there were seven of us all in one apartment, it was going to be unavoidable.
“Can we talk a minute?” Callum asked. I stared out over the city at the stars dotting the skyline. I wanted to shut the door, but I knew it’d look too obvious. Plus, I was curious. Okay, nosy was probably the more appropriate word.
“About what?” Leanne asked back, her voice hard.
“Jesus. You always have to use that tone.” Callum swore and there was something about how he spoke that sounded different. Maybe it was because they were alone, but his usual cocksure attitude was gone.
“What do you want, Cal?” I could just imagine her folding her arms.
“I’m sick of this bullshit between us. We’ve both had our fair share of pain, and I think it’s enough now. I want to call a truce, a real one this time.”
There was a long silence. Leanne was probably trying to figure out if he was being genuine.
“You’re the one who starts it every time. I only react to the crap that comes out of your mouth.”
“Well, I’ll try not to talk so much crap then.”
Neither one of them spoke, and it was so quiet I started to wonder if they’d left. But then Leanne said, “I know we always used to give each other shit, but it was friendly jibing. What happened to make you suddenly hate me?”
“You know what happened.” His voice cracked a little.
I heard Leanne sigh. “That’s not what I meant, I just meant—”
There was some shuffling, then, “I don’t fucking hate you.”
More shuffling. It made me so curious that I turned and peeked inside on instinct. Callum had his hand on Leanne’s neck. He slid it up so that he was cupping her cheek and I had to hold in a gasp. Wow. That definitely wasn’t what I expected to see.
He lifted his other hand and cupped the other side of her neck. He was looking at her so intensely I had to turn away. It felt like I was encroaching on an extremely private moment.
“I could never fucking hate you,” he said on a raspy exhale, and that was the last I heard. I moved farther onto the balcony and sat down on a deck chair. My mind raced, wondering if they were in there kissing right now, or tearing each other’s clothes off. The chemistry between them was off the charts. I’d seen glimpses of it on the show, but that was nothing compared to real life.
I ate my apple and soaked up the night view until someone stepped out to join me. I suspected it was Trev before I saw him. He sat next to me and I allowed myself a glance. It looked like he’d taken a quick shower and had put on a nice shirt with a pair of designer-looking jeans.
“Out to impress tonight, are we?” I asked teasingly.
He grinned, his eyes alight. “I’m always out to impress. You change your mind about coming?”
“No, I’ll just make something to eat here. I really am exhausted.” Trev seemed to respect my answer and a quiet moment passed before I went on, “I heard you talking to Callum earlier.”
“Yeah?”
“When you were telling him he should be nicer to Leanne. That was kind of you.”
“You asked me to do it.”
“I know, but you didn’t have to.”
Something in his expression intensified. “I’d do just about anything you asked of me, Reya.”
I thought that was an odd thing to say, and it made my belly twist with an unwelcome longing. I pushed it back and gave him a curious look. “Okay.”
Trev laughed softly. “I’m freaking you out, aren’t I?”
“A little,” I admitted.
He looked out onto the city. “Sorry. I’ve just missed you. I still can’t believe you decided to come. I’m fucking happy you’re here.”
“Why?” I asked, because I genuinely wanted to know. He’d gone more than two years without me, never once seeking me out. If he missed me so much, why hadn’t he tried making contact?
He didn’t hesitate to answer. “Because you’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and losing you is my biggest regret, the worst thing that ever happened to me.”
I was speechless. Maybe I was wrong about him. Maybe he’d wanted to make contact but was afraid I’d shut him out again. Was it possible that he’d dialled my number countless times but never built up the courage hit ‘call’? It seemed so unlike him. When we were friends he did everything on impulse. He never stopped to think about the possibility of rejection, to weigh the pros and cons. He just acted.
“You’ve changed,” I breathed. I felt so discombobulated.
“Is that a good thing?” he asked.
“You’re like a proper grown-up now,” I said, ignoring his question and he laughed again.
“As compared to . . .”
I chuckled. “As compared to the chaotic, Peter Pan man-boy you were before.”
His smile was wide. “Hey, I wasn’t that bad.”
“No, you weren’t bad at all. You were just different. Like I said, you’ve changed.”
“You have, too.”
This surprised me. “I have?”
He reached out and gently caressed my cheek. “You look at me different. I’m not too sure I like it.”
“Oh, you mean I don’t have all those stars in my eyes anymore?” I asked with a wry grin.
Trev shrugged, still smiling. “Maybe. I liked it when you used to look at me like I was the greatest person in the whole world. I used to live for those looks.”
I waved him away. “Nah, I’ll be fine. I’m in the mood for an early night.”
Something passed behind his eyes. Disappointment? “Okay, well, let me know if you change your mind. We’re leaving in twenty minutes.”
He disappeared around the corner leading to the bedrooms and I exhaled a breath. When I looked across the room I noticed Leanne studying me, her brows drawn.
“I’m calling a taxi,” said Neil and they all dispersed to go get ready.
I slid off my stool and went out onto the balcony. Cool night air kissed my skin and I closed my eyes for a second, listening to the low hum of people and traffic down on the street. Voices trickled out and I froze. Having left the door open, I could hear Leanne and Callum’s private conversation. It seemed eavesdropping was becoming an unexpected pastime of mine. Though given there were seven of us all in one apartment, it was going to be unavoidable.
“Can we talk a minute?” Callum asked. I stared out over the city at the stars dotting the skyline. I wanted to shut the door, but I knew it’d look too obvious. Plus, I was curious. Okay, nosy was probably the more appropriate word.
“About what?” Leanne asked back, her voice hard.
“Jesus. You always have to use that tone.” Callum swore and there was something about how he spoke that sounded different. Maybe it was because they were alone, but his usual cocksure attitude was gone.
“What do you want, Cal?” I could just imagine her folding her arms.
“I’m sick of this bullshit between us. We’ve both had our fair share of pain, and I think it’s enough now. I want to call a truce, a real one this time.”
There was a long silence. Leanne was probably trying to figure out if he was being genuine.
“You’re the one who starts it every time. I only react to the crap that comes out of your mouth.”
“Well, I’ll try not to talk so much crap then.”
Neither one of them spoke, and it was so quiet I started to wonder if they’d left. But then Leanne said, “I know we always used to give each other shit, but it was friendly jibing. What happened to make you suddenly hate me?”
“You know what happened.” His voice cracked a little.
I heard Leanne sigh. “That’s not what I meant, I just meant—”
There was some shuffling, then, “I don’t fucking hate you.”
More shuffling. It made me so curious that I turned and peeked inside on instinct. Callum had his hand on Leanne’s neck. He slid it up so that he was cupping her cheek and I had to hold in a gasp. Wow. That definitely wasn’t what I expected to see.
He lifted his other hand and cupped the other side of her neck. He was looking at her so intensely I had to turn away. It felt like I was encroaching on an extremely private moment.
“I could never fucking hate you,” he said on a raspy exhale, and that was the last I heard. I moved farther onto the balcony and sat down on a deck chair. My mind raced, wondering if they were in there kissing right now, or tearing each other’s clothes off. The chemistry between them was off the charts. I’d seen glimpses of it on the show, but that was nothing compared to real life.
I ate my apple and soaked up the night view until someone stepped out to join me. I suspected it was Trev before I saw him. He sat next to me and I allowed myself a glance. It looked like he’d taken a quick shower and had put on a nice shirt with a pair of designer-looking jeans.
“Out to impress tonight, are we?” I asked teasingly.
He grinned, his eyes alight. “I’m always out to impress. You change your mind about coming?”
“No, I’ll just make something to eat here. I really am exhausted.” Trev seemed to respect my answer and a quiet moment passed before I went on, “I heard you talking to Callum earlier.”
“Yeah?”
“When you were telling him he should be nicer to Leanne. That was kind of you.”
“You asked me to do it.”
“I know, but you didn’t have to.”
Something in his expression intensified. “I’d do just about anything you asked of me, Reya.”
I thought that was an odd thing to say, and it made my belly twist with an unwelcome longing. I pushed it back and gave him a curious look. “Okay.”
Trev laughed softly. “I’m freaking you out, aren’t I?”
“A little,” I admitted.
He looked out onto the city. “Sorry. I’ve just missed you. I still can’t believe you decided to come. I’m fucking happy you’re here.”
“Why?” I asked, because I genuinely wanted to know. He’d gone more than two years without me, never once seeking me out. If he missed me so much, why hadn’t he tried making contact?
He didn’t hesitate to answer. “Because you’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and losing you is my biggest regret, the worst thing that ever happened to me.”
I was speechless. Maybe I was wrong about him. Maybe he’d wanted to make contact but was afraid I’d shut him out again. Was it possible that he’d dialled my number countless times but never built up the courage hit ‘call’? It seemed so unlike him. When we were friends he did everything on impulse. He never stopped to think about the possibility of rejection, to weigh the pros and cons. He just acted.
“You’ve changed,” I breathed. I felt so discombobulated.
“Is that a good thing?” he asked.
“You’re like a proper grown-up now,” I said, ignoring his question and he laughed again.
“As compared to . . .”
I chuckled. “As compared to the chaotic, Peter Pan man-boy you were before.”
His smile was wide. “Hey, I wasn’t that bad.”
“No, you weren’t bad at all. You were just different. Like I said, you’ve changed.”
“You have, too.”
This surprised me. “I have?”
He reached out and gently caressed my cheek. “You look at me different. I’m not too sure I like it.”
“Oh, you mean I don’t have all those stars in my eyes anymore?” I asked with a wry grin.
Trev shrugged, still smiling. “Maybe. I liked it when you used to look at me like I was the greatest person in the whole world. I used to live for those looks.”
