Hailee’s POV
"This has nothing to do with Nathan," I said quietly, my voice barely rising above the wind. "I just... I just want peace, Callum. I want to get my sanity back."
He froze.
I could see it in his eyes—the hurt, the disappointnt, the heartbreak. And then, to my surprise, his eyes glistened. Tears. Real ones.
I stood there, stunned. I had never seen Callum like this before. So vulnerable, so human.
He gave a small, broken nod, then turned around to leave.
But the mont he took that step away from , panic gripped my chest.
No. Not again.
This was exactly how it happened with Nathan. I said goodbye, and he ended up in a hospital bed, fighting for his life. The guilt of those words still haunted , and now I was doing it again—pushing soone away when they needed to be pulled close. I couldn’t risk it. Not again.
"Callum, wait!" I blurted, stepping forward.
He stopped, turning slightly.
My heart pounded. "Co inside..."
He stared at for a mont, like he wasn’t sure if he’d heard right.
I swallowed hard. "Please."
After a heartbeat of hesitation, he slowly turned back and walked toward . And without saying another word, I led him into our ho.
Lila, who was seated on the couch in the living room, was stunned to see Callum walking with . She looked at with questioning eyes, and I just looked away.
"Please sit." I gestured to Callum.
He took the couch while I sat on the one across from him. An awkward silence settled over the room like a thick fog.
Lila shifted uncomfortably, then stood. "I’ll be in your room," she mumbled, giving one last curious glance before taking the stairs.
Now it was just the two of us.
I looked at Callum, and he looked at —but neither of us said anything for a long mont. It wasn’t tense... just heavy. There was so much between us. Too much.
I finally broke the silence. "I like you, Callum."
His eyes t mine instantly, hopeful... but cautious.
"But I also like Nathan," I added honestly, my voice shaking. "And I’m confused. I don’t know what to do with these feelings, or how to handle them. Everything just feels like it’s crashing down at once."
Callum nodded slowly, his gaze softening. "It’s okay to be confused, Hailee," he said gently. "But if there’s even the smallest part of you that wants to give a chance... then I’ll take it. I’ll wait. Just let in—however you can."
I stared at him, my heart pounding, and after a mont... I gave a slow, hesitant nod. "Okay... But it’s nothing serious. Not yet."
A small smile curved his lips—real, genuine. "That’s more than enough for ."
Then, slowly, he stood up and walked over to . Without a word, he bent down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
I felt a flutter in my chest, but I composed myself and kept a blank face.
Callum smiled. "So I’ll see you tomorrow at school?"
I gave a half smile. "Yeah."
Callum stepped back slightly, his eyes still on mine, and that signature cocky glint crept back into his gaze.
"By the way," he said, smirking a little, "if I get sick from standing outside like so rejected lover in a drama series, you’re personally responsible for nursing back to health."
I rolled my eyes, but a tiny laugh escaped my lips. "I’ll make sure to get you the strongest herbal tea in the world."
He grinned. "Careful, that sounded a lot like a promise."
Then, with one final glance—lingering and soft—he made his way to the door.
"See you tomorrow, Hailee," he said, and I could hear the subtle hope behind those words.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "See you."
The door clicked shut behind him, and I stood there for a mont, still feeling the ghost of his forehead kiss lingering on my skin. Then I turned and headed upstairs.
As soon as I opened the door to my room, Lila was already lying on my bed, scrolling through her phone with that mischievous smirk plastered across her face.
"Well, well," she said without looking up, "took him long enough to make you open the door."
I rolled my eyes. "It’s nothing."
She finally looked at , that smirk deepening. "Uh-huh. You let him in, Hailee. That’s not ’nothing.’ That’s ’sothing.’"
I sighed and sat beside her.
"He likes you," she added softly. "It’s obvious. You should... maybe give him a chance."
I nodded slowly, my gaze dropping to my hands. "Yeah. I think I will."
Lila suddenly bounced up from the bed, eyes wide with excitent. "Oh my goddess, Hailee! Does this an you’re going to have your first boyfriend?!"
I groaned and lightly smacked a pillow at her. "No, it doesn’t. We’re not dating."
She fell back dramatically onto the bed with a grin. "Not yet!"
I gave her a look. "Lila, have you forgotten? I’m leaving in two months. What’s the point?"
Her smile faded, and the room quieted. "Oh... right," she said softly, like the reality had just hit her all over again.
The weight of those words hung between us until my phone buzzed loudly, pulling back to the mont.
I reached over and picked it up. Peter.
My stomach tightened. "It’s Peter," I said, standing and answering the call. "Hello?"
"Hailee," he said, his voice firm and serious. "I have news. Sothing I need to tell you."
My heart skipped. "What is it?"
There was a pause—long enough to make nervous. "Peter, just say it."
He hesitated for a mont. Then his voice dropped lower. "They’ve made a marriage deal for you."
I blinked. "What?"
"You’ve been betrothed," he said bluntly. "You’ve been promised to soone."
I froze.
"What?" I repeated, my voice barely a whisper.
Peter sighed over the phone. "It’s true.. I was asked to pass the news to you and also...."
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