Page 47 of Just One: Box Set

Chapter Ten

" A re you sure you're not overreacting, Calli?" Shelly's voice was filled with concern, her brows knitting together as she watched Calli pace the room.

Calli let out a frustrated sigh, her hands tangling in her hair. "I don’t know, Shelly! I just freaked out seeing him there—then realizing he’s Andre’s best friend? How am I supposed to be with Andre if Will—Liam, whatever the hell he’s calling himself—is always going to be around?"

Shelly’s expression softened. "I get it, but honey, the way you talk about Andre tells me what you felt for Will wasn’t real love."

Calli groaned, her emotions swirling as she tugged harder at her hair. "What do you mean? God, why does everything have to be so complicated?"

"Again," Shelly replied with a shrug, "a little overdramatic here. Are you still in love with Will?"

Calli stopped pacing, glaring at her friend. "Liam," she corrected sharply. "And no. I’m not in love with him."

"Exactly," Shelly said, crossing her arms, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "Because you’re in love with Andre."

Calli froze at the word, her heartbeat kicking up a notch. "Love? Shelly, we’ve only been texting. We barely know each other."

"Not true," Shelly countered, shaking her head. "You’ve talked about this guy nonstop since you came back from Vegas. Even then, you were second-guessing your feelings for Liam. You're scared to admit it, Calli, because you don’t think you’re worth a man like Andre. You’re terrified he’ll end up being like Liam. "

Calli closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Shelly’s words were hitting far too close to home. "I can’t think about this right now. I need to go. I’ll see you tomorrow at school." She grabbed her purse, glaring at her friend. "I swear, I never should have let you download that app."

Storming out of Shelly’s house, Calli waited impatiently for her Uber.

Tonight had gone from bad to worse, her mind a tangled mess of emotions.

Her phone buzzed in her bag, and her stomach knotted when she saw it was another message from Andre.

She couldn’t bear to read it, not yet. He’d been calling and texting since she bolted from the restaurant, each one a plea for her to talk to him.

Finally, the Uber arrived, and Calli climbed into the back seat, closing her eyes as the car pulled away.

Her heart ached at the thought of Andre—how much his hurtful connection to Liam made this whole situation unbearable.

She had hoped tonight would be the start of something new, but instead, it felt like the past had come back to destroy her all over again.

When the car pulled up to her apartment complex, Calli’s heart sank. Liam—no, Will—was sitting on her front steps, waiting for her. A surge of anger bubbled up inside her as she slammed the car door shut and stormed toward him.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she snapped, her voice tight with fury.

Liam stood, raising his hands in surrender. "Calli, I just need ten minutes. That’s it, I promise. Then I’ll leave, and you won’t have to see me again."

She clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to tell him to go to hell. Instead, she pushed past him and made her way up the steps. "Fine," she muttered. "Ten minutes." She unlocked the door and waved him inside. "But make it quick. I have to work tomorrow, and I’d rather just forget today happened."

Liam followed her in, closing the door behind him as he shoved his hands into his pockets, his usual cocky demeanor absent.

"I owe you an apology," he began, his voice heavy with regret. "I should have ended things with you long before I cheated. We were on different paths, and it wasn’t fair of me to drag you along. I’m sorry I hurt you. "

Calli crossed her arms, her jaw tightening as she forced herself to stay calm. "Great. You came here for an apology."

Liam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "No. I came here to ask you not to take it out on Andre. He’s in love with you, Calli, and I can’t stand the thought that I might be the reason he loses you."

Her breath hitched at his words, the rawness in them catching her off guard. She fought to keep her emotions in check, swallowing the lump in her throat. "He doesn’t love me, Liam." She practically spat his name, the taste bitter in her mouth. "And why the hell did you lie about your name?"

Liam shifted awkwardly. "I thought maybe you’d be the one to settle me down, you know? But I realized too late that I was wrong. I like my freedom too much. And I’m sorry that my needs hurt you along the way."

Calli felt the sting of his words, but she had heard enough apologies from him to last a lifetime.

"I don’t know how to move past this, Liam.

You broke me. And the guilt…" She trailed off, her thoughts flashing back to Andre. The guilt of having been attracted to another man while in a relationship was something she hadn’t fully processed until now.

"Guilt?" Liam looked genuinely confused. "For what?"

"I met Andre at my cousin’s wedding in Vegas," Calli admitted, her voice quieter now. "I was attracted to him even then, and I didn’t understand it. I had a boyfriend. How could I feel something for another man?"

Liam’s face shifted, a knowing look crossing his features. "Shit. So you’re her," he muttered under his breath.

Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean, ‘her’?"

Liam smirked, though there was a sadness in his eyes. "When Andre came back from Vegas, he was different. He stopped hooking up, started talking about finding someone real. I didn’t get it then, but now I do. He fell for you back in Vegas."

"That’s impossible," Calli whispered, shaking her head. "We barely spent time together. I kept my distance."

"It doesn’t matter." Liam shrugged. "I know him, Calli. He’s in love with you."

The words struck her like a blow to the chest. Her head screamed it was too soon, too complicated, but her heart—her heart whispered that it was true.

Tears welled up in her eyes, one slipping free and trailing down her cheek. "I—I need some time, Liam. This is too messy. I don’t do messy."

Liam nodded, stepping toward the door. "Fine. But don’t hold Andre accountable for my mistakes. He’s not me, Calli. He’s a good man. And he’s crazy about you. Don’t let fear stop you from giving him a chance."

Calli stood frozen as he opened the door. "Goodnight, Calli. Just… think about what I said."

When he was gone, she locked the door behind him, his words echoing in her mind. She wanted to believe that Andre was different, that he wasn’t anything like Liam. But the fear of getting hurt again kept her from picking up the phone.

She walked into her bedroom, not even bothering to change out of her clothes as she collapsed onto the bed. Grabbing her phone, she saw a notification from I-Hope. Her heart skipped a beat when she read Andre’s message.

DallyDude: I’m sorry about tonight, Calli.

I didn’t know he was the guy who hurt you.

I’m not Liam, though. We might be best friends, but we’re as different as night and day.

Please don’t shut me out. This thing between us…

it’s meant to be. I feel it in my bones.

Call me when you’re ready… I’ll be waiting. Sleep well, xoxo Andre.

Tears slipped down her cheeks as she read his words, her chest aching with the weight of her emotions. She set the phone aside and buried herself under the covers, letting the tears fall freely. Shelly had been right—Calli had fallen for Andre.

And it terrified her more than anything.