Somewhere Only We Know (15 page)

When Callum stepped through the door of the bar, his heart was in his mouth. He knew he was the last person Kate was expecting to see and he felt bad surprising her like this.

In fact
, this was all very last minute. He had planned to do it in the privacy of her home, but when he arrived there with James earlier that evening, he had been beaten to it by some asshole with flowers.

“Just go up there,” James
had pushed him, but Callum had refused.

“I can’t,” Callum said. “James look how happy she looks. Maybe I should just give up and go home.”

“You are going to give up just because some asshole gives her flowers?” James said, a look of sheer disbelief on his face. “Jesus, they aren’t even expensive flowers.”

“They are perfect,” Callum sighed.
“Kate loves flowers. Specially the simple kind. Roses never impressed her. She would rather have a bunch of daises.”

“Callum,” James said turning to face his brother. “You can
’t give up because of a few flowers. You need to get over there and make her see, you are the one she should be with.”

Callum looked over and watched the guy escort Kate down the front path and to his car. She was breath-taking. He always loved that dress on her and when she wore her hair up.

The two brothers sat and watched as Kate drove off in the guy’s car.

“Okay,” James said, putting the car into gear. “Let’s see where they are heading.”

“James, let’s just go back to the hotel,” Callum sighed.

“Jesus, Cal,” James said
, as he kept his eye on the car up ahead. “Since when did you turn into such a chick? Did you forget to pack your balls when you left New York?”

“I just don’t want a scene,” Callum argued.

“Oh, please,” James laughed. “Women love this shit. They want their men fighting for them. It gets them all turned on and excited.”

“And Mother wonders why you are still single,” Callum said, but couldn’t help but laugh.

They pulled into the car park and parked at the far end, so Kate wouldn’t spot them.

“This is ridiculous,” Callum groaned.

“Oh suck it up buttercup,” James replied, as he switched off the engine. “You want her back, don’t you?”

“Yes
, of course I do,” Callum retorted.

“Then, you need to do exactly what I tell you,” James said. “Let’s go,”

The two brothers headed into the bar, and Callum scanned the room looking for Kate. Finally, he spotted her in a booth at the far end of the bar.

When he saw her, he held his br
eath. He was so nervous. He watched her sitting there, and he thought she had never looked more beautiful.

“Okay, let
’s go and say hi,” James said to Callum. Callum finally released his breath.

“I can’t do this,” Callum whispered back to his brother.

“Yes,” James replied and gave Callum a slight shove. “You can.”

Callum took a deep breath and walked slowly towards the booth Kate was sitting in. He had only taken a couple of steps when she looked up and her eyes met his.
Instinctively he smiled, but his heart sank when she didn’t smile back. In fact, if he was honest, she looked scared, panicked even. Callum instantly regretted letting James talk him into doing this. He knew this was a huge mistake, but it was now, too late to turn back.

“Hi there,” he said as brightly as his could, big cheesy grin included, when he reached the booth. “Fancy meeting you in here.”

“Callum,” Kate replied in a small, nervous voice, she shot a glance at Finn and Callum followed her gaze. “What are you doing here?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt
your evening,” Callum said to a nervous looking Finn. “I’m Callum Greyson, I’m…”

“Kate’s husband,” Finn cut him off. He wanted Callum to know, Kate had already told him everything he needed to know. He offered Callum his hand. “Finn Morgan, Kate told me a lot about you.”

“Did she now?” Callum said turning back to Kate and his smile widened. “You’re looking good Katie.”

“Callum, why are you here?” Kate said
, unable to hold back anymore. She felt like she was in a bad dream, hoping, praying she would wake up, but she didn’t.

“James, was coming
to Seattle on business,” Callum lied. “And he asked me if I wanted to tag along, so I did.”

“Sorry Finn,” Callum said
and turned his attention back to Finn. “This is my brother, James.”

“Nice to meet you,” James sai
d holding out his hand to Finn, but the expression on his face was far from friendly.

“You too,” Finn replied shaking James’ hand
trying to stay calm and not make things worse than they already where. He glanced over at Kate and his heart sank when he saw the tears dancing in her eyes.

He looked back at Callum, just as Callum noticed the tears in her eyes too
. The expression on his face was one of sadness and regret. Finn realised in that moment, Callum still loved Kate. He loved her completely and utterly and he was here to win her back.

“Well,”
Callum said, and he quickly cleared the tell-tale frog in his throat. “I think it’s time we let you both get back to your evening.”

Kate looked down at the table unable to look at Callum any longer.

“Good night Katie,” Callum said, before he turned and quickly made his way towards the door of the bar, followed closely by James.

“
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” James shouted once they were out in the parking lot. “That’s it? You are just going to walk away?”

Callum didn’t respond, instead he ran to a nearby bin and threw up.
What the hell had he just done?

“Callum, it’s okay,” James said, patting his back and he threw up once again.

“No, it’s not okay James,” Callum said, as he stood up and pulled a tissue from his trouser pocket and wiped his mouth. “Did you see her face? She was upset, shit James, she was nearly crying. I did that to her. I hurt her and broke her. Then I show up here and hurt her again. She must think I am a complete heartless bastard.”

“Callum, she still cares,” James replied
throwing his arms into the air. “Don’t you get it, she wouldn’t be upset if she didn’t care. Are you really just going to walk away? She is your wife Callum, and she is in there, with some other guy.”

“DON’T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?!
” Callum shouted back at James. “Don’t you think I want to march back in there and beg her to give me another chance? This is killing me James, this…this is tearing me apart. I… I can’t do this.”

He paced up and down for a few moments, trying to figure out his next move.

Then, much to James’ surprise, Callum turned suddenly, and headed back through the doors of the bar, leaving him standing outside, in shock. He turned and headed inside after his brother.

For a moment he couldn’t see Callum,
but then he spotted him. He was standing at the jukebox, loading it with coins.

“What are you doing?” James asked when he got to Callum’s side. Callum turned to him and smiled.

“Fighting,” Callum said before he turned and walked away.

As Callum made his wa
y across the bar, he could see Kate. She was listening to whatever Finn was saying, but Callum knew by the look on her face she wasn’t listening and he couldn’t help but feel a little bit of inner joy. He took a deep breath before he stepped up to the side of the booth.

“
Hi again,” Callum said, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. Kate and Finn turned to him in unison, surprised to see him standing there again. “Sorry for interrupting your evening yet again. I…eh… I was wondering if, before I leave you two alone, if I could perhaps, I have one last dance with my wife.”

“Callum I d
o…” Kate began to protest, but stopped mid-sentences when Finn spoke.

“Sure,” he said, much to Kate’s horror.

“Finn!” Kate exclaimed looking at him in complete disbelief.

“It’s one dance,” Finn said with a
knowing smile, as he shrugged his shoulders. “Then we can enjoy the rest of our evening.”

Kate looked at him for a moment, totally lost for words. Then she turned to Callum and he smile
d, as he held out his hand. Reluctantly she took it, and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. She glanced back at Finn and he gave her a reassuring smile.

The sound of
Phil Collins, “Against All Odds,” filled the sound system of the bar as Callum slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. Slowly they began to move in time with the music.

For a moment, neither of the
m said a word, each searching for the right thing to say.

“It’
s been far too long since we did this,” Callum said, as he took a deep breathe, the scent of her perfume filling his senses, as a million memories filled his mind. “I have missed this. I have missed you.”

“Callum, please,” Kate said
, as she instantly felt the hot tears burn her eyes. She blinked them back and tried to remain as calm as she could. She was not going to cry.

“I’m sorry,” Callum said
, as he slowly moved his hands down her back and pulled her closer to him. “Kate, I am so sorry for everything. I’m sorry I hurt you, I’m sorry I let you down, and I am so sorry I let you walk out that morning. I should have made you stay. I should have fought harder. But it’s not too late.”

“Callum, I can’t do this,” Kate whispered, fight
ing a losing battle with her tears. “It’s not that simple. It is too late.”

“Says who?” Callum asked
, as he leaned back and looked in to her eyes. “We can start again. We could be happy again, Kate.”

“No, Callum,” Kate cried softly. “We can’t.”

She stopped dancing, stepped back, looked him in the face and gave him a sad, smile.

“I love
you, Cal,” Kate sobbed. “I love you more than you could possible know, always will, but I can’t be who you want me to be. I am not the same person… I…I can’t do this.”

Without saying another word, she spun around and hurried back to the booth, grabbed her bag and without
even looking at a very stunned Finn, she ran for the door.

Callum didn’t hesitate, he ran after her, a
fraid if he didn’t, she would disappear again and he would lose her for good this time

“Katie, wait!” he called after her
, as he burst out through the door.

“There is nothing to say,
Callum” she replied angrily, over her shoulders. “Go back to your tart in New York. Let me get on with my life.”

“I love you
, Kate,” Callum cried, as he grabbed Kate by the arm and turned her back to face him. “I have loved you from the moment I saw you. I tried so hard, but you disappeared. You disappeared and I didn’t know what to do to bring you back. Kate I was lonely. I was lost and I was so lonely. I wanted for just five minutes to feel like someone wanted me. Like I wasn’t the invisible nobody I had become. I am sorry I hurt you. But I was hurting too.”

He stared in
to her eyes, waiting for her to respond, but she said nothing.

“Damn it
, Kate,” he begged, as he took her face in his hands. “Please, let me in. Stop pushing me out.”

Again she didn’t speak. She just stood there, tears running down her face.

“Kate, please, say something,” he pushed. “I can’t lose you.”

“Then why
is it, you have?” she replied coldly. She looked behind Callum and saw Finn and James standing there, watching them, but neither said a word.

Kate just turned and hurried out of the parking lot, heading straight for home.

Callum stood in the parking lot and watched, as Kate disappeared into the night.

He watched Finn
, as he hurried after her and his blood boiled. That should have been him.

He turned around and kicked the bin, sending it flying across the parking lot
and screamed out at the top of his voice. What the hell was he going to do now?

“KATE, WAIT!” Finn called after
her, as she made her way back to the house, but she didn’t slow down. Even though she was gasping for breath, and had a stitch in her side, she was too angry to stop.

Kate couldn’t decide who she was more upset with, Callum
, for barging in on her night out with Finn, or Finn for just sitting there and letting Callum ruin their night. She couldn’t believe Finn actually give him permission to dance with her, like she didn’t even have a say in it. God she was angry.

“Kate, talk to me,” Finn pleaded, his pace picking up, trying to keep up with Kate
. “I know you are upset…”

“I am
way
beyond upset,” she spat back over her shoulder. “I’m mad as hell.” She suddenly stopped, spun around and marched back towards Finn.

“Who the hell do you think you are
, Finn Morgan?” She demanded, poking him in the chest. “What gives you the right to give my husband permission to dance with me, huh? Like I don’t even have a say.”

“I’m sorry,” Finn replied, unsure of what else he should say.
“I just thought, he would dance with you, then leave, and we would be able to get back to our date.”

“You ha
d no right,” Kate replied angrily. “That wasn’t your call to make, Finn. He cheated on me.”

Much to Kate’s horror, tears broke free and trickled down her cheek
s. She abruptly brushed them away with the back of her hand.

“He che
ated on me,” she sobbed, as she tried hard to keep control of her breathing, but she could feel herself falling apart. “He… he cheated on me. My heart was broken and I blamed …my…myself…and he cheated on me.”

“Kate,
I know,” he said, stepping towards her and reaching out to her.

“NO!” She shouted, taking a step back. “Don’t touch me, just… just leave me alone.”

She turned and hurried back towards her house, wobbling in her heels a few times but she didn’t let that slow her down.

“Kate,” Finn called as he followed her closely. She didn’t answer.
“Kate, please.”

“Go home
, Finn,” she replied, without slowing down.

She reached the house and hurried up the front ste
ps to her door. She fished her keys out of her bag and fumbled with them, her vision blurred by the tears pooled in her eyes. She blinked, forcing the tears free, trying to focus on opening the door.

“Damn it,”
she cried, unable to get the key into the lock. Suddenly, she could sense Finn standing behind her, and she froze. Without saying a word, he reached around her and took the keys from her hand.

She could feel his breath on her neck and it sent a shiver down her spin
e.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered against her ear. Kate closed her eyes and cried softly. Finn turned her
around slowly, until she was facing him. He looked down at her, taking her by the chin, he tilted up her face to his. “Kate, look at me.”

Kate blinked her eyes open and slowly allow
ed her eyes to meet his.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, giving her a smile as he softly brushed the tears from her face. “Please, don’t cry.”

He leaned down, and tenderly pressed his lips to hers.

Then, s
lipping his arms around her, he pulled her into him and held her closely as she sobbed, sadly against his chest.

Finally, she pulled back slowly and looked at Finn, giving him a sad smile.

“I’m sorry our night was ruined,” Kate whispered, her eyes locked with Finn’s.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Kate,” Finn replied
, as his smile widened before he claimed her mouth again.

This time his kiss was deeper and hungrier
. He ran his tongue along her lip, before slipping it inside her mouth, teasing her tongue with his.

He pressed her against the door, as
he kissed her harder. Reaching behind her, he slipped the key into the lock and opened the door. Before Kate knew it, they were in her hallway. Finn kicked the door closed with his foot, and began to move them toward Kate’s bedroom.

When they reached the door
, Kate broke away from Finn breathlessly. Her head was spinning and things were moving too fast, she needed a moment to think.

“Finn,” she gasped
, as he quickly dropped his mouth to her neck, working his way down to her collar bone. Kate’s heart was racing and she could barely breathe, but it wasn’t a feeling of excitement or anticipation, it was a feeling of panic. Like a knot in the pit of her stomach.

Before she knew it, they were on her bed
. Finn was lying next to her, kissing her softly along her jaw line, as his hand slid slowly up her thigh, bringing her dress with it, as he went.

“
Finn,” Kate said breathlessly.

“Hmmm,” he moaned against her neck, still kiss
ing and sucking softly along her neck.

“Finn, stop,” Kate said, in a small voice
, as panic filtered out from the pit of her stomach, like a wave, through her entire body.

“Hmmm,” he said again, as he continued on his journey back towards her mouth.

“STOP!” She shouted, this time a lot more forceful, as she pushed against his chest firmly. Finn shot up straight, looking down at Kate in concern.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, looking at her, a look of complete confusion on his face.

“I’m sorry, Finn,” Kate said sitting up in the bed and pushing her dress back down her legs. “I can’t do this.”

She quickly climbed up off the bed and hurried to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Kate leaned on the edge of the vanity unit and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She barely recognised herself anymore. She closed her eyes and Callum’s face came crashing into her head.

Why did he have to show up tonight?
She asked herself in her mind.
Why couldn’t he just leave me alone, it’s over?

As
she hadn’t heard from him in four days, Kate thought Callum had finally got the message. When all the phone calls and texts, stopped, she thought he had finally realised it was over. They were over.

Letting go of Callum was the hardest thing Kate had
ever tried to do, but she honestly felt, in her heart, that it was something that was for the best for them both.

Still
, the last four weeks had been the hardest of her life. She missed him, she missed him so much it was killing her, but it didn’t change the fact, they were wrong for each other. They needed a fresh start, without each other there to remind them of what they had lost. She thought she was finally letting him go, and that, what happened early that day with Finn, was her moving forward, but she realised she was wrong. Now, she just felt confused and like her heart was torn in two.

There was a soft tap on the bathroom door
.

“Kate,” Finn’s voice came through the door. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” Kate said, as she sat down on the edge of the bath. She held her breath and waited, as the door opened slowly.

“Are you okay?” Finn asked, as he peered around the door. The look on his face was a mixture of worry, hurt and confusion.

“Yeah,” She replied, releasing her breath with a deep shudder.

“Have I done something wrong?” he asked unsure if he wanted to hear the answer. He walked slowly across the bathroom, and sat down on the bath next to Kate.

“No,” she replied and looked down at the floor. She felt awful, like she was in a bad dream and just wanted to wake up. She couldn’t look at Finn. If he asked her what she was feeling right at that moment, he wouldn’t have liked the answer. “It was nothing you have done, I promise you.”

She liked him, she really did, but she felt she made a huge mistake. She
knew, she and Callum were over, but still she felt like she had cheated on him.

Kate tried to pu
sh that thought out of her head, but Callum came crashing into her mind once again. She could see him standing there, outside the bar, pleading with her to give him a chance. Kate wished she could have just said no, and closed her heart to him. She wished she could be that strong, but seeing him, standing before her, made her realise just how much she still loved him.

“Kate, what is it?” Finn asked taking her by the hand. “Let me in.”

“Finn, I think you should leave,” Kate said, still unable to look up at him. She pulled her hand from his grasp.

“Kate, please,” Finn said
as he pushed his hands through his hair in despair. “Please, let me stay. I know you are upset, I get it, but you don’t have to do this alone.”

“
Finn,” she said, finally turning to look at him. “I’m sorry, I really like you. I think you are one of the kindest, sweetest guys I have ever met, but this is wrong.”

“
No, please,” Finn said, as the panic in his voice became clearer. “Please don’t do this.”

“Finn, I am sorry if I
have hurt you,” Kate said her stomach knotting inside her. She felt like the biggest bitch there ever was. She reached up and softly caressed his cheek. “I swear, that was the last thing I ever wanted to do. But my heart is so battered and broken right now, I shouldn’t be with anyone.”

“Kate, you’re upset,” Finn tried to reason with her. “Seeing Callum tonight, it just confused you…”

“No!” She exclaimed, as she jumped up from the edge of the bath and began pacing. She spun around to face Finn, and her heart sank into her stomach when she saw the look on his face, it was almost heart breaking. She knew, if nothing else, he deserved the truth. “Finn, the truth is, seeing Callum tonight, well, it made me realise, I am not over him. I thought I was, but, if I am honest, I still love him.”

“
Do you want to go back to him?” Finn asked, holding her eyes with his. Searching for, what, he didn’t know.

“No,” Kate replied honestly. “Cal and I, we were killing each other. Both of us were miserable. Too much has happened for me to go back.”

“Then, give us a chance,” Finn said standing up and walking towards Kate. He took hold of her hands. “Give me a chance to make you happy.”

“It’s too soon, Finn,” Kate replied, wishing she could have given him the answer he wanted.

“Then I will wait,” he replied, giving her a sad smile. “I am not giving up yet, Kate. I have the time.”

He leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek. Then, without saying another word, he left. Kate heard the front door close as she just stood there in the bathroom, alone. She walked over and sat on the edge of the bath once again and let go of the tears she had been fighting so hard to hold back.

How had she ended up here, her life was such a mess. She felt more alone than she had ever felt in her whole life, and it was all her own doing.

She knew what she needed to do, she wiped her tears
away with the back of her hand and headed out into the bedroom. Sitting down on the edge of her bed, she picked her bag up off the floor, where she had dropped it when she got back to the house with Finn.

Pulling her phone from her bag, she brought up phone book and scrolled down to the number she was looking for.

She pressed call and waited, unsure of what she was even going to say. She listened as it rang and rang. Finally, it was answered.

“Hello,” a sleepy voice came through the phone.

“Olly,” Kate began nervously. “It’s me. Olly, I have messed up big time. I need your help.”