The Lover's Vow

Chapter 33: Callie

"Tell 'em boy bye! Boy bye! Middle fingers up; I ain't thinking 'bout you!" Lucy and I grinned each other and belted out Beyoncé as I drove us around, trying to find the restaurant she'd found on Google for brunch. That morning Lucy had declared it a "girl's day" and we'd just dropped Aidan off at the worksite. He'd looked a little afraid at the thought of Lucy and me spending the day together. The two of us girls just smirked at each other before assuring him nothing bad was going to happen. He'd grumbled but said that it wasn't like he could stop us.

When Lucy had announced that we were going to hang out today, I'd been a little nervous but her warmth and openness squashed the nerves in no time. I couldn't remember ever getting along with someone right away like this- with the exception of Char. The fact that she loved Beyoncé just as much as I did didn't hurt.

We ended up getting a little lost because we weren't paying attention to the roads but we managed to get inside, seated, and drinking mimosas before too long. She asked me lots of questions about my life and I reciprocated, loving getting to know her. I could see why Aidan liked to have her around.

"Have you been to one of the mimosa bars in downtown Denver?"

I perked up at her question. "I have! I've been once with my sister and mom, and it was awesome!"

"Really? I've never been, but I always wanted to try it out."

"The one I went to was called Zengo. It's like thirty-five dollars because the mimosas are bottomless, and there's also food available."

"That's not a bad price at all!"

"Right! We should go sometime, if you want to." I hesitated at the end of my sentence, unsure if that would interest her.

She grinned brightly at me and jumped a little in her seat. "I would love that!"

Our food arrived and we ate for a bit in silence. It didn't feel awkward at all, and I was glad that neither of us felt like we had to constantly fill the space with words.

"So, what do you think of Aidan?" Lucy asked casually after a minute or two.

I could feel my face flushing and I shoved another bite of biscuit and gravy to stall answering. She laughed softly but patiently waited for my answer. I swallowed hard and washed the food down with a big gulp of my mimosa.

"I really like him. A lot. More than I thought I would, actually." I paused. "I wish I could remember the months before this though. I hate not knowing any of that and basically having to start over while Aidan's had all that time. I feel like he's got more invested into this relationship than I do right now."

"I can see that. It would be unsettling to feel like someone has known you for months, intimately, without you having the same opportunity."

"Exactly! I'm not the kind of person that trusts easily so taking this trip after knowing Aidan for less than forty-eight hours is terrifying. I don't regret it though. It's been amazing."

She considered me for a few moments before speaking. "I can only imagine how rough this has to be for you. I don't think I could do what you did. You've got some of the biggest balls I've ever seen," she paused to grin suggestively at me, "and I've seen my fair share."

We cracked up and I warmed at her compliment. When we calmed down she continued. "But seriously, I just want you to know that I've known Aidan almost my whole life. He's one of the most giving, kind, and committed people I know. I would trust him with my life, and I hope that eventually you can trust him with your heart. He deserves someone great like you."

My chest throbbed at her words, for both her approval of Aidan and me together and at the thought of giving my heart to Aidan. I would never admit it out loud, but I was already falling for him. The thought of loving anyone as intensely as I was starting to think I could with Aidan made me want to run all the way back to Denver. But the stubborn side of me would never give up that easily. I was in a bit of a conundrum. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, reminding myself to take this one step at a time.