Hailee’s POV
Callum sped up. He slammed harder, his hips driving into mine with a force that had the bed rocking. A scream of pure pleasure welled up in my throat, but my hand instinctively flew up, covering my mouth to choke it down. I couldn’t let my moan echo through the walls of this room. My body might be saying yes, but the frantic pounding in my chest was still filled with unspoken, complicated doubt.
But He didn’t need to hear it. He felt it.
With one final, shuddering surge, he poured himself into me, his body shaking on mine as the world exploded in a blinding rush of white-hot sensation. My own climax tore through me a moment later, a powerful, draining wave that left my muscles weak and tremulous.
He collapsed, his breath ragged, his weight heavy and comforting. Slowly, he withdrew, leaving me feeling exposed and suddenly cold. But before I could focus on the loss, he rolled onto his side and, with a tender strength, pulled me back against his chest.
I felt utterly satisfied—every nerve ending soothed, every ache obliterated. He held me tight, his arms wrapped securely around my waist, his chin resting on the top of my head. The silence was deep and charged, broken only by the slowing rhythm of our hearts.
Then, his voice, thick and low with emotion, rumbled against my hair.
"God, Hailee. I love you."
My breath hitched. The words were a physical shock, tightening the muscles in my chest. I love you.
I lay there, still, letting the syllables soak into my skin. What was I supposed to say? The feelings for him were real—a powerful, demanding current that had just ripped through me. But there was also Nathan. And a messy, undeniable attraction to others I hadn’t yet fully processed. My heart was a fractured, disorganized thing, pulled in too many directions for a simple answer. I couldn’t respond with the truth, and I wouldn’t respond with a lie.
I remained silent, clinging to the quiet as a shield.
Callum shifted, kissing the crown of my head before easing his hold just slightly. "You alright?" he asked again, the worry back in his tone, now mixed with a fragile hope.
"Yes," I whispered, my voice still hoarse. I needed a distraction, something mundane to ground me. "I just... need to check my phone."
I had no reason to check my phone—I just needed a distraction. Maybe there’d be a message from Nathan.
I reached out my hand casually toward the nightstand, letting my fingers brush against the cool glass of my phone. I picked it up, trying to keep my expression blank as I turned the screen toward me—only for my eyes to fly wide open.
The screen didn’t show missed call notifications or new texts. It showed a continuing, active call. Nathan’s name was still lit up, and in the corner, a timer displayed: 10:47.
Ten minutes. Ten minutes and forty-seven seconds.
I hadn’t ended the call. In the chaos of Callum’s entrance, I had only disconnected the screen, not terminated the line. Nathan had been listening. He had heard everything. The moans, the gasps, the rough, possessive whispers, Callum’s final, desperate declaration.
Panic seized me—a cold, crushing weight. I brought the phone swiftly to my ear, my hand trembling so badly I almost dropped it again.
"Nathan..." I whispered, the name a ragged plea, barely audible, fully expecting a dial tone.
The line clicked. He didn’t speak. He just ended the call.
My whole body went cold. I sat up fast, clutching the phone in both hands. "No," I breathed, pressing redial, but the call didn’t go through. The screen flashed once—call ended.
"Hailee?" Callum’s voice came from behind me, low and confused. He sat up too, his brows drawn tight. "What’s wrong?"
I couldn’t answer. My chest was too tight, my mind spinning. I stood abruptly, snatching my clothes from the floor. My hands shook as I pulled the dress over my head.
I looked up, tears welling in my eyes.
"You need to calm down," he said softly. "Panicking won’t fix anything."
But how could I calm down? My mind was spiraling, every thought screaming at once.
"I’ve just hurt him in the worst way possible. What must he be feeling? What must he think of me?"
Callum’s jaw flexed, his expression steady even as mine fell apart. "Hailee, listen to me," he said, his voice low, steady—too calm for how much my world was spinning. "Nathan’s a grown man. He’ll deal with it. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for what happened between us."
I shook my head, tears sliding down my cheeks. "You don’t understand. He’s not just anyone, Callum. He’s—" I stopped, unable to finish the sentence.
My voice broke again. I turned away from him, my fingers clutching the edge of the nightstand. My body trembled as guilt and panic clawed through me.
Callum sighed behind me. I felt him step closer, his presence warm and grounding, even when I didn’t want comfort.
"Hailee," he murmured, his voice quiet but certain. "What’s done is done. You can’t undo it, so don’t destroy yourself over it."
But I couldn’t stop. My heart ached like it was tearing in two.
"Oh, God," I whispered again, my voice breaking. "What did I just do?"

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