CHAPTER SIX

Mia woke to the sound of rain. It had been pouring through the night, but by morning it had settled into a steady, gentle rhythm against the windows. The apartment felt cooler than usual. A soft breeze slipped through the crack in her bedroom window, carrying that fresh, earthy smell that always came after heavy rain. She pulled the blanket higher around her shoulders for a moment, enjoying the warmth, the way her body instinctively wanted to curl into something — or someone — to chase away the chill. She lay there a little longer, listening to the rain, letting herself feel the quiet comfort of the moment before the day started.

Eventually she got up. She pulled on a loose, baggy top and soft shorts, the kind of comfortable clothes she liked to wear at home when she just wanted to feel relaxed. The fabric was thin, and the cool air from the rain made her nipples harden visibly against it. She didn’t think much of it as she walked out into the living room.

She went straight to the kitchen and started making hot tea to warm her insides. The kettle clicked on, the familiar sound filling the quiet space. She stood there waiting, arms wrapped around herself against the chill, staring out at the gray sky and the rain streaking down the windows. It felt nice. Calm. Like the world outside was giving them permission to slow down.

A little while later Callum came out of the spare room. His hair was still moist from the shower, dark strands slightly tousled. He was already dressed in dark jeans and a simple gray sweater. He looked at her and paused for a second, his gaze dropping to her chest and lingering before he looked away. Mia noticed and her face flushed. She felt the air between them thicken, a spark of awareness passing through her.

“Good morning,” she said first, voice soft.

“Good morning,” he replied.

He walked over to the counter. “You don’t have work today?”

Mia shook her head. “No. It’s the weekend.”

Callum nodded.

“Do you have work?” She asked him.

“I don’t really have that much work today either,” he said when she asked. “I’ll just do the little I have to do from home.”

Initially Callum had planned to go to work. There were reports waiting, meetings he could have taken. But the thought of leaving her here alone, especially on a rainy day like this, made him change his mind. He wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity of spending the whole day with Mia.

Mia turned back to the kettle. “Would you like some tea?”

“Sounds nice.”

She poured two cups, the steam rising warm and comforting. When she handed one to Callum, their fingers brushed. A spark passed through both of them — quick, electric, impossible to ignore. Mia pulled her hand back immediately, the touch lingering on her skin.

Callum took the cup, his voice a little lower than usual. “Thanks.”

She nodded and took a sip of her own tea. The rain kept falling outside. The apartment felt even smaller with both of them in the kitchen. Callum tried to make small talk, keeping his tone casual.

“So what are your plans for today? Since you’re not going to work?”

Mia shrugged. “I haven’t really thought about it. I’m just going to unwind. Maybe read some books, catch up on any shows I’ve missed, or head out somewhere if the rain stops.”

Callum nodded. He looked at her for a moment, then said casually, “We could hang out together today if you’re up for it.”

The invitation hung in the air between them. Mia stared at him, the mug warm in her hands. She thought about it — really thought about it. Part of her wanted to say yes. The other part, the careful part that remembered how easy it was to lose herself in him, hesitated. The rain kept falling outside, making the apartment feel even more closed in. Just the two of them. All day.

Callum seemed to sense her hesitation. He leaned against the counter, voice low and easy. “We don’t have to go anywhere if you don’t want to. We could just relax here. Or if the rain stops, I could take you somewhere. Whatever you feel like.”

Mia looked at him. The way he said it — calm, without pressure — made something in her chest tighten. She remembered how he used to do this. How he could make her feel seen without pushing. How dangerous that feeling was.

She took another sip of tea, buying herself a second. “I’ll think about it.”

Callum didn’t push. He just nodded, a small smile touching his lips. “No rush.”

The rain continued outside. The day stretched ahead of them, full of possibility and the quiet tension that had been building since he moved in.

Chelsea was having one of those days where everything seemed determined to go wrong. First, the client she had been trying to close for weeks suddenly pulled out at the last minute, ruining the bonus she had been counting on. Then her car decided to act up on the way to the restaurant, forcing her to take an expensive rideshare. By the time she arrived at the upscale restaurant for the blind date her colleague had set up, she was already in a terrible mood. As if things weren’t bad enough, the heavy rain only added to her frustration.

She had been sitting at the table for over an hour now.

The waiter had come by twice, polite but clearly wondering what was going on. To avoid looking completely pathetic, Chelsea had ordered a glass of red wine early on. It sat half-finished in front of her, the table no longer empty but still painfully obvious that she was alone. She checked her phone again. No message. No call. Just radio silence.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered under her breath, tapping her nails against the stem of the glass. She was done waiting. She was about to signal the waiter for the bill when a familiar voice spoke from beside her table.

“Chelsea?”

She looked up. Standing there was a tall man with an easy smile and friendly eyes. It took her a second to place him — Jax, Callum’s friend. She knew who he was through Mia, but they had never actually spoken before.

He glanced at the half-empty wine glass and the empty seat across from her, then back at her face. “You look like you’re having a rough time. Mind if I join you?”

Chelsea raised an eyebrow, her tone sharp but not unkind. “Do I look like I’m waiting for company?”

Jax chuckled, completely unbothered by her bluntness. “You look like you’ve been waiting for someone who didn’t show. And this place is packed. I just got here for a work dinner that got cancelled. Figured I’d grab something quick, but if you don’t mind the company…”

She studied him for a moment. Most people would have made some awkward comment and left her alone. He seemed genuinely unbothered by her mood. And honestly, she didn’t feel like sitting here alone looking pathetic any longer.

“Fine,” she said, gesturing to the empty chair. “But I’m not in the mood for small talk.”

Jax pulled out the chair and sat down with an easy grin. “Noted. No small talk. Got it.”

The waiter approached, looking relieved that the table was no longer occupied by one person. Jax ordered a drink and some appetizers without even looking at the menu, then turned back to Chelsea.

“So,” he said, leaning back casually, “blind date gone wrong?”

Chelsea narrowed her eyes. “How did you know it was a blind date?”

He shrugged. “Lucky guess. You’ve got that ‘I can’t believe I let someone talk me into this’ energy.”

Mia had been staring at the same page of the book she’d been trying to read for the past twenty minutes. She just couldn’t focus with Callum sitting a few steps away from her. He was on his laptop working, the room quiet except for the steady movement of his fingers against the keys. She was bored. Or maybe restless. His invitation to hang out together had been on her mind and she was so bored she felt tempted to take him up on it.

She closed the book in a resigned manner and sighed.

“How much work do you still have left?” she asked, pulling Callum out of his concentration.

He looked up from his laptop. “Nothing much. Do you need anything?”

Mia hesitated for a second, then said, “I was wondering if you still wanted to hang out. I just really want to get out of the house.”

Callum’s face lit up with a genuine smile. The fact that she was agreeing to spend the day with him clearly made him happy. “Sure,” he said. “Do you have anywhere you want me to take you?”

She shook her head. “I was hoping you could surprise me.”

Callum nodded as his smile widened. “I have an idea where we could go. Lemme just go get my keys.” He said as he got up and started towards his room.