CHAPTER 95: IF

Callum’s POV

What I just said to her was nothing but the truth. I can’t imagine myself with anyone else apart from Hailee. I loved this girl—If only she could see it through my eyes.

Inhaling deeply, I leaned back against the couch, forcing myself to stay still when every instinct in me screamed to close the space between us. To touch her. To show her that I meant every damn word I’d just said.

Her lips parted, and for a second, I thought she was going to tell me to stop. But instead, she let out a shaky breath.

"Callum... you don’t understand," she whispered.

I tilted my head, my eyes locked on hers. "Then make me understand."

She shook her head quickly. "It’s... complicated."

I gave a humorless little smile. "You think I care about complicated? Hailee, I grew up in a world where everything is complicated. Politics. Pack rivalries. Expectations. Every day of my life is planned out by someone else. You think that scares me?"

Her gaze softened just slightly, but there was still hesitation there.

I shifted forward, resting my forearms on my knees so I was closer to her. "I love you, Hailee... and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She blinked, and I saw her throat work as she swallowed again.

"Hailee..." I said her name softer this time, letting my voice drop to a gentler tone. "I’m not your mate. I know that. But I don’t need the Moon Goddess to tell me who I should love. I already know."

Her breathing hitched, and for a split second, I thought I saw her walls crack just a little.

I wanted to reach out, to take her hand, to pull her into me and promise her that whatever she was afraid of, she wouldn’t have to face it alone. But I stayed still. Because if she was going to let me in, I wanted it to be because she chose to... not because I pushed.

"Say something," I murmured.

She finally looked up at me, and I could see the conflict in her eyes. "You make it sound so simple."

I gave her a small, almost sad smile. "That’s because, for me, it is. All you have to do is choose me... accept to be with me and leave the rest for me."

She swallowed hard again and tucked her hair behind both ears, but she didn’t respond to my words, and it hurt. I could tell she was still confused about her feelings for me, which made me wonder—if it was Nathan who said all this to her, would she have responded this way?

Would she have kept quiet, not saying anything?

Her silence was torturing me.

She just sat there, her lips pressed together like she was holding back a hundred things she wanted to say but wouldn’t. And that silence... that silence felt like a knife in my chest.

If it were Nathan sitting here instead of me—if it were him telling her he wanted her, telling her to choose him—would she still be this quiet?

Would she look at him with this same hesitation?

A bitter taste filled my mouth at the thought.

The truth? I doubted it.

Because Nathan had something I didn’t. Whatever invisible thread tied them together, it was stronger than anything I could name.

And that thought hurt.

My hands curled into fists against my knees, my jaw tightening. I hated myself for even thinking it, but I couldn’t help it. If she had been in Nathan’s presence right now... if he had said these exact words to her... I knew she’d have given him an answer. Maybe not a loud one. Maybe not a big declaration. But she wouldn’t have left him hanging in this suffocating silence the way she was leaving me.

"Hailee," I said again, my voice lower now, laced with a frustration I tried—and failed—to hide, "do you have any idea what it’s like for me to say this? To put this out there, knowing you could break me with one word?"

Her brows knit, and she started to open her mouth, but I cut her off before she could give me some vague, safe reply.

"Tell me the truth," I said, leaning forward. "If Nathan were the one sitting here, saying he loves you... would you still be sitting there looking at him like you don’t know what to say?"

Her eyes widened slightly, and I saw the flicker of something. guilt? Shock? I couldn’t tell.

I hated myself for pushing her like this. But Goddess, the thought of her feelings being stronger for him than for me was tearing me apart from the inside.

"You don’t have to answer," I muttered finally, leaning back. "I think I already know."

She swallowed hard, lowering her gaze so I wouldn’t see too much in her eyes. "It’s... not fair for you to say that."

My jaw tightened. "Fair or not, I needed to know."

She sighed and forced herself to look up at me. "Callum... you’re hurt. This isn’t the time for this conversation."

I let out a short, humorless laugh. "You say that like there’s ever going to be a time where I don’t feel like I’m losing to him."

"Callum, please," she whispered, almost desperate now. "Don’t do this. Not right now."

My eyes searched hers for a long, tense moment. Then I leaned back slowly, running a hand over my face as if trying to force down the jealousy that was practically radiating off me.

I stared at her and realized I had been lying to myself.

I told myself I would be strong enough to walk away—to let her go if she ever chose someone else. I convinced myself I’d accept it, that I would respect her decision and step aside like the noble fool I pretended to be.

But now... now that the possibility was right in front of me, I knew—I knew—there was no way I could let her go.

Even if I had to fight fate itself, I wasn’t giving her up.