Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 344: Friendly Advice

Callan drove while Emily and Mari sat in the backseat like he was their driver. They did not stop talking for even one second.

They giggled, whispered, and laughed like they were trying to make up for all the time they had lost.

Callan met Emily’s gaze at intervals through the rearview mirror, and each time their eyes met, both their hearts skipped a beat.

Since their discussion the following night, they were yet to have a moment alone together and even if they did, Callan wasn’t sure yet what he would say.

He had barely slept at night because he had kept thinking about their conversation. He’d tried to imagine how she must have felt being pregnant and heartbroken. And then he’d wondered about the baby she’d aborted. He’d wondered what would have happened had she told him about the pregnancy and if that would have helped him summon the courage to talk to their parents back then.

A part of him told him she deserved better than an indecisive, cowardly jerk like him. That part of him urged him to ask her for forgiveness then ask her to move on with someone more deserving of her.

But another part of him, the part that he’d shut out all these years, told him to hold on to her even tighter now and not let all her heartache and suffering be in vain. He had to make her pain and wait worth it. He had to prove to her that she wasn’t wrong to love him and that he could be whatever she saw in him and wanted him to be.

He glanced at her again just in time to hear her ask Mari, ”By the way,” Emily said, eyes bright and curious, ”why haven’t you shown me a picture of your gorgeous boyfriend and his twin yet?”

Callan scowled but no one noticed.

Mari pouted, ”We didn’t even get a chance to snap any pictures.”

Emily giggled. ”You didn’t get a chance or were too busy doing other things?”

Mari giggled at that. ”You’re right.”

”Well, he should have a social media page, shouldn’t he? Don’t tell me he’s like Jamal,” she said, and Mari pursed her lips.

”Hm. Why didn’t I think of that?” She asked as she whipped out her phone to search for him online.

It didn’t take long to find his Instagram page and she quickly clicked on it.

Callan watched through the mirror as Emily leaned closer to Mari so she could see the pictures.

Emily gasped so loudly that Callan almost swerved.

”Gosh! You weren’t exaggerating. HE IS FINE!” Emily cried.

Mari giggled happily. ”You should know I have an eye for cute guys. This is Chad— the twin I want to hook you up with,” Mari said with a wink then subtly spied at Callan.

When she saw how tight his jaw was, she giggled even more.

Emily’s eyes got bigger. ”These two are as identical as Bella and Brenda. How can you tell them apart?”

Mari burst out laughing and told her how Chad and Jax had taken turns messing with her until she finally could tell them apart.

Emily giggled, ”they sound like fun,” she said, then whispered loud enough for Callan to hear, ”Maybe you should hook me up with Chad. It’d be fun if we both date twin brothers. You know, like Aunt Lucy and Aunt Sonia married to Uncle Tom and Uncle Bryan.”

Knowing what Emily was up to, Mari gasped dramatically. ”That was exactly what I thought!”

Callan’s grip on the steering wheel tightened and both Emily and Mari laughed silently at Callan as they returned their attention to the pictures again.

”Look!” Emily squealed. ”This picture of him painting, oh my goodness!”

”That’s Chad pretending to be Jax.”

Emily’s jaw dropped as she turned the phone so Callan could hear her voice clearly. ”Wow... Chad is SO fine. You have to tell me how to tell them apart so that when I meet them I won’t make any mistake or hit on your boyfriend thinking he’s mine.”

Callan didn’t say a word, but the way he pressed his lips together made Mari fight a smile. ”Cal, you’ve been awfully quiet. Why?”

”I’m letting you enjoy your girl talk,” Callan said stiffly as they approached Emily’s house.

”Really? Why then does your face look swollen like you’re upset about something?” Mari asked, and Emily giggled.

”Cut it out,” she whispered.

”Mari, I know what you’re trying to do. And it’s working. So, don’t upset me any more than you’ve already done,” Callan said as he parked the car in front of the building.

Mari and Emily giggled. ”Aw. What a sweet honest guy you are, Cal,” she said sweetly, reaching out to pat his arm.

Emily opened the door and got out of the car. Mari did the same, but instead of following Emily, she opened the front passenger door.

”Em, I’ll join you in a minute. I need to talk to Callan quickly.”

Emily narrowed her eyes and shook her head fast. ”No. Mari, don’t do that.”

Mari rolled her eyes, ”Em, go in. I’m talking to Cal,” she said stubbornly and got into the car.

Emily looked at Callan helplessly, and just as she started opening the door to get back in, Callan stopped her.

”Em... please, give us a moment,” he said, flashing her a smile.

Emily sighed and stepped away from the car. ”Mari, behave yourself,” she warned before walking away.

Callan and Mari watched her until she walked into the house, then Mari sat back and crossed her arms. ”So, I hear you know the truth now about how much she suffered.”

Callan nodded slowly. ”I do. Thanks for being there for her.”

”You can keep your ’thank you’ to yourself, Cal. I didn’t do anything for you. I stood by Emily because she is my best friend, not because I care about you even if I do care about you.”

Callan swallowed. ”I know.”

Mari leaned forward. Her eyes were sharp. ”If you were any other dude and not my friend, I would never let you even stand near her again.”

Callan said nothing since he agreed with her. Wasn’t that what had bothered him the most all through the night?

If he weren’t the guy in question, he wouldn’t let such a bastard anywhere near Emily.

”But you are Callan. You are my friend.” Mari sighed, patting his hand. ”And I know you’re not the jerk you pretend to be. So here’s what I’m saying, Cal...”

He looked at her, waiting.

”I’m giving you one last chance. Just one. If you hurt her again or make her shed any tears that’s not tears of joy...” she raised one finger, ”...you will cease being my friend and I will kill you. Do not think I’m making an empty threat.”

”I won’t hurt her. It will never happen again. If she gives me another chance I’m going to spend the rest of my life making it up to her. You can count on that.”

Mari stared at him for a long moment.

Then she smiled. ”Good. But you should know that Emily is not giving you another chance.”

Callan frowned. ”Why? Because of your boyfriend’s twin brother?”

She giggled. ”Don’t be silly. If she didn’t get over you all these years do you think she would do so simply because I showed her a pretty guy? I’m just saying, if you want another chance with her, you have to take it. You must work for it,” Mari said with a shrug. ”Em deserves to be chased by you. So you better do a good job chasing her and winning her heart properly before talking to the family. Unless of course you’re not confident that you can go against your family to be with her.”

She opened the car door and stepped out. ”That was a friendly advice to you,” she said before walking away.

”Thank you, Mari,” Callan called after her, and as he drove off, he thought hard about every word she had said.