Chapter 26 – Familiar Presence

Callie was still trying to process Dave's unexpected compliment—and the way he seemed to care, even if he masked it with his usual stern demeanor—when she noticed a group of people walking toward their section of the beach. Something about them seemed oddly familiar.

Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes locked onto a particular figure among them.

No. It couldn't be.

But it was.

Kyle.

Her ex-fiancé was there, walking alongside a group of men who exuded confidence and familiarity. Doctors, she realized. Their group of medical professionals, the same ones Kyle had always been around. And leading them was another familiar face—Ralph.

Her stomach twisted. She hadn't seen Kyle in nearly two years. Not since the engagement had crumbled, leaving behind an ache she had worked so hard to bury. Seeing him now, so effortlessly part of his usual crowd, made her wonder if he had ever felt the loss as deeply as she had.

Callie barely had time to react before Ralph's eyes lit up in recognition. He broke away from the group and walked straight toward her with an easy smile, while Kyle remained where he was, watching from a distance.

"Callie," Ralph greeted, his voice warm and genuinely pleased. "Wow, it's been a while. Didn't expect to see you here."

Callie forced a smile, trying to ignore the sudden tightness in her chest. "Yeah, same here."

Ralph studied her for a moment before lowering his voice. "How are you?"

She knew what he meant. He wasn't just asking about her well-being—he was asking about her and Kyle. About whether the wounds had healed or if they still festered beneath the surface. About whether she was ready to face the ghost of her past that stood just a few feet away.

Before she could answer, a familiar presence loomed nearby. A shadow, unwavering and solid. When she turned, she found herself staring into the unreadable, yet intense gaze of Dave Howard.

His expression gave nothing away, but there was something in his stance that sent an unspoken message. It was the same look he had given her before—possessive, protective, and maybe just a little irritated.

Callie swallowed hard, torn between two very different emotions warring within her. On one side, there was Kyle—her past, the man she had once imagined a future with, the one who had left her shattered. On the other, there was Dave—the man who frustrated her, challenged her, but had also, in unexpected moments, made her feel seen.

Kyle hadn't moved, but she felt his presence like a weight on her chest. His gaze, cool and assessing, flickered between her and Dave before settling on her with something almost unreadable.

"Callie," Kyle finally spoke, his voice smoother than she remembered. "It's been a long time."

She nodded stiffly. "Yeah, it has."

Ralph glanced between them, clearly aware of the sudden tension. "So, how do you two know each other?" he asked, looking between Dave and Callie with curiosity.

Dave didn't hesitate. "We're colleagues. And friends."

The way he said it—firm, unwavering—sent a shiver down Callie's spine. There was no room for doubt in his tone, no space for misinterpretation. He wasn't just answering the question; he was laying a claim, whether he realized it or not.

Kyle arched an eyebrow but said nothing.

Callie suddenly felt the urge to leave, to escape the battlefield that had suddenly formed around her. But at the same time, she knew she couldn't run from this moment. This was her past colliding with her present, forcing her to decide how much of it she was willing to hold onto—and how much she was ready to let go.

The waves crashed softly in the distance, a stark contrast to the storm brewing between the three of them.

And Callie had no idea which way the wind would blow.