Scarlett Vanderburg's POV

I smile as yet another text comes through from Vanya, it had been three days since our reunion and I couldn't be happier. For once in my life, I think I was truly happy. I had spent the night catching up with them and the whole of the next day, and since we had parted ways I had not stopped texting them unless one of us had work or we were busy.

"Do you have a secret lover?" The absurdity of Silas's statement had me looking up, I raised an eyebrow at him, totally lost and confused as to where it came from. I was sitting in his office at Radcliff Inc while Calix was in another meeting. I needed to run through some last-minute details for the case because we were both leaving for our trip in a couple of days and the court date is as soon as we get back. "I mean it's either that or Calix is messaging while he's in a meeting with stockholders, which means you have completely broken him because he doesn't pick up his phone in meetings."

"I don't have a secret lover, nor am I texting Cal," I inform the brunette who stares at me like he doesn't know whether or not to believe me. "I'm just messaging a couple of my friends."

"Do you have other friends?" He tilts his head to the side like a little puppy. "I'm not even meaning it in a bad way, before you and your friends my only friend was Calix, and I have never heard of your interaction with anyone else."

"I do have other friends, they were childhood friends, I only saw them again for the first time the other night." Silas nods like that makes sense. A knock on the door interrupts us and Silas calls them in, there at the doorway stood my sister, without my knowledge she had moved over from being one of Calix's assistants to being Silas's. And when I asked him about it, he answered that I wouldn't have to see her when I came to visit him. He assured me that she hadn't taken a pay decrease, in fact, she had a lesser workload.

I might not be on the best terms with my sister but I didn't want her to fail at life.

"Miss Vanderburg, Mr Radliff has finished his meeting and is requesting your presence."

"Thank you, Kaitlyn." I nodded to my sister, I didn't frown or smile at her, I didn't feel much for her anymore. "I'll see you later Si."

"Bye Lettie." Silas waves but his eyes were focused on his computer screen.

I walked out of the office, and Kaitlyn was following behind me, not once did I look at her, instead, I just strutted down the hall and opened the door. Calix wasn't yet back in his office but I still made myself comfortable.

"Sorry I took a long time, Angel." Calix apologises, entering the office looking drained.

"Are you okay?" he was frazzled and evidently tired, he looked like his mind was all over the place.

Calix stopped when I asked him that, studying me like I was doing to him. It was almost like he couldn't believe I had asked him that. He took a deep breath and when he opened his eyes once more it was like this massive transformation had happened. He didn't look tired anymore or stressed. He looked content.

"How about we get out of here for a bit?" He looked at me. "I know we need to work on the case and you have to get to work."

I cut him off. "And early lunch sounds great."

A small smile lifted onto his face. "I know the perfect place."

Calix helps me put my coat on and I follow him out of his building and out into the street. We did pass Hadlee but she kept her head down and pretended not to see us. I didn't blame her.

We didn't take a driver, instead, I walked with Calix down the street, grateful I wore comfortable heels so I was able to follow him, despite the fast pace he was walking at. Despite it not being peak hour the streets were still relatively busy so Calix kept a firm grip on my hand. He didn't slow his pace until we were a couple of blocks away from his company, in front of a small restaurant.

"I used to live over there." He pointed to a tall luxury building, pretty similar to where we live. "I used to come here for dinner all the time, I haven't had as much time now due to me having other arrangements and living on the other side of the city, but I think you will like it here."

He opened the door to the small hole-in-the-wall pizzeria and instantly I was hit with the smell of freshly baked homemade pizza.

"Calix." Was all I heard before a body crashed into him, he let the girl, who looked about nine or ten hugs him.

"Hi, Evie."

"You finally came." She stared up at him with massive brown eyes, awe apparent in them. It wasn't long before a second body crashed into him, a kid almost identical to the girl, just in male form and a couple of years younger. He looked about seven or eight.

"Hey Ro."

The kids started chatting to Calix at a rapid pace before an older woman emerged from the kitchen, chastising the children once she saw Calix a large, warm smile spread across her face as she too pulled Cal into a massive bear hug. She smiles at him when she pulls back and when her eyes land on me they widen dramatically.

"Are my eyes deceiving me or did, Mr Alone all the time bring a girl to meet me?" The woman asks in disbelief and immediately pulls me into the biggest, warmest hug. Similar to the one she gave Calix. It was one of those hugs you wanted to hide in forever.

"Martha, this is Scarlett. Lettie, this is Martha, she has made sure I'm fed for almost a decade now." Calix looked at peace in this place, he was far more relaxed here than in most places.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Martha." I smiled at her.

'The pleasure is all mine, Tesoro. I'm guessing you want the usual?" She looks over at Calix.

"Actually, can you make it vegetarian today?" He asks and she nods, disappearing into the kitchen. The kids were still chatting to Calix, and he lifted both of them, one in each arm. "And most importantly, Scarlett, these are my favourite humans, this is Eveline, she's nine and this is Romano, he's seven."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Eveline asks Cali to put her down and she grabs my hand pulling me to a booth at the far end of the cafe, secluded from everyone else. "This is Cal's table."

"Is it?" I ask, engaging with her.

"Uh-huh." She confirms. "He never brings anyone with him, but you are really pretty so I'm glad he brought you."

"I think you are by far the prettiest person on the planet," I tell her, and a blush rises onto her cheeks.

"Not according to Calix, he thinks you are a princess." She tells me.

"Telling all my secrets, Evie?"

The young girl looks him straight in the eye. "No." Calix raises an eyebrow at her but when her mother calls she slips off the chair and grabs her brother's hand pulling him with her to the kitchen.

"They seem sweet." I smile, watching the kids disappear.

"They're the best, I've known them since Eveline was only a few months old. They weren't doing so well financially and wouldn't let me help them so I started eating here every day just to leave big tips. I got several earfuls from Martha for that but I know she appreciated it."

Calix says that it's a small thing, but it isn't. He helps so many people, Silas, his mother and sister and now the Verrone family. At first glance, he is so intimidating but I think it is now a defence mechanism for protecting his heart, his heart was broken after losing his dad and I don't think he wasn't to subject himself to that same torture but he was such an amazing human that I couldn't believe he even wanted to interact with me.

I lean my head on my chin and stare at him, taking in all his features. Calix wasn't what people would call pretty, even though he kept himself groomed he had this rugged look to him, he always had a faint stubble on his chin and you could see faint white lines indicating old scars left behind from the fights Silas had told me all about.

"What?" Calix asked me, meeting my stare but with soft honey eyes.

"Nothing."

"Keep looking at me like that Miss Vanderburg and I might just fall in love with you."

"Like what?" I played innocent, widening my eyes like I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Like I'm the best thing you have ever seen." He whispered to me, just loud enough that I could hear him from my place from across the table. "I'm nowhere close to the best Scarlett."

"I find that pretty hard to believe," I whisper back as Martha brings back this massive pizza, my eyes widened at the size of it, there was no way we were finishing this between the two of us.

"That looks incredible," I tell Martha with a genuine smile. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Tesoro." She grins before disappearing back to the kitchen. I take one of the slices and a moan slips out before I could stop it, this was amazing. I looked up to see Calix had paused, this time his eyes were trained darkly on me, fire alight in his eyes.

He leans in even closer to me. "Keep making sounds like that, Angel, and I will not be responsible for my actions."

I don't think my face had ever had a deeper red than it had been right now.

Calix and I just chatted about anything while we finished our lunch. All the pressure and tension I had seen in him earlier had slowly started dissipating and now he looked rejuvenated and fresh and ready to get back to work. When it was time to pay Calix would not allow me to pay some of the bill even though I insisted. Normally we ate at home and we would alternate making dinner and if we went out it was in a group setting where we all just chipped in for our portion.

"I want to pay too," I argue, but the expression on Calix's face showed me he wasn't budging. "Okay fine, if you get the bill I can pay the tip and get dessert."

"One or the other, the tip or dessert." He negotiates.

"I have money, Calix."

"I know you have money, but I want to spoil you."

In the end, Calix got the bill but I placed a hundred dollar note in the tip jar making him shoot me a look since it was more than the overall total but I didn't look at him.

"Thank you for lunch, Martha. It was amazing." I thank the owner.

"Of course, dear. Make Cal bring you back, yes?"

"Of course, I will," I assure her. "Bye guys."

The two kids wave back at me Cal says his goodbyes and we exit the restaurant together. I grip his hand that was tangled in my own, swinging it as we walk.

"So dessert on me?" I ask with a grin.

"Not a chance, Angel."

Well, it was worth a try.

So I don't think I made you guys wait too long, I have been trying to update like once a week at the least but I don't know if I will be able to stick to that.

Life update, I'm trying to start a small business just for like pocket money but my dad also wants me to come and work in his office. And I'm also doing school so I have no idea how busy I'm going to be in the near future.

But I think I'll survive, at the moment I'm just trying to finish this book but I have no idea the direction I want to take it in.

Anyway enough of a rant, please vote and comment and I will hopefully see you next week

Ara <3