Chapter 23 - Justin

The sky stretches out above us, a vast canvas painted with hues of orange and pink as the sun begins its descent behind the city skyline. Callie stands beside me, wearing a fitted black top that accentuates the delicate curves of her figure. The neckline dips slightly, revealing a hint of collarbone, and high-waisted jeans cling to her hips. She has paired her ensemble with a pair of ankle boots that click against the concrete with every step she takes.

Her eyes are wide with wonder as she takes in the breathtaking view from the rooftop. "Wow," she breathes, her voice barely a whisper against the backdrop of the bustling city below.

I can't help but grin, pride swelling in my chest at her reaction. This moment, right here, makes all the nerves and hard work worth it.

"Yeah, it's not too shabby, huh?" I quip, trying to downplay the effort I put into planning this evening. After all, I'm not exactly known for my romantic gestures. But seeing Callie's enchantment with the rooftop setting makes it all worthwhile.

In truth, it took some serious convincing to get my neighbor to agree to rent out his rooftop for the night. But once I explained that it was for a special occasion, he eventually relented, albeit with a few grumbles about noise complaints and potential damage to his prized tomato plants.

I had spent the better part of the afternoon setting everything up, stringing fairy lights along the perimeter of the rooftop and scattering cushions and blankets to create a cozy seating area. A small table sits in the center, decorated with a vase of wildflowers I picked up from the market earlier that day.

As Callie's gaze sweeps over the setup, I can't help but feel a surge of nervous energy coursing through me. This is it, our first official date. And despite my attempts to play it cool, I can't shake the butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

"So, what do you think?" I ask, hoping she approves of my efforts.

"It's incredible," she replies, her eyes shining with genuine appreciation. "I can't believe you went to all this trouble."

I shrug, trying to play it off as no big deal. "Eh, it was nothing. Just wanted to do something special for our first date."

Callie whirls around and hooks my neck with her fingers. "Well, you definitely succeeded."

Maybe I'm not as hopeless at this romance stuff as I thought.

We settle in at the table, where a bottle of wine rests in an iced bucket. I've hired a waiter for the evening, and he's waiting in the wings to bring out our dinner when we're ready for it.

As Callie and I settle in at the table, the evening air tinged with the aroma of the city below, I can't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over me. This is it, our first official date, and despite my initial nerves, everything seems to be falling into place.

I uncork the bottle of wine with a flourish, and a small spray of foam escapes the neck of the bottle as I pour it into our glasses. But just as I'm about to hand Callie her glass, disaster strikes. The bottle slips from my grasp, and before I can react, a crimson tide of wine gushes over the tablecloth, pooling in a puddle at our feet.

"Oh, shit," I curse, scrambling to salvage what's left of the wine. Callie stifles a giggle behind her hand, but I catch it.

"Smooth move, Romeo," she teases, handing me a napkin to mop up the mess.

I chuckle sheepishly, trying to play it off like it was all part of the plan. "Just adding a little extra flavor to the evening, you know?"

With the wine disaster averted (sort of), we move on to the next course. I had planned to cook a simple pasta dish, but as luck would have it, the noodles have decided to rebel against me. They clump together in a soggy mess, resembling more of a gelatinous blob than al dente perfection.

"Well, I guess we're having pasta goop tonight," I joke, spooning out the unfortunate concoction onto our plates.

Callie quirks an eyebrow at the sight before her, but to her credit, she doesn't protest. Instead, she takes a tentative bite, and the look of utter delight that spreads across her face is more than I could have ever hoped for.

"Hey, it's not half-bad," she admits, her lips twitching with suppressed laughter.

I grin, relieved that my culinary mishap hasn't completely ruined the evening. Maybe this date won't be a total disaster after all.

But just as I'm beginning to relax, disaster strikes again. This time, in the form of an unexpected guest crashing our rooftop rendezvous. A pesky pigeon swoops down from the rafters, its wings flapping wildly as it circles overhead.

"Oh, hell no," I mutter, waving my arms in a futile attempt to shoo the intruder away.

Callie bursts into laughter at the sight of me flailing like a madman, and before I know it, we're both doubled over with laughter, the pigeon forgotten as we revel in the absurdity of the moment. Eventually, the pigeon loses interest and flutters off into the night, leaving us alone once more. And despite the chaos and mishaps of the evening, I'm grateful for this moment. If nothing else, she will never, ever forget this as the most ridiculous date of her entire life.

"This is by far the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me," Callie murmurs, her gaze warm and tender as she meets my eyes. "Thank you for this."

"No need to thank me," I reply. "It was nothing."

She chuckles and shakes her head. "That's a lie, and you know it. You busted your ass to set this whole thing up, I can tell. So, thank you. It was sweet and thoughtful."

"I'm just glad you're enjoying it," I confess.

She leans back in her chair and glances up at the night sky. The moon is a bright orb of glowing white, illuminating the darkness, and the stars sparkle like tiny diamonds scattered across the velvet curtain.

"Stardust Hollow really is a nice little town," she muses.

"Yeah," I reply, "Have you given any thought to sticking around?"

"I'm not sure," she replies. "It's tempting, but there's a lot to consider."

"Such as?"

"What if Evan comes back?" she starts. "I keep telling myself I won't let my fear of him dictate my actions, but what if he does show up and decides to cause trouble? That's going to be an issue for everyone."

"You have people who would look out for you here," I point out. "Including and especially me."

She smiles at me and bites her lip, drawing my attention to her plush, pink mouth. "Like I said, it's tempting. There is this crazy-hot shifter I've got a thing for, after all."

I chuckle at her playful tone. "A thing? Just a thing?"

She nods and smiles. "A thing. That's all he's managed to wrangle out of me, at least."

"Not very forthcoming, are you?"

"Nope. It's a family trait," she replies, laughing softly. "You can blame my mother. I get it from her."

The playful banter between Callie and me continues as the night wears on and the city below us begins to quiet down. I steal glances at her when I think she isn't looking, admiring the way the soft glow of the fairy lights illuminates her features. There's a warmth in her eyes that wasn't there before, a flicker of something I can't quite place, but it sets my heart racing nonetheless.

"You're beautiful," I whisper.

A smile plays on her lips, and she looks away shyly. "You're not so bad yourself."

I reach across the table and take her hand in mine, bringing it to my lips. Her skin is soft and supple, and I'll never get tired of the sensation her touches send through me.

When I'm about to suggest we head home to finish the evening, something in the distance catches my eye. A plume of smoke billows up on the horizon, dark and ominous against the fading light of the evening sky. My heart lurches in my chest as I notice where it's coming from.

"Is that...?" Callie starts, her voice trailing off as she follows my gaze towards the source of the smoke.

I nod grimly, the knot of worry tightening in my stomach. "Yeah. I think it's... it's the animal shelter."

Without another word, we both spring into action and rush to the edge of the rooftop, peering out over the city skyline as we try to pinpoint the exact location of the fire to confirm what we think we see.

Oh my God. The animals.

"Shit," I hiss, scanning the horizon.

"It looks bad," Callie murmurs.

"Yeah," I agree. "We need to get down there. The animals are all shut in their kennels."

"Should we call for help?" Callie asks, digging her phone out of her pocket.

"You call, I'll drive. Let's go."