The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden(102)

Gently slipping my arm out from beneath her head, I grab my phone and sneak out the door, looking at her one last time before I leave. Trotting down the steps, I text Luke to come pick me up, then I start walking down the sidewalk away from her house toward the unknown.

I walk a ways in a direction I’ve never been, letting the cold air consume me. About fifteen minutes later, Luke’s truck pulls up to the curb. I hop in, rubbing my hands together as the heater blasts against my skin.

“Okay, what’s up with the totally random f*cking message?” He adjusts his beanie lower on his head and cranks up the heater. “You do realize I was about to get lucky with Kelly Anallo?”

“Sorry,” I mutter. “Where were you?”

“Down at the lake.” He cranks the wheel to the right and drives down a side road. “There was a party going on.”

“You didn’t happen to see Callie’s brother and Caleb Miller down there, did you?”

He halts at a stop sign, cranking up the defroster as the windshield fogs up. “Yeah, they pulled up right as I left to come get you.”

“Then drive down there.” I motion my hand for him to drive. “I have something I need to do.”

We drive in silence as I bounce my knee and drum my fingers against the door. The truck bounces as we weave through the trees and surface out the other end. When we pull up, I spot Caleb by the bonfire near the shoreline, chatting it up with some blond chick wearing a baggy jacket over a tight pink dress.

“I need your help with something,” I say as Luke shifts the car into park and starts to get out of the car.

He pauses with his leg outside. “What’s up? You’re acting kind of weird… it’s freaking me out a little.”

I don’t take my eyes off Caleb. He’s shorter than me by an inch or two, but I remember him picking a few fights at parties and he can definitely hold up his own. “I need you to have my back.”

Luke gapes at me as he puts a cigarette in his mouth. “Are you planning on picking a fight?”

I nod unwaveringly. “I am.”

“So you want me to make sure you don’t get your dumb ass kicked?” He cups his hand around his mouth and flicks the top of the lighter.

“No, I want you to stop me before I kill him.” I flip the handle and hop out.

“You what?” A puff of smoke rises in front of his face.

“Stop me before I kill him,” I repeat and slam the door.

He meets me around the front, flicking the end of his cigarette, sending ashes to the ground. “What is this about, man? You know I don’t do well in reckless situations.”

I pause at the end of the line of cars. “If someone you… cared about a lot got hurt in the worst way possible by someone else, what would you do?”

He shrugs, staring at the fire. “It depends on what it is?”

“Something really bad,” I say. “And it scarred them for life.”

He takes a slow drag off his cigarette and then turns his head toward me. “Alright, I got your back.”

We hike over to the fire, the rage inside me burning as brightly as the flames. People are yelling, laughing, filling up beers from the kegger on a tailgate. There’s music bumping from one of the car stereos and a lively game of beer pong is going on by the lake.

Daisy shows up in front of me with a huge grin on her face and a plastic cup in her hand. “Hey, party boy, I knew you’d show up.”

I shake my head with annoyance and step to the side. “Get out of my way.”

She’s taken back and presses her hand to her chest, like she’s a wounded deer. “What is wrong with you?”

“He realized what a bitch you are,” Luke chimes in gladly and blows smoke in her face.

“Oh my God. You’re such an *,” she says, fanning her hand in front of her face, looking at me expectantly to defend her.

I wave her off, dodge around her, and march straight for Caleb. Weaving through the people, I step out into the open near the fire. When Caleb’s eyes meet mine, his expression falls, but he doesn’t budge. He knows what’s coming and he waits for it like he wants it.

I step toward him and a smile curls at his lips as he starts to lurk toward me. “What the f*ck are you doing here?” he asks. “And where’s pretty little Callie?”

I sucker punch him in the jaw, which is where I make my mistake, but I can’t take it back. The crowd gasps and the girl in the pink dress drops her cup, spilling beer onto the dirt, and she skitters to the side.