The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden(29)

He takes out a green button down shirt with a front pocket and holds it out in front of him. “You remember that guy I was telling you about? The one in my Sociology class?”

I nod. “The one with the really soft looking hair and pretty blue eyes?”

“That’s the one.” He walks over to the mirror, fussing with his hair as he inches his face closer to the reflection. “He talked to me today and I mean really talked to me for more than five minutes.”

I scoot off the bed and pick up a marker from a cup on his nightstand. “Do you think he likes you?”

He shrugs, clamping his jaw shut to keep from smiling. “It’s hard to tell who he likes, but maybe if I talk to him more.”

I work to get the cap off with my teeth and then spit it out on the bed. “Are you going somewhere?”

He tugs the shirt over his head, wiggling his arms through the sleeves and then rearranges his hair back into place with his fingers. “Yeah, with you to a club.”

My shoulders relax as I go over to the board on the back of the door with a very long list drawn on it, with very little numbers crossed off. “Are you going to be okay? I mean, I know how you feel about football players, considering what happened to you.”

He fastens a leather watch to his wrist. “That Luke guy seems pretty nice. At least he was during our ten minute conversation when we were out smoking and I think he knows about me.”

I put the tip of the marker up to the board. “Why would you think that?”

“I just got a vibe,” he says. “It seemed like he didn’t care.”

I scratch off number five very slowly and the marker squeaks. “But I’m only dancing with you.”

“Sounds like a great plan to me.” He offers me his elbow and I link my arm with his, feeling safe with him by my side as we saunter down the hall to go outside.

It’s late, the sky is black, and the stars look like pieces of shimmering glass. Crickets chirp in the damp grass and there’s a couple sitting on one of the benches kissing each other fervently. It makes me blush a little because for a split second I picture Kayden and I in their places.

“Why do you have that look on your face?” Seth wonders observantly.

I look away at the road. “What look?”

He sighs, but doesn’t press. When we reach the grass, he stops moving his feet and pulls me back, his eyes darting to my face. “Wait a second.”

I touch my hair self-consciously. “What’s wrong? Do I have something in my hair?”

He slants his head to the side and then his hand snaps out, his fingers snagging my hair. With one swift yank, he’s torn the elastic from my hair and strands fall to my shoulders. “There we go. Let that freaking hair of yours down.”

I gather my hair behind my head and stick out my hand. “Give me that back, Seth.”

Batting his eyelashes, he raises his hand and stretches the elastic on two of his fingers.

“Don’t,” I warn, lunging for him. “Please, Seth, don’t do this.”

He flicks his thumb so the elastic flings through the air into the darkness. “Whoops.”

I drag my fingers along my face as I hunch over and search the damp grass for the elastic. “Where the f*ck is it?”

Seth laughs. “Holy shit, the swear words are coming out.”

I stand up and glare at him with rage burning in my eyes as I work to tie the strands of my hair into a knot. “I need to get my hair up. Please help me find it.” Tears sting at the corners of my eyes. “God dammit Seth, where the f*ck is it?”

His expression falls and his skin drains of color as he realizes he might have pushed the wrong button. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to find it.”

I shake my head as tears bubble out of my eyes and trail down my cheeks. “I can’t breathe,” I gasp.

“You’re hair smells so good, Callie,” he says, twisting a strand of my long brown hair around his finger. “Like strawberries.”

My chest constricts as I start to sob. In three short strides, he has his arms encircled around my shoulders and is drawing me into him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize the hair thing was that big of a deal. I thought it was more of a complex.”

I wipe the tears away with my fingers and suck in a slow breath through my nose to regain control over my fear. “I’m sorry, it’s just… it brings back things I don’t want to remember.”