The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden(76)

“Where is it?” I had asked him, turning around.

He was locking the door. Why was he locking the door?
***
A week goes by and I avoid Kayden at all costs. I ignore his calls, skip out on the one class I have with him, and don’t answer my door when he knocks. I feel bad, but I’m too embarrassed to face him. I assumed after what happened he’d just walk away, but it’s not the case.

At the end of the week, I sneak off to the library when I know he’s in Biology class to find some books for a paper I have to write about depression. The campus is fairly quiet since it’s so close to the holidays. My mom and dad are flying out to Florida to see my grandparents for Thanksgiving, so I’m not going home. I can’t afford the plane ticket to fly there with them, either.

While I’m searching a shelf, my phone buzzes in my pocket. “Hey, I thought you had class,” I answer it.

Seth says, “Shouldn’t I be saying the same thing to you?”

“I’m taking a break today.”

“A break from what, though?” he asks with insinuation.

“Life.” I skim my fingers along the titles, feeling the worn spines of the books. “Besides, I’m using my time to catch up on assignments. By the sound of that music playing in the background, I’m taking it that you’re watching reruns of Pretty Little Liars.”

“Hey, I’m not planning on spending all day in my room,” he argues. “In fact, I’m going to head out right now to see you. Where are you?”

I sigh, standing up straight. “I’m in the library trying to find this damn book on depression. The catalogue said it was in, but it’s totally not on the shelf.”

“What section are you in?”

“I’m in the back corner, near the window that shows the stadium.” I swallow the lump in my throat that forms when I think of Kayden.

“Are you going to be there for a while?” he asks and the television shuts off. “I’m heading out now.”

Standing on my tiptoes, I peer up at the top row of the shelf. “Probably. I’m too short to see the top.”

“Alright, Callie Girl, one knight in shining armor is on his way.” He hangs up and I put my phone into my back pocket.

I search the nearby aisles for a stepstool I’ve seen around a few times. Finally, I give up and go back to the spot. Propping my foot on the second shelf up, I check from left to right and climb up the shelf.

“There it is,” I say and grab the book from the row. I hop down and sense someone move up beside me. When I glance up, suddenly Seth’s little comment about a knight in shining armor makes sense. Kayden is in front of me, wearing jeans and a black hoodie, his brown hair disheveled.

“Hey.” His shoulders are rigid and his voice is tight. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

“Yeah,” I admit, fiddling with the corners of the pages. “I’m sorry about that. There was just some stuff going on.”

“You don’t need to be sorry, Callie.” He rests his arm on one of the shelves and leans his weight against it. “I’d just liked to know what’s going on… Did I… did I push you to do stuff?”

I shake my head. “Nothing about any of this is your fault, I promise. I wanted to… everything that happened, I wanted.”

His shoulders unstiffen. “Then why did you run off?”

“It’s complicated,” I say, staring at the spot on the floor in front of my feet.

He angles his body forward and lowers his face to capture my gaze. “You could talk to me about it. Maybe I can help. I’m pretty good at understanding complicated.”

“It’s not anything that can be helped,” I say. “It’s just something I’ve got to work through.”

He lets out a gradual breath. “I completely understand that.”

“I’m really sorry for freaking out on you. I shouldn’t have just run off or avoided you for the last week. I just didn’t know what to say and felt stupid. I’ll try not to do it again.”

“Is there going to be another time for you to try to not do it again?”

I didn’t realize what I was saying. “I don’t know. What do you want?”

He chuckles lowly. “I think I’ve been pretty clear on what I want. So it’s really up to you. What do you want, Callie?”

My eyes travel up his long legs, his tight chest, and land on his eyes that care about nothing more than to hear my answer. I want him. I want him. I’ve scribbled it down in my journal many times because it’s the truth.