The Resolution of Callie & Kayden(3)

I cringe internally at the painful reminder. ‘I already told you I decided not to.’

‘I know, but I was hoping you changed your mind. I think you’re wrong about Kayden not being ready for that big of a step. And even if he isn’t ready, I still think you should know where he stands,’ he tells me as we halt at the corner of the sidewalk, waiting to cross the street. ‘You guys have been together way longer than Greyson and me, or Luke and Violet.’

‘Yeah, but the four of you all live together.’ I know I’m giving him an excuse and not the truth, but I don’t want to even think about the truth right now because it kind of hurts.

‘You want us to all get a place?’ Seth asks as we shuffle off the curb and cross the street to the quaint-looking coffeehouse that has one of the best mocha cappuccinos I’ve ever had.

I shake my head. ‘Six people under one roof is too much.’

‘Good, because I really didn’t want to,’ he says with a playful nudge in the side. ‘I just didn’t want to seem like a jerk.’

‘You’re not a jerk,’ I tell him as I jump up onto the curb. ‘You’re the bestest friend ever.’

‘You’re so right.’ He points a finger at me. ‘Just like I’m so right about needing to talk to him, see where your future lies.’ He steers us around a car pulling out of the coffee shop. ‘I love the boy to death, but he needs to start expressing how he feels more instead of always leaving you guessing.’

‘Kayden’s good to me,’ I say defensively. ‘But he’s had a lot of stuff happen to him and it makes it hard for him to trust people, I think.’

Annoyance fills Seth’s expression. ‘So have you and that’s something you both need to remember.’

‘Seth, please just drop it, okay?’ I hope he can’t read me as well as he usually does because I don’t want to talk about this.

He studies me suspiciously. ‘You’re keeping something from me,’ he says as we arrive at the coffee shop, but instead of walking in, he stops just before we reach the door and makes me stop with him. ‘Okay, Miss Callie, fess up. What aren’t you telling me?’

A stray strand of my bangs falls into my face as I try to keep my gaze averted from him, but I’ve never been a good liar and end up breaking down beneath his withering stare within seconds.

‘Okay, fine.’ I blow out a breath as I look at Seth. ‘I do know for sure that Kayden doesn’t want to live with me because I asked him at the beginning of the year.’

‘What!’ Seth exclaims, dropping his hold on me. ‘Why am I hearing about this now?’

I inch toward the railing as someone walks out of the door to the coffeehouse. ‘Because I didn’t really feel like talking about it.’

He frowns as he puts his elbows on the railing and reclines against it. ‘Well, what exactly did Kayden say? Just straight up no, I don’t want to live with you?’

‘Well, he didn’t straight up say it like that,’ I explain. ‘I just said something about how it’d be cool to live in an apartment with a roommate next semester and how I was thinking about it, but I needed a roommate … and he didn’t say anything.’

Seth relaxes and shakes his head, restraining a grin. ‘My dear, darling, naive Callie. Implying something isn’t the same as asking.’ He pats my head like I’m a child. ‘And when it comes to guys, you have to make sure to be really straightforward with what you want. Trust me, I have to deal with it all the time with Greyson.’

‘Yeah, you’re probably right.’ I move back as he reaches around me and opens the door for me to go inside. ‘It’s just really hard putting myself out there like that because, what if he does give me a flat-out no?’

Seth follows me inside then lets the door go, shutting out the cold. The air smells like fresh coffee and cinnamon and the sounds of clicking keyboards flutter around us since many students come here with their laptops for the free Wi-Fi.

‘I don’t think he will,’ Seth says as we get in line.

I stare at the menu above the countertop, trying to figure out what to order. ‘I’m not so sure …’ I step forward with the line. ‘He’s been really sad and kind of distant lately.’

‘Then ask him why. Callie, come on. I know this is your first relationship, but you guys are close enough that there shouldn’t be space between you.’ When I start to open my mouth to protest, he adds, ‘Hey, you have to listen to me. I’m now officially a psych major and know what I’m talking about.’