The Resolution of Callie & Kayden(46)

I am strong.

Still, by the time I make it to where my dad and Jackson are, I’m on the verge of crying. Not because I’m afraid, but because I’m so angry.

‘Shit, Callie. What’s wrong?’ Jackson asks as I rush up to them.

‘Call the police. Tell them Caleb’s here,’ I say, wiping my tears away with the back of my hand. People are staring at me like I’m crazy, but right now, I don’t care. I just care about getting out of this store.

‘Did he hurt you?’ Jackson asks then takes off in the direction I just came from without waiting for my response. ‘I’m going to beat his ass.’

I snag the sleeve of his coat before he can get too far. ‘He didn’t hurt me. Just call the police, okay? It’s way better than beating his ass and then you getting in trouble for it.’

He glances back and forth between the aisles and me, conflicted. Eventually, he gives in. ‘Fine.’ He takes out his phone, muttering, ‘Dumb f*ck must be hiding out at his parents’ house.’ He storms off toward the doors, shoving people out of his way as he puts the phone to his ear.

I try to breathe quietly, but I start to struggle for air. I keep scanning the store for signs of Caleb, waiting for him to appear again.

Finally, my dad removes the staples from my trembling hand and sets them and the bulbs down on the nearest rack. ‘We can wait to get those,’ he says, then puts an arm around me and steers me out the doors to the truck, even though I can tell that, like Jackson, he wants to turn around and beat the crap out of Caleb.

He asks me a thousand times if I’m okay. Jackson does the same thing when he gets off the phone. I keep telling them yes because I really am okay. Yeah, Caleb is a horrible person who did horrible things, but I stood up for myself finally. I didn’t panic, didn’t let him win.

It’s taken me seven years to get to this place, and even though I’m still terrified, I’m also strong. Stronger than I used to be.

Stronger than the monster.





Chapter 19


#160 Get To Her – Get Home No Matter What.



Kayden


It’s the day after Thanksgiving and I’m sitting on the sofa, watching some television with Dylan and Liz, and texting Callie on and off during the commercials. It’s been both a rough but decent day as we all struggle through our feelings about my dad being in a coma while trying to enjoy each other’s company. I don’t think any of us knows what to do with the information about my father, so we’ve all just sort of been quiet, afraid to be the first one to speak, to say what we’re all thinking – that we might not be as upset as we should be. I could see it in Dylan’s eyes the more we talked and in Tyler’s eyes, too, which were less hazy than the last time I saw them. We didn’t get to visit him for too long, but it was nice to see him when he was not high and out of his mind. He kind of reminded me of the Tyler I knew who taught me how to ride a bike, not the one that took off and left to become a drug addict.

‘I’m going to go make some popcorn,’ Liz announces during a commercial, getting up from the couch. ‘Kayden, do you need anything?’

I shake my head. ‘No, I’m good.’ I take out my phone and text Callie again. She hasn’t responded to my last two texts and I’m starting to wonder what’s up. It’s making me uneasy, but that feeling could also be stemming from the fact I’m under a lot of emotional stress and haven’t picked up a razor yet.

Kayden: Hey, it’s me again. R u okay? I’m starting to get worried.

I hold my phone for a while, waiting for a text to come through, but instead it starts to ring. Callie’s name flashes across the screen and a smile touches my lips as I get up and go back to the guestroom where I’ve been spending my nights.

‘I’m glad you called,’ I say, shutting the door behind me. I don’t bother turning the lamp on, since the sun’s still up enough to light up the room. ‘I was starting to get a little worried.’

‘I know you were,’ she replies remorsefully. ‘Sorry. I should have called sooner.’ There’s an edge to her voice and I know right away that something’s not right.

‘Something is wrong’ – I shove some of my dirty clothes out of the way then lie down on the bed – ‘isn’t there?’

She lets out a shaky breath. ‘Kind of. I mean, everything’s okay now.’