he Resolution of Callie & Kayden (The Coincidence, #6)(27)

‘He’s still in rehab.’ He scoops up the football from the floor as I open the drawer and put the clothes in. ‘But I might get to see him. I think anyway.’

‘Good.’ Mustering up my best smile, I turn to face him. I am happy for him and everything, but I just hope it goes well for him. I worry. ‘I’ll miss you, though.’

‘You could always come with me,’ he says with hope as he clutches onto the football.

‘I wish I could, but I already told my mom I’d come home. Plus, Jackson’s going to be there and I haven’t seen him since Spring Break. And I made a number on the list to try to have a better relationship with him.’ I point at my door where the whiteboard with the to-do list usually is, but furrow my brow when I realize it’s gone.

‘What on earth. Where’s my list?’ I glance at Kayden. ‘Was it here when you came over today?’

He shrugs, rotating the football in his hand. ‘I have no idea.’

I scratch my head. ‘Maybe Seth took it for some reason.’ I start to reach for my phone. ‘I should call him and ask.’

‘But anyway,’ Kayden says, clearly cutting me off, ‘that’s good you’re trying to patch things up with your brother.’ He grabs my hand as I give him a questioning look. ‘I know that’s been hard for you, considering Caleb was his best friend.’

I decide to ignore his weird sidetracking thing – for now anyway – but I will get to the bottom of it.

‘He’s been really nice since I finally told him what happened,’ I say as Kayden gives my arm a tug and lures me toward him. ‘I don’t want to be mad at him anymore. It was too exhausting and there’s no point in holding grudges.’

The corner of his lips tip to a half smile. ‘You always say stuff that I feel applies to me.’


‘Oh, that’s not what I meant,’ I begin to protest as our bodies greet each other. ‘What happened between Jackson and me isn’t the same as what your father and mother did to you. At all.’ I feel horrible for what I said. Kayden should be able to hold a grudge against his father and mother, forever in my opinion. After his father stabbed him and nearly killed him – stuff like that just doesn’t erase. The large scar on Kayden’s side proves that.

‘Callie, relax. I know you weren’t referring to me.’ He gently tugs on a loose strand of my hair. ‘I was just teasing you.’

I assess him carefully. He seems like he’s being honest and looks almost happy. ‘You seem in a good mood. What’s up?’

He rolls his tongue in his mouth to keep from smiling. ‘It’s nothing. I’m just happy I’m here with you.’

I tip my head and study him suspiciously. ‘No, something’s up. You’re like super happy and you just purposely sidetracked me from the fact that the list is missing from the door.’

‘Okay, maybe there is something on.’ He’s so cute, trying to restrain a grin. ‘But I can’t tell you right now.’

‘Is it bad?’

‘No. It’s good, I think.’ He’s totally enjoying this.

‘Okay, now I really want to know.’ I pout out my lip. ‘Please.’

Chuckling under his breath, he reaches up and touches my bottom lip with his fingertip. ‘That trick’s not going to work on me.’

‘What trick?’ I ask innocently.

He gives me a look. ‘Are you trying to tell me that you don’t purposefully pout your lip out when you’re trying to get your way?’ he asks and I get a guilty look on my face. ‘Yeah, see. I can read you just as well as you can read me.’ He winks at me then pulls me in for a kiss, dropping the football to the floor. Our tongues instantly tangle and within seconds he’s picking me up and carrying me toward the bed.

I have every intention of pulling off his clothes and re-experiencing the moment we shared in the car a few weeks ago, but then the door swings open and Harper comes walking in.

‘Oh shit.’ She halts in the doorway when she spots us on the bed, legs entwined, bodies pressed together, hands all over each other – thankfully no one’s clothes have come off.

‘Sorry,’ I apologize, sitting up while Kayden remains lying down, his fingers sketching up and down my back. ‘We were just …’ How am I supposed to finish that sentence? We were just about to have hot, sweaty sex? Yeah, that sentence is not coming out of my mouth.

Harper dithers in the doorway, hugging her books to her chest. ‘I can come back.’

I shake my head and hop off my bed. ‘No, it’s okay. I needed to run to the store anyway.’ I reach for my jacket as Kayden begrudgingly gets off the bed and picks up his football.

‘Hey, could you by chance pick up a roll of tape for me?’ Harper asks as she drops her books onto the bed. ‘I ran out last night.’

I nod. ‘Sure.’

‘Thanks.’ She forces a smile as she starts to unbutton her jacket. ‘Actually, Callie, before you leave … could I talk to you?’ She flicks the last button undone then sets her coat on the bedpost, her eyes flicking to Kayden before they land on me. ‘Alone maybe?’

‘Um, yeah, sure.’ I turn to Kayden who shoots me a puzzled look. ‘Can I meet you out in the car?’