“I hear a ‘but’ coming,” she mumbles, her voice muffled by my coat.
A silent laugh escapes me, and I press my lips to the top of her head. “I want it. I really do, but I didn’t lie last time.” My voice cracks under the weight of my terrifying truth. “There’s something wrong with me. It’s dangerous, love. I’m dangerous.”
Callie pulls back enough for our eyes to meet, her expression pointedly annoyed. “I’m super dangerous, which we’ve discussed in painful detail.”
“I am really sorry about that,” I apologize again, knowing it’ll be a while before I can make up for how cruel I was that day.
“No, you had a point,” she insists with a little nod. “Everything you said about me was true… well, except for when you were a total douche at the end there, but you were hangry, so I forgive you.”
“Hangry? That’s how you describe me that afternoon?” I stare at her incredulously, though I don’t know why it surprises me. Callie always sees people differently than the rest of us.
She shrugs and continues like she didn’t reduce my complete mental break to a Snickers’ commercial. “Not the point to focus on. The point is I already knew you were dangerous, and you already knew I was dangerous. It will always be a part of us. The difference is I don’t let it stop me from living my life.” Her features soften, and her beautiful, enthralling light shines through her gaze. “Whatever it is that you think is wrong, let’s work together to get through it. Don’t push me away.”
Everything I want is standing in my arms. All I have to do is say yes. I open my mouth, unsure of what will come out, when Kaleb exits the classroom. Surprise takes over his face before it’s covered up by his pleasant mask.
Callie feels my body stiffen, turns to see what it is, and then flushes when she meets Kaleb’s gaze. She stubbornly doesn’t let go, which I find interesting, and I wonder if I wasn’t the only one who put my foot in it.
Kaleb’s gaze rests on Callie for a moment before dropping to the ground. He clears his throat and states, “I didn’t know you were still here. Uh, lunch is almost over. If you run into the others, tell them that I… was here? I needed to do homework before practice today.”
“Sure, man,” I answer like this isn’t super awkward and I’m definitely not worried about how much he overheard. It wasn’t like I was pouring my heart out to Callie moments ago or anything… Oh wait, I was doing just that. Fuck.
“Thanks,” he croaks and then strides quickly down the hall away from us, his backpack swinging from one shoulder.
Callie sighs, shakes her head, and then steps out of our embrace to retrieve her backpack from the floor.
I do the same, picking mine up from the floor next to me, and ask, “Do I wanna know what’s wrong with him?”
Pulling her hair out from under her backpack’s straps, she replies, “He also said things he regrets, and he’s still gathering the courage to apologize.”
“Was it worse than what I said?” I pry, because, well, it’s Kaleb. He’s always so careful with everything he says and does.
She crosses her arms over her chest and raises a single eyebrow. “I’d say you were about even. You called me fickle and accused me of collecting the set. He told me we weren’t in elementary school anymore, so I didn’t need to share with the class.”
“Ouch. Have I mentioned how sorry I am for that?” I reiterate, wincing over the recollection of what I said, including the nasty things I taunted D with. I’m shocked that Kaleb was capable of being that much of an asshole. If it hadn’t been against Callie, I’d almost be proud of him.
With a flick of her hand, she dismisses both incidents. “You and Kaleb had other contributing factors that affected your state of mind, which is why I’m willing to forgive. Words hurt, but I’ve experienced worse.”
Any mention of her past tends to feel like a kick in the gut. She has every right to tell me to take a flying leap, especially after what she’s been through, but she chooses to give second chances instead.
I hold out my elbow for her, and she links her arm through mine before resting her head against my upper arm.
“Mmmm. You smell nice,” she murmurs, snuggling against me, “and I really like this coat. It’s so soft.”
“I like it too,” I agree with an indulgent smirk, living on the line of heaven and hell. This is exactly what I want, if only I could put my darker side to sleep so I can fully enjoy it. Shameful hooks rip into my mind, recalling all that I’ve done while under its control. After pressing my lips to the crown of her head, I encourage, “The next time I say or do something fundamentally stupid, I give you full permission to punch me.”
“Oh, you’re going to regret that.” She giggles, following my lead down the hall.
“I’d rather regret that than hurt you again,” I declare, my voice soft with sincerity.
A smile curves her lips as she looks up at me. “Smooth, Casanova. There’s hope for you yet.”
∞∞∞
On one side of our lunch table are Connor, Rand, and Mei, and on the other are Donovan and Felix. They all look up when they see us approach.
“Wow, what took you so long?” Mei immediately questions, tilting her head to the side to see Callie. A knowing smile curls her lips. “Did you get lost somewhere? Maybe somewhere private?”
“We were in the hallway talking next to my last class. Get your mind out of the gutter,” Callie retorts blandly while taking her seat next to Felix.
