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“But she died of an overdose,” I argue.
“Callie said Mitch gave Chasity all the drugs she took and laced some of it with drain cleaner. Didn’t your letter talk about it?”
I shake my head no. I don’t know what to do with this new revelation. I suppose I should feel some type of sorrow for Chasity, but I can’t find it in me to drum that type of emotion up when it comes to her.
“No. Mostly my letter was a goodbye,” I answer, going over her note in my mind. “I think Callie has spent every moment since I met her saying goodbye to me.”
“Maybe it’s time to make her stop,” Katie suggests, making me smile.
If only if it was that easy.
It never is when it comes to Callie. I watch as Katie walks back toward Callie’s room.
I allow myself to think back over the note that Callie wrote me. I take it out of my pocket and read it for the fifth or maybe sixth time.
Reed,
It’s funny. I started to write Dearest Reed but felt silly. Yet, that’s what you are, dear. You always have been. I feel like I have loved you my entire life. I’ve made so many mistakes. When I look back now, all I see is regret. I wanted someone to make me feel lovable because my father never did. It wasn’t fair to you, and it allowed Mitch to manipulate me.
I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry. I know I hurt you, and you probably won’t believe me, but I never wanted that.
I wanted to tell you that Mitch was hurting me, that you were right all this time.
But I couldn’t. I didn’t know how. You have a new life now, and that makes me so happy. You deserve the best in life, and I pray that’s what you get. You need to be careful around Mitch. I need you to believe me that he is fully capable of evil. Be on guard. Don’t trust him.
Hopefully, I’m safe now and far away from Macon. I’ll be listening to you on the radio and every single time I hear you, I will be cheering you on.
Love forever,
Callie
I fold it back up and put it in my pocket. I haven’t seen Katie’s note, but mine feels very reserved, almost generic. It sounds distant and nothing short of a permanent goodbye.
I don’t know what to do with that. I’ve heard the saying nice guys finish last my entire life. Maybe I’m just a chump. I can’t change who I am, though. I’m going to continue being the man I am. I’m going to continue to love Callie. The woman in that hospital room is broken. She’s hurt, confused, and scared. She needs me. I can’t change who I am now.
I can only love her and be someone that she can depend on now.
CHAPTER 26
Callie
Two Weeks Later
“Reed, where are you taking me?” I ask as he misses the turn to go to my trailer.
“Mr. Johnson has a place for rent that I got for a couple of months. I thought it might be easier for you to stay there.”
“That’s nice of him, but I need to go home, Reed.”
“I disagree.”
“Reed—”
“Callie, that place has nothing but horrible memories for you. You can’t deny that.”
I swallow, feeling miserable all the way around. I was released from the hospital today, but I look like hell. My lung is still healing and I’m sore everywhere—and I mean everywhere. I don’t know who put Reed in charge of taking care of me, but I’m sure it’s the last thing he wants to do. I lay my head against the car window and sigh.
“It’s going to be okay, Callie.”
How do you explain to someone who is trying so hard to help you that you feel in the way?
“Reed, I have to go home sometime,” I point out.
“Tyler Jackson that works down at Mr. Johnson’s garage. He took over for me when I left. Do you remember him? He was a year younger than me in school.”
“I know Tyler. Small town, remember? He’s worked on my car before.”
“He has?”
“Yeah,” I tell him not thinking, trying to get lost in the passing scenery.
“I didn’t know. You never brought your car into Johnson’s when I lived here.”
I rub my forehead, feeling the tension building there. It’s things like this that make me realize that Mitch was dictating so much of my life, and I didn’t even realize it. He would say now that we are married, we would need to make compromises for one another. I agreed with that. I wanted us both to be happy in our marriage, so I automatically did it. Only now that I look back, I can see that he never compromised on anything. If I ever suggested something, he would make me feel bad—like I was constantly trying to hurt him or remind him that he wasn’t his brother—or make him feel inadequate. He’d say I was always trying to make him feel like he wasn’t good enough. The thing is, it was me that he was brainwashing. Me, that was daily made to feel like I fell short, that I was lacking…
