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“Fuck me, she speaks!” Dev cries sarcastically. Obviously it was a quiet drive back then. “Tex, if it has alcohol in it, get it.”
Tex returns to the kitchen, grumbling under his breath. I’m nervous. Devon is making me twitchy and I absentmindedly rub the Celtic knot tattoo that’s on the inside of my left wrist.
Callie sinks down on the sofa and stares off into space and Devon surprises me by sinking down next to her and taking her hand in his. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him so gentle with her.
“What happened?” Tex asks, returning with a bottle of rum and four glasses. He dumps them on the table and I lean in to pour us all a glass before passing them out. Callie's hands shake as she takes hers from me, her tea untouched, but she still seems miles away.
“Spill,” I say once everyone has had a drink.
“So we were at Matteo’s new place—”
“Oh, how is he?” Tex cuts in. Devon shoots a death glare at him. “Sorry. We can catch up later.”
“Everything was fine until the servicing guys started up an engine and it…well, triggered her I guess.”
My gut reaction is excitement. Finally we might have a real breakthrough on Callie’s ‘love’. Then Dev’s words sink in and I feel sick and appalled with myself. I don’t want to see our girl hurting.
“Shit, Cariño. Are you okay?” Tex asks, moving to sit on Callie’s other side and stroking her arm. She jerks her head in a semblance of a nod.
“What happened next?” I ask.
“It misfired and she leapt out of her skin. I took her outside to show her that it was just a bike, nothing to be scared of, but she was already like a zombie. She knew what was going on around her though. When Matteo said the bike belonged to a doctor, she reacted.”
“Fuck.” This is it. “Can you speak to Matteo? Get this guy’s details?”
“I will. But I want to talk to Callie. I think it’s time we were all honest with one another.”
Well, he’s had a change of heart. I stare in shock as he turns to Callie, taking both of her hands in his this time.
“Callie, I can’t even begin to imagine what happened to you, but if I could trade places with you or take your pain and suffering for my own, I would in a heartbeat. I love you. We all love you. You need to know that we worked tirelessly to get you back from the second we knew you were gone. And we haven’t stopped since. Because returning home with you changed everything. You were changed. You are changed. And while that’s completely understandable, we can’t let the people who hurt you go unpunished. Which is why you have to tell us everything now. We can only manage so much in the dark and I think that bike today has something to do with it.”
“You love me?” Callie asks, staring up at Devon with tears glistening in her eyes.
“More than you’ll ever know. Trust us, tell us everything.”
“I’m so…ashamed,” she whispers as the tears begin to fall.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing that happened to you was your fault.”
“I’m scared.”
“Of what? I will slay every fear you have. Every nightmare that plagues you will be obliterated. We will protect you from every haunt. Every memory. Nothing will ever touch you again, even your past.”
“You’ll look at me differently.” Her voice is so low I have to lean across the table to make out her words. Every one is a knife to the heart.
“Nothing could change the way I feel about you.”
“You already treat me differently.”
“It’s because we’re in the dark. Tell us everything, let there be no more secrets. Let’s get back to us.”
I can see it on her face, the temptation and longing for what Devon is promising. And I understand why. His words are mesmerising. An impossible seductive promise. If only we could go back. It’s impossible of course, but it’s what Callie needs to hear right now. We need her to trust us, to trust in us.
Callie reaches out and grasps her glass, before lifting it to her lips and downing it.
“Another.” She holds the empty glass out to me and I oblige. I see the resignation on her face. We’re doing this. “You all need drinks too. You drink them and don’t speak. Not a single word. If I’m doing this, I have to get it done in one go. No interruptions. No freaking out.” She says that last bit while glaring at Devon.
And I know this is the moment, and it’s deadly serious, but a smile is tugging at my lips. There’s a strength in her eyes that rings of the old Callie. I see it on her face, hear it in her bossy tone and the way she puts Devon in his place with just one look. It’s amazing.
