“I’m going after Callie.” I toss some clean socks into my bag, knowing she isn’t going to like what I’m doing. “She’s in here, Dal,” I cover my heart with my hand while glaring at her and see her eyes widen, “and I’m not prepared to lose her without a fight.”
“Why? What’s so special about her? You’ve been with lots of girls, why are you chasing this one? Ah, it’s the chase. Usually everyone just puts out for you and this one hasn’t.”
I smirk, if she only knew!
“Oh my God, I don’t want to know.”
“Dal, I’m telling her,” I raise my hand when she goes to interrupt me, “and I’ll ask her to keep it to herself, which I know she will no matter how pissed she might get at me. But it’s the only way to stop her from misunderstanding what goes on between us. You know that right?” I know this conversation isn’t going to go well, but I certainly wasn’t expecting to be greeted by silence. “Dal?”
“I don’t know what to say.” She moves forward and sits on my bed. “We’ve kept it to ourselves for all this time…you promised.”
I shake my head. “I didn’t promise your mom. I promised you…Callie means the world to me and I’m not going to sit back any longer and watch her get on with her life without me in it. So what if word gets out that you’re really my sister. My sisters are old enough to understand, even my mom, has moved on from what dad did to her by going with other women. Honestly, I don’t think it will be too big a surprise to her and I know your ‘dad’ is a bastard so if the shit hits the fan then you can come live here.”
“I’m scared Reece. They’ll hate me.” This is the reason why I haven’t said anything because of Dal and her fear of being rejected like her mother did to her, it’s also the reason why I let everyone think there was something going on between us, but it has to stop – now.
“I’m not going to tell her all the other shit because that’s your story to tell, but the fact that we share the same blood has to be told.”
“This is my fault. I need to go with you and apologize to her…explain.”
“No. I really don’t think that’s a good idea.” This is so not a good idea considering they didn’t get on to begin with.
“Reece, stop and think. If she doesn’t believe you or if you screw it up then I’ll be there to confirm what you tell her… Look, I really want to help, okay. I was a bitch to her because I felt threatened and yes that is hard to admit, but I’m sorry and I really do want to help you get her back.”
Oh fuck! She has a point, but I really don’t want to piss Callie off as soon as she sees me. “On one condition.” She meets my eyes, surprise filling her own at my firm tone. Normally I let Dal walk all over me. “You stay back at the hotel while I go and see her. I need to try and get her to listen to me first before I bring you both together again…and we’re having separate rooms. That isn’t open for discussion. If I’m doing this, I’m doing it right. Plus I’m really hoping she’ll spend time in my room.”
Dal stands up and starts pacing back and forth. “You’re an ass, you know that? You can’t go there and expect to get straight back into her panties. Can’t you spend time with her? Get her to show you around where she lives without your dick getting some action. God, men!” She’s really in the swing of things now. “You’re all the same – ruled by that thing between your legs.”
I smirk. “As though you’d know that,” I reply, knowing she hasn’t been with anyone. At least, I don’t think she has. Narrowing my eyes, I ask her, “How do you know that, Dal?”
“Really. You’re asking me if I’ve been invaded by one of your kind?” She rolls her eyes.
“What the fuck is wrong with you. Can’t you just answer?”
“I’m not answering a question like that because it’s none of your business.” She stands with her hands on her hips looking pissed and ready to punch me, but I can’t stop.
“You know everything about me, sometimes probably too much so, yes, I want to know if you’ve finally had your cherry popped.”
“I really want to smack you in the face right now,” she states.
“Answer the question so we can move on.”
“I hate you right now…and no I haven’t had my cherry popped, but I read. I read lots thanks to the kindle you bought me, although I still indulge with the odd paperback. Ugh! You happy now, you don’t have to go and beat someone up for fucking your sister?”
“Jesus Christ. I really don’t want that image in my head…just go and wait in there.” I wave my hand toward the lounge, and thankfully she goes.
I shudder because I so do not want the image of my sisters with a guy. Fuck, I feel sick.
“You’ve gone and done it now,” Phoenix shoves his way into my bedroom and closes the door behind him while I have no clue as to what he’s referring to.
“Huh?”
“Callie’s not coming back…as in never. She’s enrolling at the local college to finish out her courses, but she isn’t coming back here. And I’ll give you three guesses why, but I can assure you that you’ll only need one!” He runs his fingers through his hair. “Fuck, Thalia keeps crying. Have you got any idea how fucking helpless I feel when she cries?” He sits on the bed, which Dal vacated not even five minutes ago and freezes when he spots my half packed bag. “You going somewhere?”
“Texas.” I rub the back of my neck. “I didn’t know she was planning on staying there, but she’s been gone long enough so I was going to bring her back, after I’ve explained Dal to her and gotten down on my knees to apologize.” I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m worried about her reaction to me. The fact remains I didn’t defend her, regardless of who Dal is.
Ignoring Phoenix while he stews on what I’ve just said, I toss a new pair of converse into the bag before zipping it up. If I’ve forgotten anything then I’ll have to manage because I just want to get going. The sooner we leave the better.
“I’m not going to tell Thalia what you’re doing so she doesn’t tell Callie you’re on your way.”
I nod in response and wait for him to leave before I close my door and head to the kitchen and the notice board where I write a message to Donovan, telling him I’ll hopefully be back in a few days. I hope.
I turn to Dal and ask, “You ready to go?”
“Yeah.” She jumps up and grabs her bag, but stops when faced with a frowning Phoenix.
“Um. She going?” he asks, his hands on his hips.
“Yeah. She’s going to stay out of the way unless Callie won’t give me the time of day, in which case she’ll go and explain everything to her. But hopefully it won’t come to that.”
Phoenix shakes his head. “Thalia told me it was because of her that sent her running. Did that not happen?”
I sigh. “That kinda happened, but it’s not what she thinks… Fuck.” I look at Dal, who offers me a small smile with a nod to her head. “Dal’s my sister,” I say meeting my best friend’s look of disbelief. “Look it’s no secret about what my dad was like. Ugh. Nobody else knows, okay. No one in my family – no one and we need to keep it like that until I can get home to tell my mom, which should be fun.”
“Fuck! I can’t believe you’ve kept that quiet for all these years… Shit! I’ll keep it to myself, but you need to get home once you’ve told Callie before it gets back to one of your sisters. Christ, you know what they’re like.” He starts laughing. “This is so funny.”
I shove him. “There is nothing funny about this.”
“Yeah, there is, but I’m going to go before you punch this work of perfection.” Phoenix makes a rapid exit, which is for the best.
“That went well. I don’t think he believes us,” Dal states, chewing her bottom lip.
“He believes us,” I walk toward the front door, “he’s just being an idiot. C’mon, let’s get outta here.”
Chapter 23
Callie
I’m a nervous wreck! The hot guy I was expecting to belong to the sleek, black car that was parked
in my parents’ drive belongs to Creepy Drew. Apparently, he’s been back for the past twelve months and works for his father’s company, so he’s been doing business with my Dad. If I’m honest he is kinda hot. Certainly a change from the past. He looks to have muscle under his clothes and with his dark blonde hair, blue eyes and sexy grin. I can definitely say that he isn’t as creepy as he used to be. He just doesn’t seem to have that creepy vibe about him anymore, and when he looks at me his eyes are different, clearer.
My mom keeps asking me why I won’t take him up on his offer to take me around town. She’s driving me crazy, so much so that I’ve been trying to avoid her the best I can. I’ve never admitted to her that he’s always freaked me out and that he was the reason why I got locked in the attic as a child.
We are both grown now and young adults, so maybe he’s changed. I mean his physical appearance has changed and he certainly seemed different when mom invited him to stay for dinner and then proceeded to sit him beside me!
But yeah, I’m still nervous around him and now I know he’s around the property with my dad. My nerves have been dancing and I’m hiding in my room, not wanting to be caught alone with him because my mom is out with her ‘lady friends,’ I use the term loosely, because of what they discuss or even what one or two of them have gotten up to in the past. Sometimes, I wish I hadn’t spied on my mom’s friends when their get together took place at our house. But fuck, the stuff they came out with. My sweet mom talking about sex and stuff. God, it made me shudder in disgust. I mean it’s okay for me to have hot sex and stuff, but my mom and dad. That’s just, eww.
Thump, thump.
Oh, shit. I freeze. Someone’s banging on the front door. Dad said he was taking Drew somewhere on the property, but I wasn’t paying too much attention. Surely though they couldn’t have finished. Could they?
Thump, thump.
I jump from my bed and hiding behind my curtains peak down…huh. I can’t see anyone although there is a red car parked up in the driveway. Well at least I know it isn’t Drew, but I’ve no idea who it is.
Thump, thump.
Turning from the window, I dash out of my room and downstairs, knowing, at the very least I’m not going to be caught alone with him.
Not bothering to look through the glass beside the door, I pull it open and come face to face with my current heartache.
We just stare at the other. Neither of us moving. My eyes travel over him a few times to make sure he’s really standing in front of me – and he is. What’s he doing here? I meet his gaze, which nearly floors me. My whole body is frozen in place.
“Callie,” he whispers, moving forward he takes hold of my face in a caress and rests his forehead against mine before closing his eyes and inhaling. He opens his eyes and says, “I’ve missed you.” His voice quivers. “God, Callie.” He kisses my forehead before letting me go, although, with how slowly he removes his hands I’d say he removes them reluctantly.
I clear my throat and step back. “What are you doing here?” I ask, wrapping my arms around my stomach while I try not to let him see how happy I am to see him. My happiness pisses me off after everything he’s done.
“I need to talk to you… To explain.” He rubs his neck, which I’ve noticed he does when he’s nervous or frustrated.
“Haven’t you said enough already?” I counter.
“Dal’s my sister,” he blurts out.
I can’t believe he’d stoop so low. “Are you for real? Your sister? Really? Oh my God, Reece. You must think I’m an idiot.”
“What. No. Callie. I’m serious. My dad and her mom… Please let me in.”
He sounds too real for it to be a lie, but why the secret?
“Okay.” I step back and let him shut the door behind him, but not before I catch Drew in the distance watching us.
Creepy. Despite the looks and the different air around him, Drew is definitely still creepy.
“C’mon.” I lead him upstairs and to my room because it’s the only room in the house where we’re guaranteed privacy. I’m twenty-two so I have an agreement with my parents. Basically, I can have anyone I want in my room, male or female, for as long as I want, but I’ve not to have sex in my room. Yeah, I rolled my eyes at that one. Mainly because I was thinking “as if.” At the time I didn’t have a boyfriend, let alone anyone interested. But I’ve no interest in having sex with Reece in my room or anywhere else for that matter.
Okay, I’m lying. I’ve missed him more than I thought I would considering we hadn’t spent that much time together before he screwed it up, again.
Walking into my bedroom, I quickly glance around to make sure nothing has been left out. I’m not the neatest of people and have a bad habit of leaving clean clothes out when the housekeeper gives them to me to put away. I certainly don’t want my panties lying around the room.
“Nice.”
I turn to look at him. “Yeah, it is… Reece, sit down, you’re making me nervous.”
He pauses for a minute before walking over to my closet and dropping to the floor he straightens his legs out in front of him and rests his head against the door behind him.
“It’s good to see you,” he tells me before clearing his throat. “I told Dal I was coming here to tell you the truth because I’m hoping the truth will make you forgive me for being a dick. I’ve screwed up more than once with you and this time was just so fucking screwed up.” He rubs his neck, again. “Ah, okay from the beginning. Dal overheard her mom and dad shouting about who her father really was. She was thirteen. When her mom shouted my dad’s name Dal came over to my house ready to do what, I don’t know, but she ended up telling me what she’d overheard. So, I confronted my dad. He was shocked at first, but then he got all cocky and told me I didn’t know what I was talking about. It’s been hard living with the knowledge of what Dal is to my family. Yes, she’s my sister, but she’s also my dad’s guilty secret. We decided to keep it to ourselves and I guess it’s just become second nature not to speak out about it.”
Wow, I certainly wasn’t expecting that kind of explanation. I can see how hard that was to tell me with his uneven breathing. He’s upset. God, all I want to do is walk to where he’s sitting, climb onto his lap and wrap my arms around him. I’ve missed him so much. But until I know why he didn’t defend me, I can’t do that. It hurt more than I can say.
“Callie, please say something.” He holds his hand out to me before dropping it back down to his lap.
“Doesn’t your mom know? Surely after all this time.” I wrap my arms tighter around my waist.
He shakes his head. “She doesn’t…at least I don’t think she does. My mom isn’t the strongest of people, and when I found out about Dal’s parentage was around the time my dad left. I think it would have finished my mom off finding out about Dal. I was pissed at first and blamed her, but once I’d calmed down and realized what her home life was like, I realized none of it was her fault. So we became friends. Donovan knows, he said he overheard me on the phone with Dal. Apparently he overheard us talking at some point, but decided to keep it to himself and I told Phoenix as I was leaving to come down here.”
And I grumble about my parents being over protective, but what must their lives have been like growing up. That’s so sad.
I’m starting to get a headache with everything, first trying to hide and stressing over Drew and now taking in the hot guy who holds my heart and what he’s telling me. But I still need an answer, so I ask, “Why didn’t you defend me to her? She said some hateful things and you agreed.” I swipe a tear from my cheek without looking away.
He sighs. “Will you let me hold you while I try and explain. I really need you in my arms right now.” Laughing, he looks toward the window in embarrassment.
I can always pull away right? If I don’t like what he has to say. Standing up, I walk over to him, which has his eyes back on me as he watches me get closer and closer to him. Instead of sitting beside him, I straddle his legs and make myself comfortab
le on his lap as he pulls me against him. I rest my face against his chest and breathe him in. All man – chocolate and spice mixed into one and he’s all mine…or he was. Maybe…
“I don’t really know what to say other than I’m more sorry than you’ll ever know. Not just for standing there and letting Dal trash you like she did, but for what I said outside the club. I didn’t mean any of it. I was seething inside while I listened to her going on and on about you, but I was also angry with myself because I’d already let Dal talk me into spending the following day with her on my bike, when I wanted to spend it with you. So instead of saying anything in your defense I just stayed silent beating myself up for being a dick and not thinking things through before agreeing to stuff.”
He tangles his fingers in my hair and tilts my face up to meet his eyes. “I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you, but in the past there’s never been anyone to think about but myself. I was feeling guilty about that and I’d had enough of her going on, so I just agreed, because I thought it would be easier. The thing is, I wasn’t planning on doing that, I was going to talk you into coming back to my place and shoving Dal onto the sofa and you in with me. But that kinda got screwed up when you overheard her and then me.”
He bends and gives me a gentle kiss on the lips before pulling away and searching my eyes. “I’m sorry I hurt you Callie that wasn’t my intention.”
I wrap my arms around him and rest my face against his shoulder, inches away from his ear. If I wanted to I could stick my tongue out and lick his ear, which usually gives him an instant woody, but that will have to wait for a few minutes.
I’ve missed him so much and want to believe everything can go back to how it was, but I really don’t think it can. “Reece, I understand that Dal is your sister, and, well, family always comes first. But I can’t be with you if you’ll always be agreeing and going off with her without a thought to me or my feelings.” I slap my hand over his mouth when he goes to speak. “Please let me finish. I want to be with you and I know I sound like I want you to always put me first, but that’s not it. I’d just like you to at least think about me before going off making plans or whatever if I’m going to be your girl because I’ll always think about you before making mine. Does this make sense?”
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