by L A Cotton
“I…” she panted, and I couldn’t resist kissing her, swallowing her sexy little moans.
“Oh my god, I’m going to—”
I yanked my fingers away and she gasped.
“What are you—”
“Leaving you hanging, get it?” I smirked, bringing my fingers to my mouth and sucking them clean. “You taste good, sweet—”
“I can’t believe you just did that,” she seethed, refusing to meet my eyes.
Silence settled over us.
She had a point.
I shouldn’t have done that. Not because I cared, but because I didn’t want her to think I cared.
Truth was, I shouldn’t have done a lot of things where Calliope James was concerned. But I couldn’t seem to stop myself. She drove me in-fucking-sane.
“You still want me,” I said devoid of emotion. “Even after all this time, you—”
“Don’t.” She let out a resigned sigh. “Just don’t. We’re not the same people we were back then, and you—”
“I what, huh?” I snapped, anger rolling through me like an angry storm. “Why don’t you tell me what I did.”
Calli regarded me for a second, trying to find a chink in my armor. Keep trying, sweet pea, you’ll never find it.
She couldn’t hurt me. Not again. I was dead inside. Nothing but a black soul with darkness coursing through my veins.
I wanted her to hurt. I wanted Calli to experience even a fraction of the pain and betrayal I felt every time I looked at her.
“I’m not doing this.” She huffed defiantly, turning away from me.
It was for the best, because seconds later, our cart rolled into the loading bay and the guy was unclipping the safety bar.
Calli shot from the ride, rushing over to Josie’s side. Little Molineux pinned me with a hard look, but I shrugged it off, climbing out and going over to them. Kira intercepted me though, lacing her arm through mine.
“There you are.” She beamed up at me. “Take me for a ride on the Ferris wheel?” she said as if she hadn’t just watched me and Calli ride together.
“Later, yeah?” I brushed her off, fighting the urge to meet Calli’s death stare.
Victoria and Joel were next off the ride. “That was so embarrassing.” She clutched her necklace. The locket my brother had given her for their second anniversary.
“If it wasn’t for Joel I’d probably still be stuck there.” She shot me a look of disapproval.
“I couldn’t let Calli ride alone.” My shoulders lifted in a dismissive shrug.
“Of course.” Joel moved closer. “Thanks for that.” He gave me a small nod, making a beeline for Calli. “Hey, do you want to maybe get something to eat?” he asked her.
“That sounds perfect. That ride gave me an appetite.” Calli eye’s flicked to mine. “Besides, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about actually.”
My blood boiled. She was determined to push me to my breaking point.
Two can play at that game.
“We’re going to get food,” Joel announced. “Catch you guys later.”
“Actually,” Brad said, “I could eat? Josie? Guys?”
“Sounds good to me,” I said. “Kira, babe, you hungry?” Hooking my arm around her neck, I pulled her close and nuzzled my nose in her hair. Calli’s eyes flared but her anger quickly turned to rage when I smirked.
“Ravenous.” Kira gave me a suggestive smile.
We all headed over to the food truck area. There was everything from hot dogs to tacos to dirty fries.
“Everything smells so good,” Kira said. “I think I’ll get a salad.”
A fucking salad.
I smothered a snort.
“Zach, come with me?” She didn’t bother waiting for my reply, dragging me off toward one of the food trucks. We joined the line and I searched for Calli in the crowd. She and Joel were in the line for dirty fries. Her eyes were crinkled with laughter. But I wasn’t laughing.
I hated her, but I hated watching her with him more.
“Zach?” Kira yanked my arm.
“Huh, what?
“I said, I was hoping you’d ask me out sometime.”
“You were?”
“Well, yeah.” She smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re... so hot.”
Right. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
“And I’ve always wanted to date a Scorpion.”
“Didn’t you hook up with Dev before the summer?”
Her cheeks pinked. “That was nothing.”
“No?” I leaned down slightly. She was at least a head shorter than my six two. “So what was it?”
“Zach...” A nervous giggle spilled from her lips. “You know how it is. We were drunk and I—”
“Couldn’t resist riding his dick?”
I was being an ass, but Calli had me all twisted up inside. Nothing made sense anymore, not since seeing her at the party and discovering she was a freshman at SU.
“But it isn’t Dev I want.” She glided her hands up my chest, gazing up at me like I was a fucking god.
“Next,” the server yelled with perfect timing.
Kira gave a little sigh and turned to reel off her order, which wasn’t much considering she was getting a salad.
Like a moth to a flame, I glanced over at Calli again. She and Joel had gotten their food and were seated at one of the huge wooden tables. They were huddled close, still laughing.
Fuck.
Why did I care so much?
You know why...
I pushed the unwelcomed thoughts down.
“I’m ready.” Kira nudged my shoulder, stalling when she noticed my fixation with Joel. “What’s up with that?”
I frowned.
“Joel and Cassie?” She looked at me like I was stupid.
“Calli?” I snapped a little too sharply.
“Yeah, who even is she?” Kira failed to keep the jealousy out of her voice. Victoria and her girls were possessive over the team. Everyone knew that.
If only you knew. I swallowed the words.
I ignored Kira, leaving her to her salad as we headed back to the others.
“That looks good,” Victoria said, tucking into her taco. “But I needed some grease.”
“A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips,” Kira sang, sliding onto the bench next to Brad. He and Josie were keeping their distance, but she’d looked a little disheveled when they stepped off the ride.
“What did you get, Calli?” Victoria asked her.
“Just some loaded fries.”
“Nice. So where did you say you were from again?”
It was an innocent enough question, but I knew Victoria and she’d barely spoken two words to Josie or Calli all night.
“I... uh...” Calli flushed, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.
“Shit, get it off me,” Josie leaped up, flailing her arms around. “Somebody get it off me.”
“Relax, Jos,” Brad said, “there’s nothing there.”
“There’s not?” She heaved a big sigh. “I thought there was a wasp. My bad.” Josie dropped sheepishly onto the bench. I caught her eye and raised a brow, impressed at her theatrics.
But Victoria was like a dog with a bone, so I was hardly surprised when she said, “So Calli, you were saying?”
“I...” Her eyes darted to mine and I sat a little straighter, waiting to see what she would say.
Outing herself, would be outing our connection.
It occurred to me that given Victoria’s insistence Calli answer the question, that she’d probably figured something out. I didn’t know how she knew, but I knew Vic well enough to know she was stirring the pot.
“I come from Bay View.” Calli inhaled a sharp breath as her words punctured the air.
“Bay View?” Joel stuttered, glancing between Calli and me and back again. “But isn’t that where—”
“Surprise.” I chuckled, but it came out strangled.
“So you two
know each other?” he gawked at us.
I shrugged. I wasn’t about to bail her out of this.
“We went to high school together for a while,” Calli said.
Victoria looked triumphant, watching Calli splutter for words.
“You went to Bay View High School?” Brad added, oblivious to the tension crackling between the four of us—Calli, Victoria, Joel, and me.
She nodded and he rubbed his jaw. “Nice. Callum James went there too.”
The blood drained from her face, panic swimming in her eyes.
“Oh, did you know Callum too? How funny, you have almost the same name.” Victoria grinned, like the cat who got the cream, as she watched her plan fall beautifully into place.
It hit me then, she’d orchestrated this whole thing. From setting up Joel and Calli to getting them here tonight. She wanted the truth to come out... but why?
What did she stand to gain?
“Calli?” Joel said, a hint of hurt in his voice. “Were you and Zach friends?”
“Hardly.” The word spilled from her lips without hesitation. She might as well have taken the plastic knife on her tray and stuck it straight in my back.
“And Callum?”
“I...” She gulped, her face as red as beets.
Everyone else watched on, hanging on the tension swirling around the two of them. Joel looked at her with such disappointment it was almost as bad as hearing her say we weren’t friends.
“They’re not friends,” I said waiting for the flicker of relief in her expression. When it was firmly in place, I delivered what I knew would be a crushing blow.
But hearing her dismiss me so easily had fanned the flames already raging inside me.
“Calli is Callum’s little sister. Isn’t that right, sweet pea?”
“W- what?” Joel recoiled, confusion clouding his eyes. “You’re Callum’s sister?”
“Fuck me, that’s some bad luck, man.” Brad whistled through his teeth, and Joel shot him a hard look.
“I... I need to go.” Calli scrambled to her feet, almost slipping. She managed to right herself and took off into the crowds.
“I’d better...” Josie jumped up and went after her.
“So dramatic,” Victoria snickered. My eyes slid to hers in question and she smiled innocently. “What?”
“You knew,” Joel accused me. “You knew and you didn’t say a word. Why?”
“Wasn’t my story to tell.” I scrubbed a hand over my jaw.
“That’s kind of messed up that Callum didn’t mention her,” Saul said. “Did you know she was coming here this year?”
My shoulders lifted in a small shrug. “I was as in the dark as much as the rest of you.”
Joel’s eyes burned into the side of my face. He probably had questions, a ton of them. But I wasn’t about to sit around and argue with him over Calli.
“I need to get some air.” He got up and ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck.”
“Come on, bro.” Saul and Dev flanked his side.
“What the fuck, Messiah?” Brad hissed. But I wasn’t about to do this here, not with Victoria and Kira salivating for more gossip.
“Just think how Joel’s going to take it when he finds out you’re messing around with his sister.”
“Fuck you, Vic,” he snarled at her. “Just because you’re hurting doesn’t give you the right to—”
“Brad,” I warned.
“Seriously? You’re going to defend her?”
I ran a hand down my face letting out an exasperated breath. Victoria went to speak, but I cut her off. “You and Kira should take off.”
“W- what? But we came together.”
“Victoria, just go.” I met her scowl with my own. “You’ve done enough tonight.”
“Zach, don’t be such a—”
“Come on, Vic. I think we should go.” It was the first sensible thing Kira had said all night.
“Yeah, okay, whatever.” Victoria hovered, no doubt waiting for my apology. But it never came. My eyes remained straight ahead, my jaw clenched so tight my teeth hurt.
The second they were gone, Brad exhaled a long breath. “I know she’s hurting, but she’s a real bitch at times.”
He wasn’t wrong.
But then I was asshole most of the time too.
Maybe that’s why it was so easy to be around her. Pain and grief hardened you. It made you all jagged edges and sharp toothed.
“Want to talk about it?” he asked.
“No, I really fucking don’t.”
“I’m sensing there’s more to the story than you’re letting on. You know—”
“Brad, I said leave it.”
“Fine.” He held up his hands. “But seriously, what’s with Callum not telling any of us about her? That’s fucked up.”
“I don’t know. I’m not exactly friends with the guy.”
We were teammates.
He was my brother’s best friend. His second. And his loyalty and friendship was the one thing I hadn’t inherited since arriving at SU.
Callum didn’t want me here, any more than I wanted to be here.
Josie stormed over to the table, glowering at me. “Seriously, Messiah. What the fuck is your problem?”
“Whoa, Jos, relax.” Brad gawked at her. “This isn’t on, Zach.”
“Oh really?” she seethed, narrowing her eyes at me.
“Josie, babe—”
Her lips parted on a surprised gasp and Brad paled. “I didn’t mean... fuck...”
“Yeah, the two of you clearly have this,” I wagged my finger between them, “under control.”
“Can you give us a second?” she asked Brad. He nodded, sliding out of the bench.
“Can I trust you with my girl, Messiah?”
“Brad!”
“What?” He shrugged. “Zach knows, there’s no use in hiding it.”
“But Joel—”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Messiah?” His brow flicked up.
“Yeah, yeah.”
His eyes lingered on Josie’s mouth and for a second, I thought he might kiss her. But reason prevailed and he stalked off, leaving me to face her wrath alone.
“What?” I barked.
“You’re a piece of shit, do you know that?”
“Now hang on—”
“Has it ever occurred to you that Callum had his reasons for not telling you all about her?”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” My fists curled against the soft material of my shorts. I didn’t like the shadow in her eyes, like she was about to deliver a crushing blow of her own.
“Their mom...”
“Fiona, yeah? What about her?”
Josie hesitated, inhaling a harsh breath. “It’s not really my place to say anything, but that girl is currently breaking her heart because your little girlfriend enjoys feeding off of the misery of others.”
“Girlfriend?” I spat the word, my stomach dropping at the insinuation. “She’s my brother’s girl or have you forgotten that?”
“Have you?” Accusation coated her words.
Anger bristled under the surface. I knew what people were saying about me and Victoria. But it wasn’t like that.
Except that one time it almost was.
Fuck.
“Just get to the fucking point, Josie. I don’t have time for this.”
“She died, okay,” she blurted out. “Their mom died, and Callum hasn’t told a soul.”
“What the fuck did you just say?” I jerked back as if she’d slapped me.
Fiona wasn’t dead.
She couldn’t be.
I would have known.
Josie nodded slowly, sadness washing her expression once more. “Cancer. Three months ago. From what I can gather, Calli stayed by her side the entire time. God,” she rubbed her collarbone, “I can’t even imagine.”
“She’s... gone?”
A cyclone of pain and confusion slammed into me. I remembered Fiona
. Her kindness and compassion. She was always accepting of me and my fledging relationship with her daughter. Fiona hadn’t turned bitter and angry at her husband for leaving them or even blamed Callum for his less than stellar life choices.
She was a good person.
A good mom.
“Why are you telling me all this?” I choked out, still reeling from the bombshell Josie had just dropped.
“Because she came here, knowing how hard it would be... and she did it for her mom. To honor her promise to a dying woman. That girl is so fucking strong.” She heaved a deep breath.
“Look, I don’t know all that went down between you. That’s your business. But I do know this... Calli already has a brother that abandoned her and a father than sounds like a selfish asshole. She doesn’t need you and Victoria tag teaming her. You don’t want her? Fine. Then leave her be. SU is big enough for the both of you.”
Her words were like a slap to the face.
Fiona was gone.
Dead.
And Calli hadn’t breathed a word about it.
But why would she? I’d been nothing but an asshole to her since she arrived.
“I didn’t know,” I ground out, the words twisting something deep inside me.
Josie’s eyes bored into me and I didn’t like the fact she could see through the stone mask I wore as armor.
And then she said eight little words that rocked my world.
“Would it have changed anything if you had?”
Calli
The walk back to campus was long. But I needed to clear my head.
They knew.
They all knew the truth.
All thanks to Victoria and Zach.
I’d seen the sick satisfaction on his face as he’d outed me in front of Josie and his friends.
And Joel.
Poor sweet, undeserving Joel.
I’d wanted so badly to tell him, but then the Ferris wheel happened, and I was confused. Confused about why my body responded to Zach so viscerally after all this time... after his betrayal.
I’d known the fair was a bad idea. I needed to distance myself from Zach and the team, not place myself in the center of them. But I couldn’t help myself. I liked Josie and I liked Joel, even if he didn’t evoke the same emotions inside me that Zach did.
God, Zach. Why?
Why?
I let out a shuddering breath as I crossed the street to my building. After the long walk and constant stream of tears, I wanted nothing more than to strip out of my clothes, slip under the hot shower jets, and wash away the stain of the night’s event.
