‘I know that, Callie.’ My brother follows me outside and down the stairway. ‘You’re tougher than a lot of people.’
‘Wow, two compliments in a day,’ I joke, jumping off the last step and into a fluffy pile of snow that reaches the ankles of my boots. ‘It’s a miracle.’
‘It’ll be a miracle if it stopped snowing.’ He zips his coat up to his chin and glares at the cloudy sky. ‘I’m going to freeze my ass off.’
‘The weather in Florida’s making you kind of a baby.’ I pick up a handful of snow and ball it up in my hand. ‘You know that.’
Now he’s glaring at me. ‘You throw that at me and you’re going to pay.’
I make the snow in my hand into a firm ball then I back down the frozen sidewalk. ‘I’ll only pay if you can catch me, but I have a feeling that Florida Boy is going to fail epically when I run up the snowbank.’ Then I stick out my tongue and launch the snowball at him.
I don’t think he thought I had the guts to do it because he doesn’t even duck. It hits him straight in the face and I feel kind of bad, but not enough to stop myself from laughing.
Looking pissed off, he wipes the snow from his face with the sleeve of his jacket. ‘You’re so going to pay for that.’ He cracks his knuckles as he walks toward me. ‘I think you’ve forgotten how good I used to be at mad, crazy snowball fighting.’
‘The key words being used to.’ I take off running before I even finish my sentence, knowing full well that this is probably going to end with me getting my face shoved in the snow. He used to do it all the time when we were younger and Jackson hasn’t grown up enough not to do it now.
Just like I predicted, by the end of our mad, crazy snowball fight, Jackson is smashing snow in my face. I’m on my back on the snowbank near the dumpster, laughing my butt off as he stands over me, pressing snow into my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Luke’s truck pull up and park under the carport near the building.
‘Fine, I give up!’ I laugh, kicking at Jackson, feeling like a kid again, having fun with my older brother, something that stopped happening when I was twelve. ‘Just stop! Luke’s here.’
‘I warned you not to mess with me.’ His cheeks are red because I did manage to throw a few more snowballs at his face. Just to be an ass, Jackson drops a handful of snow on the top of my head before helping me to my feet. Then we slip down the steep hill and walk back toward the carport area. My coat is full of snow and I try to shake it out while Jackson laughs his head off at me.
‘This is so cold,’ I say as we approach Luke’s truck.
‘Just wait until we hit the slopes,’ Jackson replies, plucking some flakes of snow out of his hair. ‘You’re probably going to get a face full of snow every time you try to stop.’
My nose scrunches. ‘Way to boost my confidence.’
Jackson’s mouth spreads to a grin. ‘Anytime.’
I’m thinking of a comeback when the truck door swings open and Luke hops out. He’s wearing a vintage-looking leather coat, a beanie, and has black work boots on. ‘Figures it has to be snowing when we do this,’ he remarks, slipping a pair of gloves on.
Luke used to scare me when I first met him. He just has that look about him that screams back the heck off. But once I got to know him, I realized he was actually really nice and that the look came from his own inner demons.
‘I hope you don’t mind, but I brought some people with me.’ Right as he says it, Violet climbs out of the passenger side. Like Luke, she’s wearing a beanie over her wild locks of red and black hair, boots, and a leather jacket, only unlike Luke, hers has studs in it. Violet is actually the perfect match for Luke and not just when it comes to looks either. Although I can seriously picture two figurine replicas of them standing upon the top of a gothic wedding cake.
‘The more the merrier,’ Jackson tells Luke, stomping some snow off his boots. ‘And the less I have to carry.’
‘Well, aren’t you just a gentleman,’ Violet says sarcastically to my brother, unimpressed.
My brother responds by checking her out, his eyes quickly scrolling up her body.
I jab him in the side with my elbow. ‘Ew, stop it,’ I hiss under my breath. ‘She’s Luke’s girlfriend and you have your own, remember?’
Jackson gives me a whoops look, totally busted. ‘Sorry.’
I’m surprised by how easy he lets it go and I turn to Luke and Violet, reaching into my coat pocket to get my own gloves. ‘Ready to get this party started?’
‘Yeah, just as soon as I bundle up.’ The voice doesn’t come from either of them or my brother, but from the passenger side of the truck.
My head snaps in the direction, my heart leaping in my chest before I even see him. ‘What the heck are you doing here?’ I ask as I sprint around the back of the truck, nearly wiping out on a patch of ice, but I regain my footing and launch myself into Kayden’s strong arms, a little too forcefully because he lets out a grunt.
His arms slip around me and he holds me tightly against him. ‘I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to be here with you.’
‘I needed you here, too,’ I say, because even though I handled the thing with Caleb just fine, I’d needed him, something I’m discovering now.
‘I know.’ He hugs me tighter.
To everyone else, it probably looks like we’re happily reuniting. That, like the apartment, this was another amazing surprise. And it is in a way. But only I can hear the desperation in Kayden’s voice, the silent plea for me to never let him go.
And it’s exactly what I do.
Chapter 22
#164 Party Dance Like a Rock Star.
Kayden
Dylan had let me use his flyer miles to change flights and go home early, but only if I promised to visit for Christmas and bring Callie. Hopefully, Callie won’t mind that I agreed because I really just wanted to go home to her.
The flight home, I’m a mess and have to keep repeating to myself all the reasons why I don’t need to cut.
Callie.
I don’t want to go back to that place where I become that person again.
I’m not happier when I do it.
It’s unhealthy, both mentally and physically.
Callie.
I’ll have to start all over again.
My body already has too many scars.
I want to be better.
I need to let go of the past.
Callie.
Callie.