“That’s kind of why I called,” she finally says.
“What’s up?”
“I’ll be coming home tonight because I get off early.”
“Good. You’re coming to the house, right?”
“I was thinking it’d be better if I go home. I can see you tomorrow.”
“No, I want you here tonight, honey. I want you in my bed.”
“I’m not feeling so well, Reed. I wouldn’t be much company.”
“Hold up. Sweetheart, are you sick?”
“Kind of,” she says so quietly that I can barely understand her.
“You stay there. I’ll come get you.”
“No, that’s silly. I can drive fine. I’m just having stomach cramps.”
She sounds so tired, and if she’s having cramps, there’s a chance she could be dehydrated. She did so much before she left.
“Callie, maybe you should go to the doctor.” I can’t stop the worry that bleeds through my words. I don’t even like the idea of her being sick—especially since she’s not here with me.
“Reed, stop worrying.”
“Honey, you can’t say that to me. You’re sick and I’m not there to take care of you.”
“Please quit worrying. I’m fine. This happens every month.”
“Christ, this happens that often? When you get back here, we’re seeing your doctor. I can’t believe they haven’t been testing you for things. Don’t worry, honey. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“Oh my God, Reed, stop. This happens to most women.”
“What?” I ask, still clueless.
“Really? What happens to women every month?” she asks.
It’s clear she’s torn between laughing and being exasperated with me. I’m panicking because she’s sick. I study her question in my head for a bit and then it hits me.
“Shit. You’re on your period.”
“God, I wish the floor could swallow me up. I don’t really want to talk about this with a guy that I’m—”
“That you’re what, honey?” I prod, my lips spreading into a smile now that I’m not worried that something is seriously wrong with Callie.
“You know…” she mumbles. I can hear her embarrassment, but I think I can also hear the fact that she’s happy.
“Come home to me, Bluebird. Let me take care of you, please?”
“I’m really not much company like this, Reed.”
“Come home to me,” I repeat.
She makes me wait a minute, and I don’t mind admitting that I’m sweating while I wait for her response. Finally, she takes pity on me. “Okay, but it may be really late before I get there.”
“I’ll be here waiting.”
“See you soon, Reed.”
“Can’t wait, sweetheart.”
I click off my phone only after she does. Even after our connection goes dead, I stare down at it, thinking about Callie.
“Fuck,” Jake hisses, disgust in that one word that pulls my thoughts away from my woman.
“What’s your problem?”
“You’re still so fucking hung up on the girl that you can’t see that she’s toxic for you,” Jake says, shaking his head.
“The girl has a name. I love you like a brother, Jake, but you better lay off Callie. She is off limits when it comes to you saying shit. My woman has been through enough.”
“Your woman? Last I heard you were a big star and lived in Nashville.”
“You haven’t bothered to talk to me in a while. If you did, maybe you would know.”
“Know what?” he asks, studying my face.
“I’m moving here full time. Callie and I are together again and—”
“Reed—”
“And nothing is going to tear us apart again,” I finish.
“You’ve been back in town, for what, a week? Two weeks at the most?”
“That doesn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Bullshit. You come back in town and meet up with Callie and the two of you are living on feelings and emotions you had when we were kids. People change, Reed. They don’t stay the same. You two don’t even know each other anymore.”
“When did you become such a cynic?”
“I’m not a cynic. I’m a realist. There’s a difference.”
“You don’t know me or Callie, Jake—not anymore. What we have is real.”
“I know you’re seeing me as a bastard right now, but I’m not. The truth is, I pray like hell that it’s real this time. You deserve happiness more than anyone—and I say this even after you helped keep my child hidden from me—”
“Jake—”
He holds his hand up to stop me. “It’s water under the bridge at this point. Neither one of us can go back. I’m just saying that when it comes to Callie, I happen to think you are fooling yourself.”
“And I happen to think you’re wrong.”
“You better pray I am because that girl nearly destroyed you the last time. Now, you could lose the entire life you’ve built. You better make damn sure of her feelings and that she’s worth it before you throw everything away,” he warns.
“I don’t remember you being so jaded in school, brother.”
“I told you, people change. We aren’t the same as we were back then. Life changes all of us. You need to pay attention to that.”
“Any other life lessons you want to impart since you’re doing so great at it, Jake?”