Catalyst (Savior Complex #1)

12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Jace

D r. Whatever the fuck her last name was said Callie would feel drowsy, not that she’d be dead to the world. We let her sleep yesterday, waking her up only to make sure she got enough to eat and drink. And while I loved to snuggle with sleepy Callie, she had important shit to do, like dropping out of school.

… Well, the term she used was medically withdrawal, but same difference.

And, seeing as we’d have to walk directly into her mom’s office to pull her out of classes, it was my job to help the princess piss off her parents one last time before being removed from their slimy grasp. And nothing pissed off parents like a scary boyfriend. But Kane was busy. And while I was nowhere near as frightening as him, I didn’t mind being mean.

At exactly a quarter past nine, I walked into her room, breakfast in hand.

Callie didn’t so much as stir when the door creaked open. Her blonde hair was wild with sleep, and she’d balled herself up in the covers. I knew that meant her fever was probably back, but that also meant she was going to wrap her gorgeous self in my arms the second I woke her up.

That thought had me practically skipping to her bed like a fucking moron. Being excited to cuddle was virgin behavior, which meant me feeling like this was mortifying. Fuck, I had someone pay to lick my ass-hole last night, but the idea of having Callie rest her head on my chest caused my pulse to skyrocket.

God, I was fucked when it came to this girl. But I could unpack all that in therapy. Right now, I was on a mission.

“Psst, Princess. I’ve got breakfast,” I whispered, placing the bagel on her nightstand. “I’ve also got a plan to piss your mom off.”

She didn’t even twitch. So, I did what any logical, totally not hopelessly in love person would do and climbed into bed with her.

The mattress dipped as I settled beside her, sliding an arm under her shoulders and pulling her close. Instantly, she shifted toward me, nestling against my chest with a sigh. All it took was her weight against me, her head tucked perfectly under my chin, and I’d have sworn the rest of the world didn’t exist. It didn’t need to, as long as I had her.

“Callie, it’s time to wake up,” I said, keeping my voice far too stern for my liking.

She let out a low groan, hiding her face in my chest. I sighed as I stroked her hair, silently praying she couldn’t hear the racing of my heart.

“Five more minutes?” She pleaded.

I smirked, willing to give her five more hours as long as I got to stay with her. But alas, we had to be productive. Gross .

“Five more minutes? You really think I’m going to let you sleep the day away again?” I grinned, tilting her chin up so she’d have to look at me.

Her sleepy eyes blinked open as she made a face, one that was mostly hidden by her hair, and burrowed herself back into my chest. “I’m serious. Just five more.”

“Mmmm, what’s in it for me?”

“I’ll let you feel the baby move.” She yawned as she readjusted herself.

Her cheek still lingered on my chest, and while it was clear she was more awake, it was also clear she wasn’t going anywhere yet.

“It does that?” I asked with a curl of my lip.

“ He .” Callie corrected. “He’s been doing it for a while, but last night was the first time I saw it.”

“He’s pissed you took his powers away.” I shrugged, still trying to decide if I wanted to take her up on the offer.

The idea of feeling a baby move seemed gross. Something writhing underneath someone’s skin sounded like the premise of a horror movie, not a magical moment to enjoy. But… It was Callie, and obviously, she was excited about it. Why else would she offer to let me do it?

She pulled back just enough to look up at me. “Do you want to? … It’s okay if you don’t.”

Something about the way she said it—like she was already preparing herself for me to say no—irritated me to no end. I could brush off a lot of things, but disappointing her? How dare she think I’d do that.

“It’s not that–I just, I’m not used to babies,” I said, trying to sound casual as I lifted my hand, letting it hover above her stomach. “Uhh… where is he?”

I didn’t miss the small smile she tried to hide as she took me by the hand, guiding my palm to rest low on her stomach. Something about this act of intimacy felt heavier than everything else we’d been doing… but it also felt nice . Like somehow, this made us more than fuck buddies.

We sat there in silence, my hand against her belly, waiting. I almost felt stupid. And then—there it was. A faint push against my hand. Like the little guy was telling me to get off his mom.

“I… wow.” My voice came out rougher than expected.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to recoil in disgust or if I wanted to chase the feeling just one more time to make sure that it was him and not some undisclosed parasite.

“It’s weird, right?” She laughed, and I had to admit it was nice seeing her perk up a bit.

“Yeah,” My admission was soft. “Weird.”

But that didn’t quite cover it. Feeling that little thump had done something to me—something I wasn’t sure I liked. Something that made all of this feel way too real.

She nudged my palm back against her stomach, and I didn’t fight it. In some fucked up part of my brain, I was glad she’d made my decision for me. We waited in silence for the baby to kick again, and I kept my gaze on my hand, but I could feel her watching me. I just didn’t know why.

Eventually, another, much softer flutter brushed against my hand. This one caused a weird lump to form in my throat.

The kid was real—alive and kicking. I could almost picture him in there, probably getting bigger by the day. It should have freaked me out. And honestly, it did a little, but it was also kind of exciting.

“Does he have a name?” The shake in my voice was fucking embarrassing.

She let go of my hand, leaving me to run it back and forth over the curve of her stomach.

“Sulien mentioned the name Sawyer before he died… but, he was also convinced we’d be having a girl.” She said, almost sounding a little disappointed.

Sawyer Seo… or Sawyer Voltaris . I wasn’t super into Callie keeping her family’s last name after everything they’ve done to her, but the name sounded good either way.

“I think Sawyer is a good name for a boy too… assuming you like it.”

She nodded.

“Then Sawyer it is.” My throat tightened as soon as the words fell from my lips.

I just helped name Sulien’s kid … was I allowed to do that? Sure, it wasn’t like he was going to fucking do it. But… that felt like I was crossing an invisible boundary. Part of me wanted to blurt out that she could change it, that she wasn’t obligated to let me do any of this. But… she didn’t seem to mind.

She placed her hand back on mine, softly tracing the red vine-like tattoos that wrapped around my fingers.

“Sawyer.” She repeated the name as if she needed to test it. “That feels… right.”

I nodded, swallowing against the lump in my throat. It did feel right, and that scared the hell out of me, which is why I needed to shatter whatever moment was budding between us.

“All we need to do is stop by a playground and scream it… See if it’s good when we’re pissed at him.” I laughed.

But her nose scrunched. “Were your parents pissed at you a lot?”

I paused, metaphorically being crushed by the elephant in the room. Shin and Gianna said my folks weren’t the type, but they’d died when I was too young to remember if that was true or not. And Callie didn’t need to know that. So, that was my cue to pry myself out of bed.

“Come on, Princess. It’s time to disappoint your mom.”

Walking into Valor University felt… weird. The halls were completely packed with students, both super and not. I wasn’t sure if most people could tell the difference, but I could. Super blood smelled sweeter and would often have slight notes of something related to their power. Kane smelled like a freshly blown-out candle, Gianna smelled like mildew, Sulien and Shin smelled spicy, and Callie smelled like sugary sunlight. Normally, their scent gave me a pretty good idea of what people could do… But Callie didn’t smell like most mind readers.

Most telepaths reeked of metal. And while I had no reason not to trust Callie, I had a feeling she could do more than spy on someone’s thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to think about that, though.

The thick leather soles of my boots echoed off the white tiles, but the sound was quickly swallowed by the rush of whispers. Each of the snobby little brats carried a holier-than-thou air with them, acting like they owned the place. That was until they saw me .

Their eyes would widen before they averted their gaze, like if they couldn’t see me, I couldn’t see them. Normally, I would have ruffled some feathers, but I wasn’t here for me. I was here for her .

My gaze shifted around the room as I realized Callie wasn’t beside me. Instantly, I stopped, turning to see her a few steps behind.

The lack of a spark in her eyes told me she wasn’t feeling good, but she’d wanted to dress nice for the occasion. Something about looking professional while ruining her life. I didn’t give that much attention. But, despite not feeling her best, Callie looked beautiful.

Her golden hair had been tied into a low bun, all except for the few wavy strands she let frame her face. The gray material of her sweater dress was just loose enough to maintain modesty but tight enough to show off her bump. Honestly, I was a little obsessed with her right now, but I wasn’t going to feed her ego if I didn’t have to.

“Come here, Princess. I don’t want to lose you in the sea of brats.” I motioned for her to get closer to me. “Pretend like you like me, would you?”

She rolled her eyes, but a hint of a smile crept onto her lips as she closed the distance between us. I expected her to slide her arm under mine, and we’d leave it at that. Instead, she molded her body to my side. For a second, I forgot how to breathe as each inch of me stiffened. Even the seven I was rocking below the belt.

“You say that like I have to pretend at all,” she muttered.

I forced a smirk, hoping it’d hide the sudden thundering in my chest. “Flattery will get you everywhere .”

She looked up at me as I wrapped my arm around her waist, letting it linger on her hip. Callie seemed completely unaffected by my touch, and I wondered if she was in my head. If she could tell just how desperately I was trying not to fall for her.

I looked away, hoping to discreetly catch my breath. That’s when I noticed some mousy haired girl staring at us. So, I did what any self-respecting whore would do and shot her a wink.

The girl’s eyes went wide, her face turning bright red before she quickly averted her gaze, muttering something to her friend as they hurried off down the hall.

“Really?” Callie scoffed. “You can’t wait until I’m not hanging off of you to flirt?”

A rush of shame filled my chest, and I raked my free hand through my hair as I fought the urge to tell her I’d never do that to her. I may have been polyamorous, but I knew my limits. And right now, doing anything that could have offended Callie wasn’t on my to-do list. Which was impressive.

“It’s called multitasking,” I teased, hoping if I lightened the situation the sinking feeling in my stomach would stop. “You should try it.”

Callie scoffed once more, and I quit fucking with the pregnant woman. That decision left us to walk in silence until we came upon a large oak door surrounded by some kind of ivy. As we approached, I swore the glossy leaves leaned toward Callie, as if they could sense her presence and wanted to reach out and touch her. Creepy, but I wasn’t surprised. The Voltarises were fucking weird.

For the first time since getting to the school, Callie stiffened, a slight tremble infesting her body as she studied the brass door knob like it was going to bite her.

“You good?” I asked.

She nodded as she exhaled a long, shaky breath. “Just… Nervous.”

I resisted the urge to tell her that was dumb, remembering her family was important to her. Not only that, but she had this weird obsession with not disappointing people, and right now, we were the disappoint your parents committee.

“Don’t be. If she says anything… Well, I won't let her.” I promised, reaching out to open the door.

The scent of earth and flowers spilled into the hall. The smell was almost overwhelming as we walked in. It was like we were in a fucking greenhouse or something. Light filtered in from the windows, and I tried to take in the space in front of me.

Between the vaulted ceilings and the vines winding around every surface, it felt like I’d stepped directly into a fairytale and not an office. Flowers in various shades of pink and blue decorated the long stems, most of them concentrated on the front of the packed bookshelves and the oak desk. The one Mrs. Voltaris currently sat at.

Her Auburn hair was tied up, and her green eyes focused on me. At first, they narrowed, but the animosity vanished the second she noticed I’d brought Calista with me.

“Callie?” She asked quickly, racing to stand up.

Her heels clicked against the floor as she rushed toward us. She pulled her daughter into a tight hug before pulling back just enough to cup Callie’s cheeks. My brow furrowed as I watched them. By how Kane talked about her, I expected Callie’s mom to be a cold-hearted bitch.

“How’s my baby?” She asked before looking down at Callie’s stomach, placing her hand on the curve. “How’s your baby?”

Callie’s sapphire gaze fell to the floor as she pushed her mom away and mumbled a weak, “We’re fine.”

“Actually–they’re not.” I corrected as I pulled Callie away from the redheaded bitch. “The baby’s making her sick. She needs to rest. Doctor’s orders.”

Mrs. Voltaris's gaze snapped to me, her green eyes once again filling with a hatred that made the room feel several degrees colder. But she didn’t bother me. I knew the type.

“And just who are you?” The warmth she’d held for her daughter was gone.

“Mom,” Callie said, stepping between the two of us. “This is Jace. I’ve been staying with him since you and Dad kicked me out.”

“Woah, now, don’t understate it. I’m her boyfriend.”

Boyfriend was probably excessive for what we were, but it got the point across.

Mrs. Voltaris's face barely concealed her shock, and I wondered if I was better or worse than Sulien in her eyes.

“I uh… I see,” she said, clearing her throat as she looked me over once more. “Well… Both of you have a seat.”

I guided Callie toward the chairs across from her mom’s desk before helping lower her into the seat. I didn’t sit beside her. Instead, I planted my hands on Callie’s shoulders, softly squeezing them as if that could break some of her bubbling anxiety.

“So… Was Jace right about the doctor?” Mrs. Voltaris asked softly.

Callie swallowed hard before nodding. “My fevers are back… Dr. Fields upped the dosage of my suppressors and told me I needed to relax. Something about the heat putting strain on both me and Sawyer.”

Her mom’s jaw tensed as she tipped her head to the side like a confused puppy. “Sawyer?”

“The baby… That’s his name,” I said coolly.

“Sawyer.” She repeated, and I could tell by the look in her eyes that something in her was breaking. “Well… If that’s the case, I’m going to need you to fill out the medical withdrawal papers, just so none of this goes on your record.”

Callie nodded. “I know, and I’m sorry.”

“No, she’s not.” God, why the fuck was Callie apologizing?

Once again, Mrs. Volatis glared at me, but she didn’t push the issue. Instead, she opened her top drawer and removed a stack of papers and a pen.

“Fill these out and then email me a copy of your doctor's note. Should you ever decide to re-enroll at Valor University, this will make the process easier.” She explained, sliding the papers to Callie before looking at me. “And you… Can we have a word in the hall?”

Callie looked back at me, eyes wide with concern before mouthing, “Don’t do it.”

But I wasn’t scared, so I gave her shoulders one last squeeze before telling her I’d be back. With that, Mrs. Voltaris stood and led me out into the hallway. I shut the door behind us, keeping my hand on the knob just in case Callie was planning on trying to sneak out to spy on us.

When Callie’s mom turned to face me, her expression was noticeably softer. The disapproval was still there, but it was masked behind something else.

“Jace,” she said my name slowly. “Is my daughter being taken care of?”

“Uh, yeah? Why wouldn’t she be?” I snorted. “Unlike some people, we care about her.”

She flinched as she folded her hands in front of her. “While I may not approve of her choice of company… I’m grateful that you took her in. I’ve been worried.”

“Not worried enough to call her.”

“I hate to make assumptions, but right now, you’re speaking on something you don’t understand, and I’m requesting you stop.” Her eyes fell to the ground as she exhaled. “Is there anything I can do to… repay you?”

“Repay me? For what?”

My brows furrowed as I tried to process what the fuck was going on. But, as Mrs. Voltaris’s gaze shifted to the door behind me, I understood. Part of me was pissed that she thought I’d want to be paid like some sort of babysitter, I realized there was something she might be able to help me with.

So, I cleared my throat, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

“... Does Valor University have a nursing program?”