Things Left Unsaid
Scarlett
I come home after a much-needed night with Sophia.
Laughter, ice cream, and her company cured some of my broken pieces.
I haven’t been able to slow down and enjoy life with everything going on lately, and although I want to tell her about it all, I can’t, not yet.
Still, I would be lost without her support.
I open the car door and quietly shut it. While it’s not too late, Dad is likely in bed. I slide my key into the lock and push the door open. Dad’s not sitting in his recliner, but the kitchen light is on. I throw my stuff on the table and walk upstairs.
The bed meets me as I enter my room. Heat washes over my face and my vision blurs. Suddenly, it’s not my own bed that I’m looking at. The walls become red, instead of the white that coats my room. I begin to relive that nightmare of a night all at once.
I’m lying on that bed; my limbs are flaccid. My hand reaches for the wall as I steady myself.
I moan, but I can’t make out what I’m trying to say. I seem intoxicated, even though I didn’t drink much. Three men surround me.
The air feels heavy as I try to take a deep breath.
I close my eyes and push it out. A distinct smell fills my nose, a common cologne, one that I’ve smelled since that night.
Its citrus pulls me in—a scent that isn’t as sophisticated as the typical Langford man.
I can’t shake it. Its woody undertones wash over me, and notes of cinnamon pull me in further.
I can’t stop the memories from flooding in. Suddenly, I’m no longer looking at what happened to me. I feel his hot breath on my neck. He tries to pull my shorts down. I want to use my hands to stop him, but I’m unable to move them. I try regardless.
I open my eyes to a warm hand, gripping my hip. I yell. The hand quickly covers my mouth. I turn to see Callum’s eyes and my breath steadies.
His hand wraps around my head as he pulls me into his chest.
“Shh, I’m here now.”
Relief washes over me—I feel safe in his arms. His smoky leather scent grounds me as I bury my face in his shirt. I want to tell him what just happened, but a part of me is scared.
“Callum, I …” I struggle to get the words out.
He pulls back and looks at me, his hand gripping my face.
“Don’t hide from me, Angel.” His thumb traces my jaw, and his eyes meet mine—so dark and mysterious, yet so beautiful and soft. They stand for everything he is.
“I saw something. Well, I guess I felt it.” I don’t know how to tell him. “I remembered some of what happened at um… the party.”
“What do you mean you remember? What did you see?” His brows meet as he looks toward the ground, concerned.
“I remember being in the room. I remember I was so hot, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
” My throat tightens. I don’t know how to tell him about how vulnerable I still feel and that I can’t remember everything.
“There was someone on top of me, he was trying to pull down my shorts.” My cheeks burn.
I want to crawl inside a hole and never come out.
Suddenly, I feel ashamed. “I don’t know what happened after that. ”
His face drops and he takes a step across the room. His hands ball into fists at his sides and his shoulders tense.
“Callum, I was drinking. I should’ve been paying attention. I’m—”
“Don’t you fucking dare say sorry. Don’t you ever say that, Scarlett.” He stops pacing and looks at me. “I don’t care what you think you did, no one deserves what you’ve been through.” Pain ripples in his voice.
I didn’t know how badly I needed to hear those words—they mean so much more coming from him. A sob escapes me. I close my eyes and fall to my knees. I don’t talk about what happened to me for a reason, I’ve never wanted to become a victim.
Callum wraps his arms around me—a safe haven.
“I know Angel, you’re safe now. I’ll never let anything happen to you.” His hand glides through my hair, comforting me. “I’ll never let anything happen to you,” he repeats.
It’s a promise he shouldn’t make, but I believe him.
He doesn’t say much else—he doesn’t need too. He just holds me, as years of tension leave my body. I begin to relax and lift my head to look up at him. His lips draw me in, and I lean forward, unable to deny his magnetic pull.
My lips land on his. I grab his face between my hands, and the kiss intensifies. His arms slowly lower us to the floor, and I straddle him. He doesn’t try to take control. Instead, he gives me the power I crave.
Our lips meet again. I grind my hips against him and feel his length grow. I pull my shirt over my head and reach for the door to lock it. For a moment, I forget that Dad is two rooms over.
Callum’s hands surround my hips.
“Scarlett, I can’t… not like this.”
His hands trail up my side. For a moment, I feel defeated, and I drop my hands to my sides, but I can’t ignore the spark that lives deep inside.
“No, Callum, I need this.”
I grab his hands and pull them above his head, trapping them there. We both know that if he wanted to escape, he has the strength to.
“Scarlett—” He brings my hands down to his chest.
“No, Callum. I need this. Please. I need the control. I need you. I need to feel like I’m more than what happened to me.”
He brings his hands back above his head—mine follow.
“I’m yours.” He sees me as I truly am. He wants my control. My hands hold his in place. I lean in and trace my tongue along his lips, then down his chin. I kiss his neck—it tastes smoky. There’s a lust in my body that I can’t fight.
My lips land back on his and I move my hips, riding him. I pick up speed. Even with our clothes still on, I feel like I might finish if I don’t slow down.
“Use me, Angel.” I close my eyes and tears fall down my face. “That’s it,” he adds. His hips move with mine.
I pull my jeans off and move my thong to the side. I unbutton his slacks and pull them down with his boxers. Our eyes remain locked as I lower myself on to him. My hips move down then slowly back up, working his cock inside of me.
“Take it, Scarlett. Take it all.” I move faster and moan. My head falls back as my eyes close. Tears leave my eyes—not out of sadness, but from relief. His hands grip my ass, and he holds me up, allowing me to gain full control.
I lean forward, my hands on his chest as my ass moves faster. I need this. Fuck. I need him. But this isn’t about him or his needs—this is about me.
“Callum, I’m almost there.” My mouth inches toward his but our lips don’t meet.
I hover just close enough to feel his warm breath on my mouth.
I move my hips even faster, bringing us both to the edge, until my pelvis shifts forward and all tension releases.
I lie my forehead on his chest. Our heavy breaths sync.
“Thank you.” I say quietly.
In a brisk motion he flips me over, onto my knees, and roughly pushes inside me.
“You’re not done yet,” he whispers in my ear and covers my mouth from behind.
My moans are muffled under the palm of his hand as he drives into me, again and again. His hands move down to my hips, keeping me still. I reach back to touch him. He pushes my hand away.
“This is for you.” The wooden floor is cool against my face as he places my head down. He knows I can take it, he knows I need it.
I push my ass out further and feel the tension building again.
His cock hits me deep, over and over. I squirm as he holds my head against the floor.
I’m almost there. Just when I think I can’t take it anymore, another orgasm escapes me.
He pulls my hair further, bringing my head back as far as it will go.
He shifts his body, and I feel his warm come land on my face as he shoves his cock in my mouth.
He degrades me in the best way possible.
To remind him that I’m still in control, I lick the length of his shaft and look up at him.
“Open your mouth.” His firm grip remains in my hair. “Show me you’re mine, Angel.”
I open my mouth as the liquid runs down my chin. He uses his other hand to caress my cheek. “Now swallow.” He closes my mouth with his thumb.
I swallow all that remains of him as I sit back up.
“Good girl.” He pulls me on top of him as we lie on the floor. I look up at the ceiling while his fingers trail up my neck.
“I hate that they took so much from you, Scarlett. I can’t give it back, but I’ll do everything I fucking can to make sure you never feel like that again.” There’s a pain in his voice I’ve never heard before.
“Do you know them?” I don’t know why I ask, he’s made it clear I’ll never know.
He looks to me, his eyes saying everything he can’t. He sighs and pulls his pants up. He can’t give me the answers I want.
“I don’t blame you, Callum. You didn’t know. I just want—”
“I blame myself!” His loud tone startles me. “I blame my fucking self!”
I stand and grab my shirt. I can’t look at him. I don’t know what to say. I pull it over my head as I hear his belt fasten.
“What are you not telling me?” His footsteps come closer, then I feel his lips on top of my head. He lingers for a moment.
“Callum—” I turn around, “fucking look at me!”
His eyes fill with unfamiliar tears as he squints.
“That’s all I can give you, Scarlett.” He doesn’t break eye contact and runs his hand through his dark hair. “Please. I can’t.” He’s not asking, he’s begging.
I don’t move to watch him leave. Instead, I stare at the empty place where he stood. The door shuts and anxiety floods back in.
I’m so fucking mad at him. He doesn’t understand— nothing he can say is worse than not remembering. I walk over to my bed and flop on it. I turn off my bedside lamp and get under the covers.
I want to call him, but I can’t. I need space. I pick up my phone and call Sophia. She answers on the second ring.
“Hey Scar. Whatcha up to?”
“Not much. You?”
“Oh, just trying to finish this damn assignment.”
“Sorry for bugging—”
“You could never bug me, you’re my best friend.”
“Want to go for a drive tomorrow?”
“Uh, yeah sure.” The suggestion of a drive means I have something to talk about. “Is everything okay, I can come over now?” Her tone changes.
“Oh no, everything is good. I just wanted to chat.”
“Okay, yeah. I’m free after my first class. I’ll grab us coffee and meet you at the parking lot?”
“Sounds like a date.”
“Can’t wait. Love you, Scar.”
“Love you too, Soph.”
I hang up. I don’t know if I feel better or worse. There’s so much I haven’t told Sophia about, and I can’t really explain without telling her everything.
I place my phone on the table and try to turn my mind off.
~~~~~~
I wake up before the sun, grab my housecoat, and head downstairs. Dad sits at the table reading his newspaper. The smell of coffee helps me wake up.
“Morning, kiddo.” His eyes lift from the paper and up at me.
“Morning, Dad.” I walk over, grab a mug, and fill it with coffee, hoping it will bring me back to life after tossing and turning for most of the night.
“Did you know this kid?” He opens the paper so I can see.
A picture of Jasper Fontaine is placed in the top corner of the obituaries page. I went to middle school with Jasper—he was a couple of years younger than me, but I know his family.
“Yeah, what happened?” I just saw him at Langford a couple of weeks ago.
“He died. No details. His parents are having a celebration of life next week. You didn’t hear anything on campus?”
“No, I’m surprised that I didn’t.”
“Two young town members dead in a couple months—things like that don’t happen here in Millhaven.” He sips his coffee and goes back to reading the paper. I don’t know how to answer.
“I’m headed to the gym soon. Busy day?” I take a sip, unable to shake the flutter that creeps into my chest.
“Yeah, not too bad. Want to have dinner together later?”
“Sure. Let me know if you want me to pick something up on my way home.”
“Okay honey. Be safe, text me when you get to school.” He puts the paper down and stands, facing the shop.
I laugh. “Dad, nothing is going to happen to me.”
“Well, I’m sure their parents didn’t think so either.”
“Okay, you’re overreacting. I’m going to shower then head out. Love you.” I put my hand on his shoulder before I make my way up to the bathroom.
I think about what Dad said. “Things like this don’t happen in Millhaven.”
I try to brush my uneasy feelings away and get in the shower, but thoughts of Jasper and Emily fill my mind. What happened to them? And why do I have the urge to ask Callum about it?