28. Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Calista
A s I stare at the door my brother slammed behind him, my mind is blank. While I should be worried that he’s upset and feel bad that he found out this way, all I feel is relief that he now knows.
“In a few days, he will calm down. Tomorrow, after he’s had the night to stew over it, I’ll go talk to him. You know Cody holds on to his anger the longer we wait to go talk to him,” Evan says.
Evan’s words hardly penetrate. But I’m pulled from my fog when my phone goes off.
“I think I should go talk to Kaylee. I told her I’d come over tonight after Cody left. She still hates being alone in that house and has been scrubbing every inch of it.” I tell Evan, not making eye contact.
“Okay, will you pack a bag and come stay with us tonight?” Evan asks.
“If Kaylee doesn’t need me, then you won’t be able to keep me away.” I turn to him, giving him a passionate-don’t forget-me kiss.
Even though I want nothing more than to fall asleep in his arms and be there to help Skye to bed, I have a lot on my mind that I need to sort through as well.
“I’m afraid to go see what Skye has gotten into. Let’s go see,” Evan says.
Walking into the bathroom, we find she turned on the little radio I keep in there and has no less than ten lip glosses and lipsticks out.
“I was trying different combinations, but I think this one is my favorite,” she says.
She’s wearing bright pink lipstick, and over it is a little lip gloss I wear only for costumes.
“I think you look like a princess,” Evan says.
I nod, trying not to smile.
“But we have to get going,” Evan says.
“You're coming? Right, Calista?” Skye asks, turning to me.
“Tonight, I have to go see a friend of mine. I promised before I knew you would be here. Though if she doesn’t need me, I will come your way. Otherwise, I promise to be there at the school to do your hair in the morning. No matter what,” I wink at her.
That seems to be all she needs because she takes his hand and pulls him toward the door.
“Okay, Daddy, let’s go!”
“Be safe and let me know when you get there and what your plans are, so I’m not up all night worrying about you, okay?” Evan says, giving me one last kiss for the road.
Watching them go, I head to my room and pack a bag because I have every intention of being at their house tonight. I don’t want to come back to my place if I don’t have to.
Once I get my stuff loaded in the car, I go toward Kaylee’s.
As I pass the road that leads to Cody’s place, I make a quick decision. Instead of going to Kaylee’s, I’m going to Cody’s. Right now, when I’m angry is the perfect time to confront Cody.
When I pull into Cody’s driveway, his truck is there. Going up to his door, I knock loudly and repeatedly until he answers the door.
“The fuck Cal! What is it?”
I push my way in.
“I’m not going to be moving in with Mom and Dad. I’m moving in with Evan and, for the first time in my life, doing what I want. While I cared for Grandma and Grandpa on my own, our family took a step back and let me do it. Do you know what that was like?” I ask.
“Calista…” he starts, but I cut him off.
“It was like being given two large kids and having no help. If I wanted to so much as go to the grocery store, I had to find someone to sit with them. I had no social life and no friends. If I had even had a chance to meet a guy, there was no way to have him to the house or develop any sort of relationship. I had. No. Life.
Then I looked up and I’m in my thirties. I was back in my hometown, with no relationship, husband or kids. All of which I wanted before I turned thirty. And now you guys want me to move in and take care of more people, and you have the nerve to be mad that I finally did something for myself?”
“I didn’t….”
“No, what you didn’t do was think about me. You didn’t want to give up your social life, so you expected me to give up on mine. But here is a news flash. I’m not going to give up my life anymore. Right now, Mom and Dad don’t need help, but when they do, it won’t be me moving in. So when that day arrives, you and the guys better step up because it’s your turn.” I cross my arms and finally pause, giving him a chance to talk.
“I didn’t know you couldn’t have a social life.” He looks rueful as he sits on the couch.
“Because you never came to visit. I was promised you guys would come to help, but no one ever did. Though Mom and Dad did visit once a year. Some social life. You weren’t willing to give up your twenties to take care of someone,” I say.
I know Cody was out sleeping around and having a good time at parties, rodeos, and who knows what else.
“I’m sorry. Of course, we will help when the time comes,” he says.
“No, you will take care of it, and I will be the one helping. But it’s my turn to be selfish. I plan to have a family while I still can. That will take priority. Now, as far as Evan. Yes, we should have told you, but we didn’t because we knew this would be your reaction, and we didn’t know if it would work out. Plus, how DARE you tell anyone I’m off-limits? It’s for me to decide. If you hadn’t been a jerk about that, we could have both been happier sooner!” I say heatedly.
I know it’s not fair to put that all on him, but I’m fuming, and I want to get my point across.
“Evan, really?” Cody snorts. “I asked you to talk help him. My best friend!”
“So, we should remain unhappy just so you can be happy? If that is how you want to keep thinking, you are about to lose a lot more than just the two of us,” I say, standing prepared to walk out the door.
“Wait. How…” I turn to look at Cody, and he’s sitting on the edge of his seat and looking down at his feet with his arms resting on his legs. I wait for him to ask his question.
“How did it happen?” he asks.
“When I came home the first time, he was the cop who arrived at the accident scene where that lady crashed. We talked some, but that was it.
Then, when he was lying on the ground bleeding out, something shifted. Even though I had people I knew come into the ER before, I was able to focus and do what needed done. But it was different this time,” I say.
“Even so, neither of us acted on it. But being in close proximity was difficult. One night when I was changing his bandage, it all came to a head. Damn, it was just a kiss. But you know what the first thing we both thought of? Yeah, it was you. The first kiss I’ve had in years, and I had to feel guilty about it because of you!” I sit on the chair beside the couch because I’m not sure my legs will hold me, I’m so angry.
“Then Skye had a sleepover and that’s when we decided to give in and get it out of our system. When I moved out, it ended. Only by then, we had both fallen in love. Evan showed up tonight to propose and that was the first time I’d seen him since I left.”
“And Skye?” He asks, the anger from his voice gone.
“I love that girl as if she was my own. She didn’t know what was going on. We kept it from her. But she’s important in this new life we want. So part of the proposal was to ask me to be her mom,” I say.
Cody sits there without speaking, but the silence is uncomfortable.
“And if this doesn’t work out?” he finally asks. “Does he lose his entire support group?” Cody looks grim.
“These are questions that I went over and over in my head. He only loses them if you let him, but Cody, this is happening. It’s not just dating. We are getting married. The question is, are you going to be supportive and part of our lives, or are you going to let your anger ruin it all?”
Cody bounces his feet while still staring at the ground.
I can tell he’s trying to process, and maybe I should have let it be until tomorrow like Evan said. But that would mean I wouldn’t have been able to sleep, and I’m not going to sit on this to make Cody feel better.
“Listen, I’m not happy about how I found out or about this in general, but I want you both happy. If that means together, then just know it better work out. There is no option for it not to be a forever thing,” Cody says, smirking.
“There is the self-centered brother I love,” I say sarcastically.
Giving him a hug, I walk to my car. Once in, I call Kaylee.
“Hey girl, are you on your way?”
“How mad would you be if I ditched you tonight?” I’m parked at the end of Cody’s Road, waiting for her answer.
“Depends on the reason?” she says.
Since I know she will forgive me for this one, I point my car away from Kaylee’s toward Evan’s cabin.
“Well, Evan showed up with Skye, he proposed, and then Cody walked in. Predictably, he went off about finding out and the whole best friend thing. He stormed out, and I couldn’t go through the night without confronting him. So, I after putting him in his place, we talked it out,” I say.
Then I hear a thump on her end of the line, but otherwise the line is quiet.
“You still there?” I ask.
“You have to tell a girl to sit down before dumping all that on her. Holy Shit! Holy. Shit.” she exclaims.
“Yes, I had to take a minute to process what you just told me. Okay, so start at the beginning, and don’t leave out any details.”
I tell her everything and finish is just before I get to Evan’s.
“Wow. So, you're going to Evan’s tonight, right?” she asks.
“Of course,” I say.
“Good. As your promised maid of honor, decided when we were sixteen, I will start pulling location ideas for the wedding. When I see you in a few days, I will have found some wedding dress shops in Helena and will have a bunch of stuff ready for you to look at.”
Laughing, I say, “But just to make it official, Kaylee will you do me the honor of being my maid of honor? I can’t do this without you.”
“Yes!” She says giggling.
“Okay. I’m at Evans, so I will talk to you tomorrow?”
“I’m so happy for you!” she says, hanging up.
Before I even get the car turned off, Evan is at the front door. I’m smiling big at him as he walks toward me.
“I thought you were going to text me to let me know you made it okay and what your plans are,” Evan says.
He doesn’t sound very happy. But shit, I did forget to text him. I was too fueled by sibling anger.
“Yes, but…” I start.
Surprising me, he picks me up and tosses me over his good shoulder.
“No buts. I don’t like worrying about you and now you will deal with your punishment,” Evan says carrying upstairs to his room.
Now our room.
I have the biggest smile on my face because punishment or not, this is the life I’ve been waiting for, and I plan to enjoy every moment.