Sixteen
Kallie
Kate’s passed out on the couch when I get back, so I quietly go to my room, quickly changing into my favorite pair of jammies, a black silk set with a cropped button-down top and shorts. Braiding my hair down the middle, my arms ache by the time I’m done, but the effortless waves tomorrow will be worth it—at least that’s what I tell myself.
Going back out, I open the fridge to snag the leftover Chinese food I’ve been craving all day. But the pizza box on the bottom shelf catches my attention.
When did we have pizza? Pulling out the box, there are a bunch of mismatched slices. Too hungry to care, I put it back—Kate could’ve gotten lunch, for all I know—and grab the orange chicken. The beeping from the microwave wakes Kate up—or the smell. I can never be too sure; the girl loves Chinese food.
“Oh good, you’re up. Now let me see those texts.”
“Only if you bring me some,” she mumbles, probably still asleep.
“Were you not just eating popcorn?” I question.
She gives me a dramatic gasp. “That was, like, an hour ago. I’m starved!” Chuckling, I split my food into another bowl and sit next to her on the couch.
Sitting up, she greedily accepts the food and starts scrolling through her phone. “Here, it’s all right there.” I snatch the phone out of her hands, and my face scrunches with confusion.
Are you still alive?
Is he cute?
How’s it going?
Is it safe to come back?
I’m giving you another 30 min before I storm back in there to make sure you’re not dead. I love you!
Yes, Yes, Good, Not yet, We’re watching a movie, I’ll let you know when the coast is clear.
“Kate…I have never seen these. I most definitely never sent that.”
“Yes, you did. If it didn’t go well, you can just tell me. No judgments.” She rests a reassuring hand on my shoulder, but I shrug it off. I have no idea what she’s talking about, but if I did have someone here, and I don’t remember, what does that mean?
Bile starts to rise in my throat. Why would she leave me alone with some random guy? She knows everything that happened to me and how careful I am when it comes to guys.
All rational thoughts cease to exist, and I fucking lose it.
“Are you telling me that you left me alone in the fucking dorm with a random guy? Hello! Do you think there’s a reason I can’t fucking remember anything? Who knows what the hell happened while you were gone! I sure as fuck don’t!” I’m seething, blood near boiling level.
Something settles deep in the pit of my stomach, and the reality of the situation becomes too much for me to bear. I storm out of the dorm and run straight to the bathroom. Running through the halls, people fling themselves to the side, yelling even after I’ve passed. I fling open a stall door and empty out my stomach’s contents.
Sitting on the gross bathroom floor, I lean the back of my head against the stall wall. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, my stomach recoils as another wave of nausea hits. It’s not like Kate to be so careless. It just doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t I remember the texts? Or even the guy that she’s talking about?
Guilt replaces the acidic taste in my mouth. I shouldn’t have blown up at her, but what the fuck is happening? There are so many things unexplained, too many questions going unanswered. And now I have holes in my memory.
I’m just so tired.
Sighing, I push myself off the ground and wash my hands. Ignoring the strange looks from my peers, I keep my head held high all the way back to the dorm.
When I get back, Kate is still sitting on the couch, her cheeks wet from the tears that stain her cheeks.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I never thought that it could have been him texting me back instead of you. But when you got back from the gym, you were so excited, and I haven’t seen you like that in such a long time. I never... I never thought…” Sobs shake her body as she throws her head in her hands.
Well, now I feel like a bitch.
“What day did you say this was on?” I asked.
“Thursday. You got home from the gym, you had a coffee cup in your hand, and you looked so happy. ”
“It’s not even that I don’t remember the texts. I don’t remember anything . Even if I was drugged, I would still remember meeting him. But I don’t. I don’t remember him, the gym, getting coffee. Nothing.” It’s like someone control/alt/deleted my memories. Wiped a whole day out of my mind like a dry erase board. “Did I tell you a last name? Did you see him?”
“Nope.” She sighs, popping the P. “You came home and made sure that I was out before he got here. I was about to come home when you weren’t responding, but then you did. So I saw no reason to.” Goddess, I am a bitch. This isn’t her fault, and maybe nothing happened. I just can’t shake this unnerving sense of wrong.
At some point, Kate and I fall asleep on the couch while watching reruns of Criminal Minds. The TV glow casts over the dark room when I’m startled awake. Penelope is giving the team a rundown of their current case while I rub the sleep from my eyes. Without waking Kate, I lift her legs off my lap and scoot off the couch. She stirs a bit, letting out a groan, but eventually falls right back to sleep.
Snagging my water bottle off the end table, I fill it up to the brim and down all the contents before filling it up again, knowing I’ll finish it off by morning. When I get to my room, I shut the door softly and look at the clock on my nightstand that reads 4:00 a.m.
Fantastic.
Letting out an exhausted sigh, I come to the conclusion that I won’t be getting any more sleep. The thought is daunting, but the few uninterrupted blissful hours I did get was nice.
Changing out of my jammies, I pull on a pair of joggers, throw on a sports bra and windbreaker. After lacing up my running shoes, I grab my headphones off the vanity and head out the door.
Running in the morning offers a different type of serenity. A clear mind, void of problems—at least for a little while. The dewy air kisses my skin as I run through campus. A mirage of creams, reds, and grays make up the brick and stone buildings, each slightly different from the last but still holding that cohesive feel.
The tough asphalt turns into soft soil beneath my feet as I leave the old buildings behind, and welcome the newly changed fall trees. I’m not sure how far I run, getting lost in the scenery makes time move in a mysterious way, like one second I’m flying and the next, I’m grappling for my next breath. I’ve had to have put a decent distance between solitude and the constant gut-eating anxiety back in civilization.
Collapsing onto the ground, I throw my arms over my eyes, shielding myself from the rising sun. Nearby birds chirp overhead, chipmunks scurry along the forest floor, and I let the calming sounds ease my heart rate while I catch my breath.
Part of me feels as if I could run forever. It’s like time doesn’t exist, stuck in a standstill, and when I stop, everything rushes back at two times speed.
The wind rustles the leaves nearby, causing a chill to break out over my exposed skin. All too quickly, the forest falls silent, the stillness becoming suffocating. The tiny piece of sanctuary I’ve carved myself gets popped like a bubble. Reluctantly, I let my arm fall away, and my immediate shriek shakes the trees when I see Callum standing over me.
“What the fuck are you doing? Did you follow me, you fucking psycho?” I yell at him, shuffling backward, creating distance before standing.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I always run this way. You, however, do not. Some might think you are following me.” My eyes trace over his body. Sweat trickles down his neck, disappearing underneath the collar of his shirt. Involuntarily, my tongue snakes out, wetting my lips. Then, like a magnet, I’m pulled back to his face, our eyes colliding, and an insatiable—rather annoying—need begs to be handled.
A low rumble sounds from deep within his chest. But that could just be in my head. Probably just the wind.
“Keep doing that and see what happens,” he challenges through clenched teeth, his words sounding restrained.
Caught off guard by his comment, I let the wind fill the empty space that is patiently waiting to be filled by my reply. But it’s like my brain has short circuited, and all my danger receptors have been rewired. There’s something so alluring about him. It makes my skin crawl with nerves but heat with a blazing intensity I can’t escape.
“I really have to get back. My class starts soon.”
“No, it doesn’t.” His response is instant, like he already knew what I was going to say. Furrowing my brows, my head tilts with confusion. How would he know? But the question stays locked away, unable to release it when I’m struck silent as his gaze turns predatory.
“Regardless, I really should shower before.” I stop as soon as I say it. Why would I bring up the shower of all things? I mean, it’s true. But still. Now all I can think about is him in the shower.
“I think you smell delectable.” He advances on me, but my feet stay rooted in place, unable to fully process what’s happening until he’s mere inches from me.
Once I finally come to my senses, I step back, only to be stopped by a tree. On instinct, my eyes dart to the right, ready to bolt. However, the slight shake of his head has me rethinking that decision. Wordlessly, he raises his hand and slowly, so agonizingly slow, brushes his fingertips down the side of my face, only stopping once he reaches the hollow of my neck.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I turn away from his touch, but the rough bark only lets me get so far, tearing into my cheek as I continue to press in. A featherlike pulse beats from his fingertip, barely there, and I almost can’t distinguish it from my own.
Silence continues to stretch, but I refuse to open my eyes because once I do…well, my willpower only goes so far. Saliva thick in my throat, I try swallowing it down, but it feels like a boulder. I’m hoping, praying even, this is all just a dream.
“Do you dream of me often, Kallie?” His voice is like sweet sin, dripping in poisonous promises.
My sanity must be lost, gone like the fucking wind, because how in the world did he know that? Callum’s fingers stay resting on my skin, bathing in the pool of sweat accumulating. Against my better judgment, I look at him, telling myself it’s only a peek. The silence is killing me. The feel of him so close is excruciating.
Our gazes lock, and time freezes, just like when I run. Nothing passes, all thoughts are void for a blissful moment, then he interrupts the solitude once again, removing his touch from me and sucking his fingers clean.
What. The. Fuck.
Mouth hung open, I stare at his lips, unable to look away from his movements, and watch them pull into a sinister smile.
“You taste better than you smell.”
“I—” need to get the hell out of here is what I mean to say. Instead, I’m not given the chance. Callum presses his body into me, forcing his knee between my thighs. He pinches my chin between his thumb and pointer finger, forcing my head up, and my legs tighten around his, wanting, needing, searching for some sort of relief.
“Something wrong, Princess? You seem a bit flushed.” His eyes roam over my face, and I bite back a whimper. Flushed? I’m well past flushed. I probably look like a damn ripe tomato.
“I…we…shouldn’t do this.” My words get buried in the moan that escapes me when he applies pressure right where I’ve been craving.
“Your pretty mouth says one thing, but your body sings another.” Fucking hell with these mind games.
Callum leans in, brushing his lips across mine. Like a viper, he strikes, taking my bottom lip between his teeth. My hips roll on their own, grinding against him. Hands reaching, they land on his shoulders as he releases me.
“What is it you want?” he asks just beneath my ear, kissing and nipping along the column of my throat.
“I want. I want to go—”
“Choose your words very wisely,” he coos. Words. Gods, I’m blanking on every word there’s ever been. I can’t think straight when he’s doing that. Every inch of me feels electrified, like a current is rushing through me, frying every logical part of my brain. A sharp pinch to my earlobe causes me to gasp, and he pulls away, just enough that the pressure is less and my need agonizing.
“Let me be clear. You will come, but whether that’s by my hand or yours is up to you.” His hand catches my throat, straining my neck as I fight for air. “But if it’s by yours, just know you’ll be on your back, spread open for me to see exactly what I do to you.” He drives his knee into my aching core with his last word, at the same time gripping my throat like a vise.
“One.” One? One what?
“Two.” Pressure from both ends intensifies, and my mouth falls open, begging for air.
“Thre—”
“You,” I push out.
He lessens his hold. “Excellent choice. Now, do you remember what I said last time?”
Desperate, I relent. “Please.”
“Please what?”
I scoff. “You can’t be serious.”
“Deadly,” his voice drops low, almost terrifying.
This is madness. Maybe I’ve completely lost my mind because the need only grows stronger with each passing breath. Needing him to touch me in all the places I’ve denied others, wanting him to uphold all the sweet promises that drip from his tongue. Ultimately I succumb to my desires,“Callum. Please make me come.” Those devilish dimples appear, and I almost combust on the spot.
“Good girl.” Then he’s off me. Before I can protest, he demands, “Turn around.”
“What?”
“I don’t like repeating myself. Turn. Around.” Confused, I do what he says. “Bend over. Hands on the tree.” And I do, no questions asked.
One by one, every nerve ending feels like it has been doused in gasoline and a lit match sets me ablaze as I feel his eyes trail over each one.
Thankfully, I don’t have to wait much longer until I feel his hands on me again. Callum pushes his fingers into my waistband and shoves my leggings down to my ankles.
I gasp, the cold breeze kissing my bare ass. “No panties,” he states. Mumbling something under his breath, I don’t quite hear him, and I don’t ask him to clarify. His hands grip me hard. No doubt there will be bruises to relive the assault in the days to come.
I feel the air push through his lips onto my exposed flesh, goosebumps erupting in its wake. “Callum, please,” I beg, shamelessly bending over more, giving him a full view.
“You’re fucking soaked. Dripping from the desire I give you. Isn’t that right?” I nod in agreement. “Tell me, is this what you want? What you dream of? Me, on my knees for you. Pleasuring you in the way you seek?” He punctuates his question with a quick lick along my slit. The sensation causes me to push back. “Yes,” I say breathlessly. When he doesn’t do or say anything, I peer over my shoulder and look down at him.
“What are you doing?”
Bringing his eyes up to me, he says, “I’m staring at my canvas, imagining what my masterpiece will look like once I’m done with you.” Then he’s on me, taking his time swiping his tongue from my apex all the way down, dipping the tip into my entrance. He moans with pleasure, like he’s eating a fine-dining meal, and I’m the entree.
“Gods.” I jump against the tree from the force and sting of him slapping my ass.
“That was a warning. My name is the only thing that will pass through your lips while I’m devouring you. Do I make myself clear?” My pussy clenches with what he’s promising. Part of me wants to see what would happen.
“Trust me, you don’t.” My nails dig into the unforgiving bark as he continues his assault on the bundle of nerves at my core. I scream with pleasure, all of it becoming too much.
Fingers dance along my leg, starting at my ankle and working their way up.
“Callum, I— I—”
“I know, baby.” He dips a finger into my entrance before bringing it back up, tracing my crease. He hums against me, and I can feel the vibration down to my bones. The tip of his finger circles my puckered rim, and by the time he’s pushing in just the slightest bit, it’s too late to protest. With one final flick of his tongue, I completely unravel.
Pure ecstasy, a high I’ve never experienced before, soars through me, and I push into him, welcoming him in deeper as I ride out my orgasm.
Body shuddering, he pulls out of me, and I hear the unmistakable sound of him sucking his fingers clean. Holding onto the tree for dear life, I’m still in a daze when he turns me around. My knees buckle, waves of my climax still hitting. I fall into his embrace, and he grips my hair and pulls so I’m looking up at him.
“Like I said, fucking delectable.”
Maybe it’s from the post-orgasm exhaustion, but his face starts to glitch out. I blink rapidly, trying to clear my vision, but when he says my name, it comes out…feminine?
“Kallie.”
“Mhm,” I answer.
“Hello, Earth to Kallie.” That’s definitely not Callum.
“Kallie!” My eyes shoot open, and the first thing I see is Kate staring down at me with a knowing smile.