Chapter 17
Seventeen
Peter
Callie is such a scaredy cat. She left as soon as I wasn’t in the living room.
The only reason I knew they were going out for dinner is because Lexi told me.
A part of me wanted to call Miles and see if I could join them for dinner, but I knew that would be overstepping a line.
The last thing I want to do is really piss her off.
I remember her anger from when we were kids.
She could be vicious when she wanted to.
Now to figure out what I’m going to eat.
There’s no telling when they’ll be home.
I open the fridge door and look through the shelves.
Aside from what Callie bought the other day, it’s pretty bare.
I guess I’ll be grocery shopping tomorrow.
My fridge is almost never this empty. Surely everyone else has already gone and got the groceries they need to restock after the freeze.
I grab the jelly and close the door. Now all I need is bread and peanut butter.
It’s the only thing I have that’s quick, easy, and doesn’t need to be thawed.
I’m not sure the last time I had a PB&J sandwich.
Childhood is what it reminds me of. Long summer days with a sandwich as a snack before heading off to the next adventure.
Sometimes I wish I could go back to those times. Being an adult is hard, and confusing.
My life used to be simple. Go to work, hang out with Miles, and do whatever Pierce needed. Now…not so much. Figuring out who I am is proving to be more difficult than I imagined.
I finish making my sandwich and head to the living room with my plate in hand.
At least we have power again, and I can find something to watch.
Turning on the TV, I scroll through the streaming services I have and randomly select one.
A movie my sister was obsessed with is the first thing that pops up.
Has she been using my login again? Screw it, let’s see what this is about.
It’s a teen movie, but I remember her mentioning it was a retelling of a book. I can’t remember which one, but so far, I like it. Pierce used to give Paula crap about watching this movie on repeat. I can see why she did, though.
Honestly, I should watch more movies like this. Maybe it’ll tell me all the ways I’m fucking up with Callie. I’ve clearly mastered acting like a jerk for no reason outside of frustration. Hopefully she isn’t still mad. Too bad I won’t know until her and Lexi get back.
I’m not sure how I’m going to handle it when they are able to go back home. Them being here has been nice. I don’t find myself longing for work because I’m not sitting by myself.
The back door creaks as it opens. I’ve been so entranced with this movie I didn’t hear the car pulling in, or see the headlights through the window. Maybe it’s not them. There’s a good chance it’s one of my siblings. They wouldn’t necessarily come up the driveway.
Lexi enters the living room and laughs. “I didn’t peg you for the chick flick type.”
“It was the first movie that came up. I’ve never seen it.”
“Impossible. It’s a classic.” When I raise my eyebrows at her she shakes her head. “Just because it was before my time doesn’t mean I’ve never seen it. I watch it with Mom all the time.”
“Watch what?” Callie asks as she enters the room. As soon as she sees the TV, she sits on the recliner. “The best part is about to happen.”
“Shhh.” Lexi scolds her mom. “Peter’s never seen this.”
The “o” her mouth makes sends electricity sparking through my body. I should not be this attracted to this woman when her daughter is literally right next to her. She mimes zipping her mouth shut and throwing away the key.
I keep watching for the best part she’s talking about. So far, I’m not impressed. Then the love interest is sitting on the bleachers with a microphone and starts freaking singing. Then a few seconds later the band joins in for music.
I can see why she likes this scene. There’s no way it’s the grand gesture because I don’t think the movie is halfway through.
But it’s showing interest. Maybe that’s what I need to do.
It seems like a better idea than being pissed off because I don’t know what to do with what I’m feeling.
Nobody has ever gotten under my skin the way Callie does.
“You realize that’s more likely to happen in a small town than city, right?”
“Why do you say that?” Callie leans back and crosses her legs.
“Because in a small town, like Asheville, everyone would be willing to help out. Especially if the person had some pull in the social hierarchy.”
“Kind of like all the Summers kids and my brother.” She lifts an eyebrow.
Lexi backs away from her mom, unsure of how this conversation is going to play out. “We brought you food.” She sets it on the coffee table. “I’m going to my room.”
It’s funny she has already laid claim to it and considers it hers. She feels comfortable here and I’m glad.
“Thank you.” I pick up the takeout container and grab the wrapped silverware. My stomach grumbles. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich didn’t fill me up the way I’d hoped. But I turn my attention back to Callie. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t act so shocked. All of you were popular in high school. I don’t know about Piper and Parker since we graduated before them. But I know for a fact the rest of you were. You could have easily pulled off something for a girl you liked.”
Little does she know I spent most of my time watching her. There was no way in hell I was going to do anything about it. She’s Miles’s little sister. Off limits doesn’t even begin to explain where my teenage brain was.
“Phillip and Pierce maybe. I’ve never been one to make a show of how I’m feeling.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” She grunts.
I could ask her what she means by the statement, but I’ll let it go.
Mostly because I know what she means. Even though I had a certain amount of popularity because of my older siblings, I stayed in the background as much as possible.
Being the center of attention never appealed to me.
It still doesn’t. Piper never asks me to be in any of the winery marketing because she knows how I feel.
“Were you as obsessed with this movie as Paula was?” Changing the subject feels like the best move here. At least until I know how she’s feeling after what happened earlier today.
“Who do you think showed it to me?” She laughs. “Did you never wonder where I went when I disappeared for long periods of time? I would hang out with Paula and a bowl of popcorn.”
I’m happy my sister included Callie in things. She didn’t seem to have a ton of girlfriends when we were in school. I’m only unsure if it was by choice or because they were jerks. It’s not my place to ask. Not yet, anyway.
“That actually makes sense.” I take a bite of the enchiladas they brought me. The food is still lukewarm and doesn’t need to be heated. “Thank you for the food. I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but it wasn’t as fulfilling as I thought it would be.”
She laughs, loud and long. The sound gives me some reassurance she isn’t still upset about earlier. “At our age, a PB&J is a snack, not a meal.”
“I didn’t want to make an entire meal for one person. And…I’m out of frozen dinners.”
“How do you live on those? You have to eat actual food sometimes.”
“I do. Why do you think I make batches of chili? It’s enough to feed me for a few days. Other times I’ll go hang out with one of my siblings to get food. Or, I’ll go to my parents’ house.”
She eyes me as if I should act like an adult at my age. I do mostly, but so much food would go to waste. I don’t know how to cook for one person.
“Are you excited about starting your job tomorrow?” I have to break the silence filling the room after discussing how much I don’t cook. Even though I can.
“Yes?”
“You don’t sound too sure about it.”
“I’m nervous. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to have found a job so quickly, but it feels like a step backward having to rely on help from the people I grew up with.”
“Technically you’ll be working for people who are much older than us. Not going to lie, though, you’ll probably be working with some people from high school.” I take another bite. “A lot of people left, but a lot stayed here. Or, came back.”
“Like me?” There’s vulnerability in the question.
“Callie, coming home doesn’t mean you’re a failure.” I set my food on the table and get off the couch to move beside her. “You went to your support system, Miles. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with hat. I hope by now you know I’m here to help as well.”
“It may not feel like a failure to you, but when I left, I vowed never to come back here unless it was only for a quick visit. And here I am…with an entire house and all the problems going along with it.”
“Why?”
“That’s not important. Besides, it’s not like I can do anything about it now. I can only make the best of my situation. Thank you by the way. I’m not sure what Lexi and I would have done if you hadn’t swooped in to save the day.”
What is it with this woman and refusing to give me a straight answer and let me in? One day she’ll open up.
“It’s not a problem. I promise.” I move back to the couch because I still don’t know where we stand. “You’ll do great on your first day. I have faith in you.”
What I really want to ask her is what happened between her and her ex-husband. She won’t answer, though.
“I’m glad someone does.” She moves her attention back to the movie. A clear sign that the conversation is over.
We finish the movie in companionable silence, and it’s better than whatever happened earlier. Once the credits roll, she stands. “I’m heading to bed. Do you need in the room before I go to sleep?”
I guess she’s trying to keep us from being in the room at the same time. I can’t really blame her since she locked me out of my room.
“Yeah, I need to grab my clothes for tomorrow. I don’t have to work, but there are a few things I want to get done.”
“Okay.” She heads to the room. I guess she needs to get some things before she gets ready for bed.
I turn off the TV and follow her. I can’t wait to sleep in my bed again. But as long as Callie is comfortable, that’s all that matters. Hopefully, she knows I’ll go through any level of discomfort to make sure she’s taken care of.
She’s pulling some clothes out of her suitcase as I enter the room. My feet carry me straight to my closet. I don’t want to rock the boat by lingering.
Once I have my clothes for tomorrow in hand, I turn to leave.
“Peter?” Callie’s voice is a whisper above the roaring fire.
“What’s up?” Don’t read too much into what she’s about to say. I have to keep that on repeat in my head. The last thing I need to do is make a tenuous situation worse.
“I-I’m sorry about earlier.” Her eyes are trained on the floor.
“About the kiss. I shouldn’t have done it.
” She’s quiet for a few moments and I think she’s done but now she meets my eyes.
“I had a crush on you when we were kids. Hell, even into our teens. When you said you felt something toward me, my body reacted. It’s like all the words I longed to hear then propelled me forward. ”
I knew about the crush, well, suspected anyway. It was hard not to. But I always thought maybe she lost interest, especially since she hauled ass out of town.
Setting my clothes on the bed, I take a few tentative steps toward her. Fear I’ll make her run keeps me at a distance.
“You don’t need to apologize. If that role belongs to anyone, it’s me. I was out of line.”
“True.”
“Geez, you didn’t have to agree so quickly.” This is what I miss. We used to go at each other for hours. Right now. It feels like we’ve gone back in time.
She shrugs, but I can see the smile lifting the corner of her mouth. “Maybe if I’d acted the way you did, you would have noticed me all those years ago.”
I reach out and slide my hand into hers, pulling her closer. “Callie, I’ve always noticed you.”
Her mouth drops open, and I want nothing more than to capture her lips with mine. It’s not the right time, though. Not yet.
Before she has a chance to say anything, I give her hand a quick squeeze. “We can talk about it more later. Goodnight.”
Turning, I grab my clothes from the bed and leave the room as fast as possible. I put the cards on the table. It’s up to her if we continue as friends or more. Either way, I know neither of us getting much sleep tonight.