24. Chapter Twenty-Four
Callie and her brothers have tried their hardest to avoid us for the past three days. In all honesty, they’d done a pretty good job. On Sunday, none of them answered their phones, texts, calls, or nothing.
They were already at college when we arrived Monday morning, but they seemed to ignore our whole existence. Even in the classes that we shared, they’d made sure to be there early so that they could sit together or with other people, meaning there was no space left for us to be close to them.
At the end of classes, they’d rush out the door and be gone by the time me, Kat and Nate had even made it out the door. Lunch was no different. The three of them just seemed to vanish whenever our lunch period came around.
Nate”s been moping around because he misses Callie’s presence and aura – his words, not mine. Kat”s acting like a detective, coming up with all sorts of conclusions as to why they’d started to avoid us after opening up about their home life.
I, on the other hand, have been observant. I’ve noticed Connor’s split lip. I’ve seen Callie’s slight limp and the bruise on her head that she’s attempted to cover with makeup. I’ve also seen her constantly checking her phone and frowning at it with a hint of longing in her eyes before shoving it back into her pocket. I don’t know what happened between Saturday night and Monday morning, but I have an inkling, and I’m determined to find out.
It’s now Wednesday and here I am, sitting in my seat ten minutes early; waiting for Callie to walk through the door. Surprisingly, I’ve only known this girl for almost two weeks and yet I’m already so invested in her. We all are.
It warms my heart to know that it’s mutual. It has to be, she confided in us. She told us her deepest, darkest secret, something she’s kept a secret for years. That’s why I know that they’re probably avoiding us because they think it’s the safest option. Little do they know, we’re not afraid of the dangers. Kat, Nate and I want to help them. Callie deserves justice for everything she’s been through. The twins do too.
I’d spoken to my parents last night and I mentioned Callie. I didn’t tell them about her struggles. That’s not my secret to tell. I did tell them about my growing feelings towards her, though. I explained how I felt connected to her. I spoke about her beauty, her laugh, her smile, and everything else. My mother was ecstatic, going on about marriage and babies, cue the eye roll. Both of my fathers were happy, too. All three of my parents expressed their excitement for when they eventually get to meet her.
I mentioned the fact that she seemed to like Nate as well and also had some unfinished business with an ex-boyfriend. Shortly after that, I had to end the phone call because Mum thought it would be a good idea to give me some tips on sex positions that involve multiple parties.
As much as I love my parents” bizarre relationship, I don’t need to hear about all the little details. I’m sure I’ll figure it out for myself if the situation arises. I’m unsure whether Callie would even be interested in dating us all. As weird as it may sound, I think I’d prefer that she did choose to date us all.
I’m snapped out of my thoughts when the classroom door squeaks open. I quickly glance at my watch and see that it’s still five minutes before class starts. I look in the direction of the door to see Callie frozen in the doorway, staring at me in disbelief and confusion.
I take some time to admire her. Her luscious chocolate hair is pulled into a high pony, accentuating her slender neck. Her plump lips are parted from the shock of seeing me and her cheeks are tinted red. My gaze travels down her curvaceous body, over the light blue t-shirt that moulds to the shapes of her breasts and her slim waist.
My mouth starts to water as I glance down at her thighs, covered by a pair of black skinny jeans. I can see each dip and curve of her body. I quickly snap my eyes back to her face, stopping thoughts of her body from consuming my mind. After what she told me on Saturday night at Nate’s house, I don’t think she’d appreciate me thinking of her sexually just yet.
“Are you gonna come sit down, cutie?” I ask her, hoping that she’ll relent and finally stop avoiding me. She looks around the empty classroom and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. She looks so unsure, as if she’s in a debate with herself about what she should do.
I try to reassure her by saying, “I just want to make sure you’re okay, Callie.”
Her gaze clashes with mine, sparkling blue irises capturing my full attention. She takes a step toward me before stopping herself again.
Okay, that’s it.
I stand up, swinging my backpack over my shoulder and march over to her. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” I say, intertwining her hand with mine. She watches me in shock but follows after me as I lead us out of the classroom at a measured pace, knowing she’s still struggling with her leg.
I drag her through the halls, ignoring her badgering questions about where we’re going until we’re outside in the carpark, and then I walk over to my Jeep.
“We’re going to get some food, and then we’re gonna sit somewhere and talk,” I tell her. She purses her lips, and her eyes glisten.
She shakes her head. “I don’t want to talk, Brad.” I hold both of her hands, her palms against mine and I pull her towards me.
“If you don’t want to talk, then that’s fine, but I think you need to. Let’s go. You can clear your head a little.” She glances over her shoulder, scanning the empty car park and the few students that are conjugated by the entrance doors.
“Okay,” she agrees, her voice quiet and soft. I release a relieved breath and then open the passenger side door for her, helping her into her seat before I round the car and buckle myself in.
After stopping at a McDonald”s drive-thru to order food, I drove us down to Parkshire Lake. It’s the one place that I cherish. I come here at least once a week and sit on the grass, staring across the rippling clear water. I usually come here when my head is a mess. It helps clear my thoughts when I’m breathing in the fresh air and surrounded by the sounds of crickets in the distant long grass.
We walk hand in hand towards the lake”s edge. Thankfully, it isn’t busy at the moment. I can see Frank, an old man that I’ve gotten to know here, fishing over on the oblong dock; there’s also a mother and her child over the other side feeding the ducks.
I pull Callie to a stop about a metre from the edge of the lake and I gesture for her to sit down on the dewy grass.
“We can just sit in silence if you want to,” I offer, sitting beside her and opening the wrapper of my cheeseburger. She nods her head, indicating that that’s what she wants, so I hand her the bag of food and start to devour my burger, keeping my gaze on the lady throwing bread with her child.
A comfortable silence settles over us as we eat our food. Even though I brought Callie here to try and help clear her mind, I also brought her here because I selfishly wanted some time alone with her. I’m not bothered if we sit here in silence for an hour or two, the fact that I’m with her after hardly even getting a glimpse of her for days, that’s what matters to me.
I never knew I could become so attached to someone this quickly, but Callie has bulldozed her way into my life and my mind. It won’t take much longer for her to take over my heart as well. She’s already creeping her way in.
Mum had said earlier that there is no rule on how long you have to know someone before you develop feelings for them. Sometimes, you subconsciously know that a person is the right one for you.
“I think Ryker’s disappeared again.”
I turn to study Callie as I let her quiet words settle into my mind. Her mouth is downturned, brows furrowed as she fiddles with her fingers. I scoot over till I’m pressed against her side, wrapping my arm around her.
“What makes you think that?”
“I’ve been trying to call and text him since Sunday evening, but he hasn’t replied.” She pauses, turning to face me with tears glistening in her eyes. “I’m just worried that something might have happened to him,” she sobs, burrowing her face into my shoulder. My heart cracks.
“Baby, I’m sure he’s fine,” I tell her, trying to be reassuring. Honestly, I kind of regret leaving Nate at school. He’d be much better at dealing with this. I’m clueless about what I’m meant to do in this situation. “Maybe he’s just really busy.”
She pulls away from my chest and stares up at me.
“I’m sorry, I’m really not good at this.”
She huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, I can tell.” She wipes her cheeks with the sleeves of her t-shirt, and my eyes catch on the yellowing bruise along her hairline.
“How’d you get this?” I reach out and brush my thumb along the slight bump.
“Well, my brother Cameron decided to jump us when we arrived home on Saturday.” I frown and wait for her to continue. “Dad apparently wasn’t happy that we’d been out all day, so he let Cameron choose a punishment for us. It was nothing, no need to worry.”
“Callie, you need to stop acting so blasé about this. It’s not normal.” I pull her into my chest again and rest my head on top of hers. “We need to find a way to stop this,” I mumble.
“I have a plan for that, so don’t you worry.”
How can she expect me not to worry? She shouldn’t have to endure all of this.
“Callie, you know your mother is safe. Colin has told you that. You don’t have to endure all of this torture anymore. They won’t be able to get to her.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” she whispers. “It’s best if I put up with it all for a little longer until the twins and I can gather some evidence and information.”
“Is this the reason you’ve been avoiding us?” She nods, her head rubbing against me with the motion, the scent of her strawberry shampoo wafting up and filtering into my nose.
“We figured that someone had probably been watching us on Saturday, seen us with you. Connor thought it was best if we kept our distance for a little while.” She pulls out of my embrace and tentatively cups my jaw in the palm of her hands. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if either you, Kat, or Nate ended up hurt.”
I smile at her as I feel my heart internally jump with happiness.
She cares about us, she cares about us enough to distance herself from us in case it causes any issues.
God, I’m falling head over heels for this woman.
My eyes flicker down to her lips for a brief moment before connecting with hers again. I don’t want to hold myself back anymore. I need to know what her mouth feels like against mine. I want to taste her.
I watch as her tongue sweeps across her bottom lip, making it glisten. I lift my hooded gaze to hers and see her watching me with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“I really want to kiss you right now, Callie,” I murmur, my lips hovering a millimetre away from hers, teasing us both. Her eyes are wide as they search mine, and her breathing begins to pick up. I watch as a flush crawls across her skin, brightening her cheeks.
“Kiss me then,” she whispers, her lids fluttering. I skim my lips across hers before trailing them down her neck, she moans quietly and her arm curls around the back of my neck.
“The problem is, if I kiss you, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.” She gasps and then hums in pleasure as I place open-mouthed kisses up the length of her neck.
“I wouldn’t want you to stop. Kiss me, Brad.” I dive in, not needing to be told twice.
As soon as my lips connect with hers, she melts into me. I grab at her hips and pull her onto my lap to make us both more comfortable. She moans into my mouth, and our tongues tangle together.
The kiss is messy; our teeth clank together a couple of times, but it doesn’t bother either one of us, too hungry with desire. Her hands trail over my shoulders, bumping over each corded muscle before they travel down my back. I keep one hand on her hip, keeping her body close to mine, and I lift my other hand to her jaw, angling her head a little to the left.
We’re breathing heavily as we carelessly make out like a pair of horny teenagers. When I feel myself starting to harden in my jeans, I reluctantly pull away from the kiss and rest my forehead against hers.
“We need to put a pause on this.”
She grins at me, and she shakes her head a little, trying not to laugh.
“I don’t want to go too far too quickly, especially after what happened with you and Nate. I want to give you time.” It’s as if I’ve poured a bucket of ice over her with that comment. Her eyes widen and her hands cover her mouth as she groans.
She quickly climbs off my lap, sits back down beside me, and shakes her head.
“Oh my god, what is wrong with me?” I think she’s talking to herself, not realising she’s asked the question out loud, but I choose to answer it anyway because I don’t want her getting the wrong impression.
“Callie, nothing’s wrong with you, I just want to take things-”
“No. I mean, what’s wrong with me!” she shrieks, standing up and starting to pace in front of me. “I messed around with Nate, then I had sex with Ryker, and now I’m kissing you!” She shouts, pointing her finger towards me.
I lift myself off the ground and take hold of her forearms.
“Woah, Callie, calm down. Firstly, there’s no need to shout.” Her eyes go comically wider, and she whips her head in every direction, looking for anyone who might have heard her outburst. I place my thumb and forefinger under her chin and direct her head till she’s facing me.
“There’s no need to panic, cutie. Calm down, please. Just breathe.” I try to make my voice as soothing as possible. She takes a few deep breaths and her eyes go back to a somewhat normal size, but I can still tell that she feels guilty.
“I don’t know what I’m doing, Brad. This is all so weird and confusing to me,” she whispers, leaning forward and resting her forehead on my chest. I smooth a hand down the length of her ponytail and then rub her back in a circular motion.
“What’s confusing about it? You like three different guys. They all like you as well. It seems simple to me.” She huffs out a breath and shakes her head from side to side.
“It’s not simple at all. This isn’t normal. Firstly, I hardly know you or Nate, surely I shouldn’t be making out with you both this quickly. Secondly, I’ve only ever been with one guy, consensually, that is.” I cringe at her reminder and my hand fists at my side. “I’ve only ever felt like this for one person and that was Ryker. I don’t understand how I’m developing feelings for two more people as well.”
“It doesn’t have to be confusing, Callie. It’s perfectly normal.”
“What do you mean?” She draws back and looks up at me in confusion.
“If you decide that you want to be with all three of us, that’s an option. Well, if Nate and Ryker would agree to it.” Her brows furrow.
“Is that something that you’d be open to?” She asks quietly, avoiding eye contact.
“Baby, I have a Mum and two Dads, I’m not the person you’d have to worry about being okay with this. I’d happily share you if it’s something that you would want and be comfortable with.” She’s looking at me now, staring up at me with those wide ocean blue eyes and I can tell she’s shocked. Her lips move as if she wants to say something but no words come out to start with.
“Share me?” she squeaks, her cheeks now rosy red. My lips tilt up into a smile as I nod. “If you mean sexually, then I don’t know about that.” I stroke my thumb across her cheek until it reaches her bottom lip.
“I was just talking about some sort of polyamorous relationship. I didn’t mean it sexually, but that could be a possibility in the future, I suppose. It’s something for you to think about. I don’t think Nate would be into having group sex, but I wouldn’t be opposed to sharing you with Ryker. That man looks like he’d be bossy between the sheets. He’s got me intrigued,” I tell her, placing a soft kiss against her lips.
“You’re into Ryker?”
I can’t contain my laughter. I double over as my body shakes, and tears gather in my eyes.
“No, Callie, I didn’t mean it like that,” I choke out. She’s now as red as a beetroot, likely overwhelmed with embarrassment. I lean forward and kiss her forehead.
“I think we should stop this conversation now and switch to a lighter topic.” She nods with a sheepish smile and mutters in agreement.
Her phone starts ringing and the moment between us is broken. Her smile drops and she rushes to grab the phone out of her back pocket, her eyes full of hope.