The Resolution of Callie & Kayden (The Coincidence, #6)

She nods and I feel her cheeks move as she smiles. ‘But only if you understand just how much I need you and how much I deserve you.’


It takes a lot for me to say it, but I know I have to – know it’s right for the moment. ‘All right, it’s a deal,’ I say then lean in to kiss her, taking my time, savoring the feel of her lips.

I pull away about eight minutes later when the screen clicks off and darkness surrounds us. Picking it up, I reset it for another ten minutes then take the spray can out of my pocket. ‘So, what are you planning on putting on the rock this time?’ I ask, giving the can to her.

‘Hmmm ….’ She taps her finger against her lip then hands the can back to me. ‘I think you should be the one to do it.’

‘No way. You’re the writer.’

She gets to her feet and brushes the dirt and little bit of snow off her ass. ‘Nope. I’m giving you the honors tonight, since you’ve been on a roll with beautiful words.’ When I don’t get up right away, she offers her hand to me. ‘Come on, Kayden. After what you just said to me, this should be a piece of cake.’

I thread my fingers through hers and get to my feet, giving the can a little shake. Then I stare at the rock. And stare at the rock. And stare. And stare. And stare.

‘It’s like when I look at my computer screen sometimes.’ She playfully pokes me in the side. ‘Only instead of a cursor doing the tormenting it’s a can of paint.’

I lift the can to write something, but the pressure is getting to me. My mind is blank until suddenly I get an idea as I remember the night we came up here the first time. Callie had painted her own quote on the wall … that amazing quote.

Smiling, I press the nozzle and move my hand across the rock. She grabs the phone and aims it so I can see better, and so she can read what I’m writing. When I’m done, I stand back beside her and she reads it aloud.

‘In the existence of our lives, there are many coincidences that bring people together, but there’s only one person that will own your heart forever,’ she reads aloud and I swear she almost cries near the end.

‘Someone really smart once wrote that, I think,’ I say as I put the lid back on.

‘She didn’t say that exactly.’ She turns to face me. ‘And I like your version a lot better.’

‘Good.’ I take her hand and hold onto to it for a thousand different reasons – to touch her, to feel comforted, to keep on standing, living, breathing. It’s crazy how the night went from shitty to one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time. It makes me realize how much I need her and how much I need to keep working on being the guy she deserves. ‘Because I mean it – all of it.’





Chapter 13


#153 Help Someone Even When They Don’t Necessarily Ask For Help.



Callie


The next few weeks go by in a blur of fall leaves, midterms, and football games. Before I know it, Thanksgiving is approaching. Kayden and I haven’t gotten a place of our own yet, nor have we really talked about it since that night. However, he does seem to be doing a lot better after we spent time reliving some of our past moments, and that’s really all that matters, right?

I also haven’t noticed any fresh cuts on his skin and he hasn’t gotten upset over anything with his family, so things are going pretty smoothly. Then again, I don’t think much has happened other than Dylan calling to check in and to see if Kayden is planning on going out there for Thanksgiving break.

‘So have you decided what you’re going to do yet?’ I ask Kayden. He stopped by my dorm after football practice when I was in the middle of folding my laundry. There are piles of clothes on the bed and I’m still working on the pile in the basket. By the time I get finished, they’ll probably be more to clean and fold.

Kayden is lying on the floor, since there’s no room anywhere else, throwing a football up in the air and catching it. ‘About Thanksgiving?’

I nod, folding a shirt and adding it to a stack near the foot of the bed. ‘I was just wondering if you decided whether you’re going to go to Virginia or not.’ It’s a sensitive subject, so I keep my voice light.

He tosses the football in the air and catches it before he responds. ‘What do you think I should do?’ he asks, tipping his head back to look at me.

I grab a pair of jeans from the basket. ‘Kayden, I don’t really think I should make that choice for you.’

‘Yeah, I guess I worded that wrong.’ He sets the football down and rolls to his side so he can easily look at me. ‘I just meant … I mean, what are you doing?’

‘For Thanksgiving?’ I shrug as I fold the jeans. ‘Going home. You know how my mom is with holidays. She’d be super upset if I didn’t come home. You can come with me, though, if you don’t want to go to Virginia.’

He bobs his head up and down, contemplating something. ‘Yeah, I don’t think I’m up for going back home really.’ He seems guilty about it, which he shouldn’t be.

‘You don’t have to think of it as going home. Just visiting my family for Thanksgiving.’

‘Yeah, but not thinking of it as home is part of the problem because it never really was.’ He flips on his stomach and pushes himself up to his feet, his grey T-shirt riding up just enough for me to see a little bit of his firm stomach. ‘And, I think I want to find some sort of place that I can call home.’ He wavers. ‘So I think maybe I should go to Virginia and try out this whole holiday thing with Dylan. I mean, he hasn’t brought up anything about my mom or dad lately, so I should be okay. I think, maybe it’s a good idea. And besides, I think it’s time I tried to handle that stuff.’ He glances at the healing scar on his wrist. ‘So that I don’t slip up again.’

I feel a ping of sadness in my stomach at the idea of spending a week away from him. Plus, there’d be almost a country’s worth of distance between us. Yet, I know those are both selfish reasons and in the end, it would be really nice for him to be able to get along with Dylan, especially if he wants to.

‘If you feel like you should go to Virginia, then you should go to Virginia.’ I collect a stack of jeans to put in the dresser. ‘It’d be good for you to get to know Dylan and maybe even Tyler if he’s going to be there and you think you want to see him.’

‘He’s still in rehab.’ He scoops up the football from the floor as I open the drawer and put the clothes in. ‘But I might get to see him. I think anyway.’

‘Good.’ Mustering up my best smile, I turn to face him. I am happy for him and everything, but I just hope it goes well for him. I worry. ‘I’ll miss you, though.’

‘You could always come with me,’ he says with hope as he clutches onto the football.

‘I wish I could, but I already told my mom I’d come home. Plus, Jackson’s going to be there and I haven’t seen him since Spring Break. And I made a number on the list to try to have a better relationship with him.’ I point at my door where the whiteboard with the to-do list usually is, but furrow my brow when I realize it’s gone.

‘What on earth. Where’s my list?’ I glance at Kayden. ‘Was it here when you came over today?’

He shrugs, rotating the football in his hand. ‘I have no idea.’

I scratch my head. ‘Maybe Seth took it for some reason.’ I start to reach for my phone. ‘I should call him and ask.’

‘But anyway,’ Kayden says, clearly cutting me off, ‘that’s good you’re trying to patch things up with your brother.’ He grabs my hand as I give him a questioning look. ‘I know that’s been hard for you, considering Caleb was his best friend.’

I decide to ignore his weird sidetracking thing – for now anyway – but I will get to the bottom of it.

‘He’s been really nice since I finally told him what happened,’ I say as Kayden gives my arm a tug and lures me toward him. ‘I don’t want to be mad at him anymore. It was too exhausting and there’s no point in holding grudges.’