Callie
When I wake up, I feel a big, heavy arm draped over my waist. I turn my head and see Nash behind me, his large body curved around mine. What is he doing in my room? In my bed? And then I remember I asked him to stay here last night. At least I think I did. I was so out of it I'm not sure. That alcohol went straight to my bloodstream, and although I remember part of last night, I don't remember all of it. Nash found me outside the bar and I said something to him, but I'm not sure what. Shit. I hope I didn't tell him about my family.
I know I need to tell him, but I'm not ready to yet. Doing so will change everything, and I don't want it to change. I like being the carefree college student living here for the summer and working a part-time job and hanging out with the hot guy next door. That's the reality I want. The fake one, not the one that's actually true.
"Callie?" I hear Nash mumble behind me. "You awake?"
"Yeah." I sink back into his chest. He doesn't have a shirt on. He must've taken it off in the night. He's still above the covers but I can feel the warmth of his body. If only I could feel this every night. Someone next to me, holding me, making me feel like I'm not so alone.
"I wasn't planning to sleep here," he says. "I was going to sleep on the couch but I never made it there."
I turn onto my back and face him. "You seemed to have lost your shirt in the night."
He chuckles. "I tend to undress in my sleep when I get too hot. Sometimes I wake up completely naked and don't even remember taking my clothes off."
"That's a skill. Or a problem, depending on how you look at it."
He sits up on his elbow and skims his hand over my cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"I have a headache and my throat is dry but other than that, I'm okay."
"I'm surprised you don't feel worse. You drank a lot last night, in a short amount of time."
"Yeah, I probably shouldn't have done that."
"Do you want to tell me why you did?" he asks in a soft caring tone.
I shut my eyes. "Not really."
"Callie." He slides his hand under my hair along the side of my face and gently turns me toward him. "Callie, look at me."
I open my eyes. "What?"
"I need to know what you meant last night."
"About what?"
"About what you said when we were sitting outside the bar."
"I don't remember what I said." It's true. I really don't.
"You said you shouldn't be there, not just at the bar, but anywhere."
Dammit. Why would I say that? I'm such an idiot. Getting drunk was supposed to help me get through the night, but instead it made me say things I shouldn't have.
"I don't know what I meant," I say. "I was drunk."
"I think it was more than that. You were crying, and you kept saying you shouldn't be there. Or anywhere. Like you shouldn't be here." He pauses. "Like...with the rest of us. Callie, you're not thinking of...doing something to yourself, are you?" He asks it cautiously, as though he's either afraid to ask the question or afraid of the answer.
The answer is that I have thought of that. Right after the accident, I missed them so much that I was willing to give up my life for a chance to see them again, and to get rid of the pain and make it end. But then I came to my senses and forced those thoughts out of my head.
"Callie?" he asks, his thumb rubbing over my cheek.
I force out a smile. "No. Of course not. I don't know what I was talking about. I don't even remember saying that."
"Do you remember seeing Katie?" he asks.
I didn't, but now that he said it, I do remember seeing her. Then I remember what she told Nash about me and I panic. What if he believed her? Does he think I'm crazy like she said?
"Yeah, I remember." I glance away from him.
"If she were a guy, I would've hit her. Who the hell says shit like that? God, I was so pissed when she talked about you that way."
"It's okay. That's just the way she is."
"It's not okay. I don't know why she would say those things about you. You don't even know her, do you?"
"Only from taking her order at the coffee shop. Other than that, no." I chew on my lip. "Can we just not talk about her?"
"Of course." He leans down and kisses my cheek. "I'd love to stay here but I should probably head over to the house and get those guys out of bed."
Just then, we hear a grinding noise outside and some metal clanking.
"I guess they're already up," Nash says. "What time is it?"
I check the clock. "Eight-thirty."
"Shit, I need to get going." He climbs over me and out of bed, then goes to the window. "They've already got everything set up and ready to go. Even Jake's there." He turns back to me, smiling. "They're a pain in the ass, but I love my brothers."
I'm jealous. I wish I had brothers, or sisters, or anyone I could consider family.
Nash puts his shirt on and buttons it up. "Now they're gonna yell at me for sleeping late with my girlfriend when I should've been working."