by Colbie Kay
The three of us guys take a seat at the table because Cynthia demanded it, and I’ve come to learn you just do as you’re told when it comes to that woman. “Cayden, take this plate to Zac.” Cayden does without a word. “Cydney, give this to Maverick.”
“They have two feet, why can’t they get their own plates?” Cydney responds angrily, but takes the plate anyway, apparently having realized a long time ago the same thing I have—you just listen to their momma when she says something.
“Because they are our guests and it’s polite.” Cynthia doesn’t even bat a lash at her daughter’s attitude. She goes about making another plate.
“No! They’re your guests, not ours.” Cydney brings the plate over to Mav. He smiles up at her, but the smile she’s sporting looks more like a pained grimace. As Cydney stands next to him, she begrudgingly says, “Enjoy.” Then the plate is slammed down in front of him hard enough that some of his turkey, corn, and one of his rolls flies up and lands on the tablecloth.
It doesn’t faze him one bit as he grabs the roll, puts it back on the plate, then grabs a piece of the turkey and shoves it into his mouth. “She wants me.”
“Sure she does,” I respond with a chuckle.
Zac chimes in, “Yeah, about as much as that hot little TA wanted me.” That makes Zac and I laugh harder, while Mav mouths, ‘Fuck you both.’ That gets us going even more.
The girls and Cynthia get their plates and join us at the table. “Raise your glasses,” Cynthia tells us as she raises her glass of red wine. The rest of us are drinking water. “Here’s to spending the holidays with people you love—or new acquaintances. Let’s all be thankful we have a roof over our heads and all of this wonderful food. Cheers.”
Everyone starts to dig into the delicious food, and we give our compliments on how good it is. I haven’t had home cooking like this since I left for college. It makes me wonder what my parents are doing today.
Halfway through our food, I look around the table, because it’s awfully quiet. It’s not one of those comfortable silences, either. Callie sits next to me, still eating, but chewing very slowly as she looks around—she can sense it too. Cayden is staring at Zac, who keeps his head down; he seems very interested in his food all of a sudden. Cydney is giving Mav her go to hell look while he has a big shit-eating grin on his face. Momma is sitting back, smiling over the rim of her glass.
“I knew you wanted me,” Mav says to Cydney out of the blue.
“What are you talking about? I don’t even like you.” Cydney narrows her eyes.
All eyes in the room are looking between Cydney and Mav. “If you don’t like me, then why are you rubbing up and down on my leg with your foot?” His smile grows, and Cydney’s eyes widen, her face beet red.
“I’m not touching you!” she shouts. The smile falls from Mav’s face and he looks thoroughly confused now. Cayden chokes on her water and starts coughing as Callie pats her back, asking if she’s okay.
“My bad. That was me rubbing your leg,” Cayden admits between coughs. Zac finally lifts his head to look at Cayden with an intensity in his eyes I’ve never seen before.
“Why are you rubbing my leg?” Mav asks as Cydney asks at same time, “Why are you rubbing his leg?”
“So... Cayden, did you hear Brody Masters is transferring to your college next semester?” Cynthia pipes up.
“No, I didn’t…” Cayden’s eyes are glued to Zac as he drops his fork and gets up from the table, going into the kitchen and opening the fridge.
“Don’t try and change the subject, Momma,” Cydney cuts Cayden off, then continues, “Answer the question, Cayden. Why were you rubbing Maverick’s leg?” For someone who says they don’t like someone, Cydney seems more than a little upset at her sister.
“Because I thought I was rubbing stubborn ass’s leg. Not Maverick’s,” Cayden huffs out a breath.
Leaning over to Callie, I whisper in her ear, “Who’s Brody?”
She quietly whispers back, “Cayden’s friend-with-benefits from high school.” Well, hell, I think shit just got a little more interesting. Raine’s baby monitor sounds out, her cries letting us all know she has woken up. I start to stand so I can get her out of Callie’s room, but Cynthia tells me to sit back down.
“I’ll get her. My work here is done.” As she heads down the hall, she adds, “Momma is always right, and one day you girls will realize it.” She laughs as she opens Callie’s bedroom door.
“I dislike her so much right now,” Cydney says as she sits back and crosses her arms over her chest. Callie laughs and Cayden sits back with a pout.
Cynthia comes back out with Raine and says, “Why don’t the six of you go out and have some fun. I’ll keep Rainey with me.” She smiles while looking at each one of us.
“We know what you’re doing, Momma,” Cayden and Cydney respond in unison.
“I’m not doing anything. I just want my girls to go out and have some fun.” Cynthia tries to be all innocent, but you can see the guilt in her hazel eyes. There is nothing innocent about that woman.
The Dugout is surprisingly busy for Thanksgiving, but then again, I guess a lot of the college students didn’t go home. The three of us guys order double beers while the girls wait for us at the table. Since the girls are underage, we have to order for them.
“You didn’t spit in my beer, did you?” Cydney questions as she takes hers from Maverick while looking in the top of the bottle.
“That’s disgusting. No, I didn’t. I’d be more concerned with you doing that to me than the other way around.” Mav takes a seat across the table from Cydney.
“Well, you’re kind of an asshole.” She gives him a half smile.
Callie fake gasps and covers her mouth. “Was that a smile you gave him?”
We all laugh, but Mav has to open his mouth. “And you’re a bitch.”
“Did you just call me… I know you did not just call me a bitch!” Cydney stands from the table, leans over with her hands flat on the wooden tabletop, and stares down Mav.
He mimics her stance. “I did, and what are you gonna do about it, little girl? I like the smile, though.” Mav blows Cydney a kiss, smiles, then sits back down.
“I can’t fucking stand you!” Cydney yells over the music that just started blaring out of the speakers, then sits back down as well.
Messing with the label on my bottle, I address the guys, trying to distract from the situation at hand. “There’s something I wanted to tell you guys.”
“What?” they question at the same time. Both have matching expressions of concern.
“Well, now that I know Raine is for sure mine, I started looking into available apartments, and one of the condos has opened up in Callie’s building. I’m going to take it.” Looking at both of them now, with their sad expressions, it makes me feel like an ass.
“You’re moving out?” Zac is the first to comment. “But Raine’s my alarm clock for my morning classes, and I’m not going to get to see her grow up. I thought she was going to ruin everything for you at first, but I love her. Which, by the way, I’m sorry for all that shit I said in the beginning. I’m glad you have her.”
When Zac ends his rambling, I chuckle. “It’s okay—it was a shock to us all, but I’ll be in the building right next door. You will see us all the time, but she needs her own room.”
“I guess.” He pouts. “It’s not gonna be the same.”
“I get it, but I was really getting used to having her around. I kinda like her too,” Mav says in his it’s not a big deal kind of way. “You know we’ll be here if you need anything.”
“Thank you!” I know they will be. They’re my brothers and it’s going to be strange not living with them anymore, but I gotta do what’s best for my daughter.
After a few more beers, except for Cydney and Maverick because they’re drivin
g, Callie announces that she has to use the bathroom. “You want me to go with you?”
“Nah, I’ll be fine.” She grips my thigh under the table. Standing, I let her out and watch as she walks in the direction of the bathrooms.
“Are you guys ready to get final exams done?” Cayden questions, breaking the silence.
We all give our “yes” answers and then it goes quiet again.
“You gonna tell me who the fuck Brody is?” Zac finally asks the question he’s been stewing on.
“Why should I? It’s not like you’re interested,” Cayden stubbornly replies.
“Who is he?” Zac demands.
“A friend from high school, okay?” They stare each other down. Zac may say he’s not interested for whatever reason, but that is definitely not the vibe I’m getting.
It’s been a little while since Callie went to the bathroom, and I’m starting to get an uneasy feeling. Looking around, I don’t see her. I get up and head towards the bathroom.
“Let me fucking go!” I hear Callie yell, and my feet get to moving.
A guy has her pinned against the wall with his leg between hers. Callie’s head turns in my direction, and I see red.
My voice drops a few octaves as I growl, “Let her go!” Gripping the stranger by the shoulders, I pull him off of Callie in the dark hallway.
“Are you okay?” I question as I step closer to her.
Callie stands frozen in place. “It was you!”
Chapter 11
“Do you want me to go with you?” Dex asks right after I told him I needed to use the restroom.
“Nah, I’ll be fine,” I replied. I haven’t needed Dex to go with me for a little while now, but I love that he still offers. It really is funny how everything has changed for me since meeting Dex. I’m not scared anymore, I’m confident again, and I can even manage to walk alone in this large group of people. Giving his leg a squeeze to reassure him, I wait for him to let me out, because I’m sitting in the middle, between him and Cydney.
Thank God the line isn’t too long—only four ladies in front of me, which is nothing compared to the ten to fifteen normally there, most of them trying to get in with the baseball players and the few football and basketball guys that hang out here. They dress in as little as possible, but wear as much makeup as they can cake onto their faces.
Finally, I’m able to get into a stall, do my business, and wash my hands before opening the door to leave. As I get into the darkened hallway, there’s a guy standing there. I don’t recognize him, but with his build, I’d say he plays football.
“Hey there, sexy.” He drunkenly smiles and stands in front of me.
“I need to get by. I gotta get back to my group of friends,” I tell him as I try to get by him, but he doesn’t let me. If I move left, he moves with me; if I move right, so does he. Then, in the blink of an eye, he has my arms above my head with his leg between mine.
“You smell good too.” His hot, nasty breath hits my face and it makes me want to vomit. Turning my head, I can’t see Dex, the guys, or my sisters. Other people stand around looking, but they aren’t trying to help me. Fucking assholes!
“Let me fucking go!” I squirm, trying to break free, but it’s no use—his size overpowers me.
I see Dex coming into the hallway with a fury. “Let her go!” His voice drops octaves—it’s low, deep, and deadly. I’ve heard that voice one other time. Dex uses a strength I didn’t know he had to pull the guy off of me, who promptly scurries away as soon as he regains his balance.
I’m frozen in place, staring at the man I have fallen in love with. “It was you!” All this time and he never told me. “Did you know? Did you know it was me all this time?”
“Callie.” Dex stares at me.
“You did.” My lips purse and I nod my head. My feet finally able to move, I hightail it back to the table. “Let’s go!” I tell my sisters as tears threaten to spill free.
“What happened?” Cayden and Cydney ask in unison, jumping up.
“Callie, please don’t go. Let me explain,” Dex begs as he comes up behind me and puts his hand on my shoulder.
Shrugging my shoulder to knock his hand off, I spit out, “Don’t fucking touch me!” I can’t bear to look at him, so my eyes stay trained on my sisters and I repeat, “Let’s go…now!”
“Callie, please. I love you!” Dex tries again as he grips my arm.
Spinning on him, I jerk my arm free. “You love me! You decide to tell me that now?” Pointing my finger in his face, I go on, “No, you don’t get to do that. You don’t decide to tell me you love me because you fucked up.”
One of my sisters drags me out of the bar and keeps hold of me until we get to the jeep, and then I’m pushed into the backseat. Cydney hops in the driver’s side and Cayden in the passenger seat, then we start to drive away from the man I thought I loved who was keeping a secret from me all this time.
“What the hell happened?” Cayden turns in her seat to face me.
“He’s a liar, a big fat fucking liar!” The tears start falling now.
“Why? Everything was fine until you went to the bathroom.” Her brows pull down in confusion.
“A guy had me up against the wall and Dex pulled him off, but it was him that night, Cayden. He’s the one that saved me on the Fourth of July. He knew who I was all this time and he kept it from me.”
“Shit!” both of my sisters respond, and Cayden turns back around, putting her seatbelt back in place.
Shit is right!
Opening the condo door, we see Momma sitting on the couch, holding a sleeping Raine. The tears come harder. Walking over to them, I kiss Raine’s head and Momma asks, “Why are you crying? What happened?”
“I don’t want to talk about it right now. When Dex comes to get her, please don’t let him come to my room.” I don’t bother saying goodnight.
Throwing myself on my bed, I bury my face in my pillow and cry. I cry hard and for I don’t know how long, but I know Dex had come and gotten his daughter when I heard him pleading with my mom and sisters to let him see me. They told him to let me calm down and for him to go home for the night. I cried harder when he left, knowing he wasn’t going to be sleeping next to me to keep the nightmares away.
I feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest and stomped on. This is why my sisters and I had that fucking pact to never be in a relationship and to not let feelings get involved. If I would have stuck to that, then I wouldn’t be hurting so bad now.
I can’t believe he kept it from me; why couldn’t he have just told me he was the one that saved me? Why let me fall in love with him, only for it to be a lie?
By the time the last tear has fallen, I have a headache and my eyes are puffy. The box of Kleenex I had on my nightstand is now gone, the soiled tissues covering my bed, but I don’t have the strength to clean up. Closing my eyes, I try and get some sleep. I was right—the nightmares returned.
It’s been two days since I showered, left my room, ate, or did anything. They all knock on my door, checking in on me, but I tell them to leave me alone. This time, though, Momma comes in, “Callie, It’s time for me to go home.” She sits on the bed beside me and rubs my arm.
“Do you have to?” Looking up at her with my puffy eyes, I try the puppy dog look.
“Yeah, I have to get back to work, but I want to talk to you before I go.” I sit up against my wooden headboard and hug my pillow to my chest. “Your sisters told me what happened at the bar.”
I look down at my pillow that’s become my best friend. “Yeah.”
“You should talk to him, Callie.” Momma runs her hand down my matted hair.
“I can’t. I don’t want to see him again. It was all a lie.” Blinking away the threatening tears, I stare at my beautiful mom.
; “He’s a good boy, and I don’t think he did it maliciously. Just talk to him and let him explain.” Momma gives me a hug before she stands up from my bed. “I love you, and I’ll see you at Christmas.”
“I love you too.” Momma shuts the door and I cry once again, this time because I’m going to miss her.
Two weeks later
Dex has been calling and texting nonstop for the last two weeks, and I’m no longer looking at my phone because I know it’ll be him. I’ve become that recluse again, only this time I’m not even leaving my room to go to class. I told Professor Bryant and all of my other professors that I’ve been super sick, so they agreed to let me take my exams from home—plus it gives me more time to consider the TA position.
“We’re coming in whether you like it or not. Enough with the pity party!” Cydney calls through the closed door before my sisters bust in my room.
“Holy shit, Callie! It smells like a rhino’s ass in here.” Cayden and Cydney both plug their noses. Guess I got used to the smell.
“You are taking a shower right now! You can get up and walk in the bathroom or we will drag your stankin’ ass in there,” Cydney tells me with a look of disgust.
“Then, after you’re dressed, you’re going out with us tonight,” Cayden adds in.
“I’m not going anywhere!” I respond as I get off of my bed. So I may have become a slob in the last two weeks by not showering, staying in the same clothes, and leaving my empty takeout boxes and empty ice cream cartons thrown all over my room. Oh, and those used Kleenexes I had all over my bed—but I may have added another box or two to the used pile.
“It’s not up for debate. You’re going now—go shower while we clean this nasty mess up,” Cydney tells me as she picks up an old Chinese container and wrinkles up her nose at the smell wafting toward her face.
“Fine!” I stubbornly head to the bathroom. I know my sisters well enough to know that I won’t get anywhere arguing, so I guess I’ll be going out tonight.