The Resolution of Callie & Kayden(58)

I like you, his expression read.

I like you, too, the girl wanted to say.

‘Yeah, on a date.’ He seemed amused by the girl, almost nonchalant about the whole thing, but his eyes promised, I like you a lot.

I like you a lot, too.

‘Okay.’ It was hard for the girl to say, and when the words left her lips, they surprised her.

They surprised the guy, too, as if he’d thought she was going to say no. If she didn’t know any better, she could have sworn they both stood taller.

‘Okay then,’ the guy said. ‘I’ll pick you up tonight.’

‘Okay.’

They parted ways, the girl’s head swimming with possibilities.

But could she trust him?

Because in a world full of monsters, it was hard to tell who was what.





Chapter 25


#167 Say Goodbye.



Kayden


It’s not until Dylan calls me the next day I decide to go to the funeral because he says he’s going. Tyler’s not, though, because he was worried it might send him back into a relapse, which I understand. I honestly keep waiting for something to set me off and do the same thing, but I feel strangely okay.

I think Callie’s relieved when I tell her I’m going to the funeral, like she thinks it will give me a sense of closure. I’m not sure if she’s right, but it’s the only chance I’m going to get so I take it.

The funeral is in North Carolina where I just found out my mother grew up, which is why my father and her had been hiding out there – because they knew people. Callie comes with me, thankfully, but we can only stay for two days because finals are going on and there’s no way I’m going to fuck up my grades or hers for this. With the limited time we have there, we mostly just hang out on the beach near our hotel.

And I’m okay with that.

In fact, it’s perfect.

‘I’m starting to become a fan of the ocean,’ Callie says the morning of the funeral. She’s sitting between my legs in the sand, leaning back against my chest, the sun beaming down on us. ‘It’s so peaceful.’

I’m playing with her hair as the water crashes against the shore just a few feet in front of us. ‘Yeah it is.’

She rests her head against me and lets out a contented sigh. ‘We should come here more often.’ She adjusts her sunglasses over her eyes. ‘Well, not to North Carolina, but to the ocean.’

‘We could always live by the ocean,’ I say, putting one arm around her and leaving the other in the sand to support our weight, ‘after we graduate, and maybe I’ll get lucky and get drafted to a team that’s near the coast.’

‘I love hearing you talking about your future.’ She turns her head and nuzzles into me. ‘It always worried me when you wouldn’t.’

I run my fingers through her hair and brush it out of her eyes so I can see her face. ‘I’m sorry it took me so long to get to that point, but I’m glad you waited for me.’

‘You’re worth the wait,’ she says, breathing me in. Then she starts grinning in amusement, shaking her head at herself. ‘You’ve also turned me into a walking romance novel, FYI.’

‘I’m not sure what you mean?’

Leaning back, she draws down her sunglasses to look at me. ‘I keep uttering these cheesy lines every time I’m around you. It’s becoming ridiculous.’

I chuckle softly. ‘I think it’s cute.’

‘Well, you do it, too,’ she says, amused. ‘All the time.’

I start to scrunch up my nose and protest, but then I realize she’s right. So instead, I get to my feet, brush the sand off my hands, and throw her over my shoulder.

‘Kayden, what the heck!’ she cries through her laughter, pounding on my back as I rush toward the water and wade in until I’m waist deep. We’re not in our swimsuits, but shorts, and the water is lukewarm, and still not comfortable. Still it’s fun.

‘This is for turning me into a sap,’ I tease, pinching her ass before I lower her into the water with a splash.

She lets out a squeal as the salty ocean seeps through her clothes all the way up to just below her chest. ‘You are a mean, mean boy.’

‘No way. I’m a sappy guy, thanks to you.’ I give her a lopsided grin as I grab the front of her shirt and pull her closer to me. Her hair is dripping wet, water beads her skin, and her clothes cling to her body. She’s ridiculously sexy and I just want to lick the water right off her skin.

So I do.

Dipping my head toward her neck, I lick a path across her collarbone, ignoring the salty taste.

‘Kayden,’ she gasps, her fingers tangling through my hair.

She pulls me closer and I smile against her skin as I drop my head lower as my hands glide up to her stomach. I kiss a path to the collar of her shirt then pull it down to suck on the curve of her breast. She struggles to stand upright against the intensity and the waves rolling toward us, so I reach down, grab her thigh, and hitch it around my hip. She gasps and rocks her hips against me, seeking more. The moment is perfect and I’m about to give our bodies everything they’re craving when a large wave slams against us and knocks us apart.