The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden

his pocket and checks the screen. “I even have his phone number in my phone.”
     
    My brows knit. “How?”
     
    “Because I’m scandalous.” He swipes his finger over the screen to turn it on. I dive for him with my arm out, but he jumps out of my reach and runs for the door. “Here we go.”
     
    I stand up and put my hands on my hips, digging my fingers into my skin as I hunch over and force air through my lungs. “Seth, please don’t. I can’t. I don’t do well around guys.”
     
    He puts the phone up to his ear with a stern look on his face. “Callie, you have to remember that not all guys are him…. Hello, is this Kayden?” He pauses. “Yeah, this is Seth. Hold on just a second. Callie wants to talk to you.” Covering the mouthpiece with his hand, he extends the phone toward me. “Take. A. Chance.”
     
    I remove my hands from my hips and my skin is dotted with red-crescent moon marks from my fingernails.  I take the phone from him, my pulse erratic through my fingers, my wrists, and my neck as I raise it to my ear.
     
    “Hello,” I say, my voice barely a whisper.
     
    “Hi,” he replies, sounding lost, but intrigued. “Did you need something?”
     
    “Hey, I was thinking that maybe… I could still take you up on that offer to go somewhere,” I explain, and Seth motions his hand at me encouragingly. “We don’t have to do anything right now, but maybe later.”
     
    “I was just getting ready to leave to explore the town,” he says as I bite on my fingernail. “Do you want to go with me?”
     
    I nod, even though he can’t see me. “Yes, that sounds nice. Should I meet you outside or something?”
     
    “Do you know what Luke’s truck looks like?” he asks.
     
    “Is it that rusted one he used to drive in high school?”
     
    “Yeah, that’s the one. Why don’t you meet me by it in like ten minutes? It’s parked near the side entrance of the quad.”
     
    “Alright, sounds good.” I hang up and scowl at Seth.
     
    He claps his hands and does a little dance. “See, taking a chance isn’t so bad. In fact, it can turn out really good.”
     
    “What if I panic, though?” I hand him the phone back and grab a hoodie from my dresser drawer. “What if I do something really weird? I’ve never been alone with a strange guy before.”
     
    “You’ll be fine.” He puts his hands on my shoulders and looks me in the eyes. “Just be the Callie I know.”
     
    I zip up my jacket. “Okay, I’ll try my damn hardest.”
     
    He laughs and then encloses his arms around me, drawing me in for a hug. “And if you need anything, you can call me. I’ll always be here for you.”
     
    ***
     
    Kayden isn’t out in the parking lot.  As I wait by Luke’s truck, I watch the other students hurry to and from class and I almost bolt. As I step up onto the curb to head back to my dorm, Kayden exits out the side doors of the building. He’s talking to a girl with wavy black hair that runs all the way down her back.
     
    He’s wearing jeans that hang low on his hips and a long-sleeve, dark grey Henley. The way he moves is captivating. He’s got a lot of swagger in the movement of his hips, yet his shoulders bend in and his whole stomach area looks stiff, as if walking causes him pain.
     
    I step back to the truck and wait with my arms crossed over my chest. When he sees me, his lips turn upward and he waves good-bye to the girl, who I think is in my Philosophy class.
     
    “Sorry I’m late.” He hitches his thumb over his shoulder at the girl walking away. “Kellie needed help with an English assignment. Were you waiting here a long time?”
     
    I drop my arms to my side then fold them over my chest again, unable to figure out what to do with them. “Not for too long.”
     
    He steps off the curb and I began to recoil as he reaches toward my side. But he grips the door handle and I relax, sidestepping so he can open it.
     
    “Are you okay?” He pulls the door open and the hinges creak as bits of rust fall off the edge.
     
    Nodding, I put one foot up on the floor of the truck, and hop in. The vinyl fabric of the seat is frayed and pokes through my jeans, scratching at my skin. He slams the door and I wring my hands on top of my lap. It’s the first time I’ve been alone with a guy in a car before, except for Seth, and my heart challenges my chest to endure its wrath.
     
    “Callie, are you sure you’re okay?” he asks with his hands on top of the steering