The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden

a hard time not busting my fist against the headboard again. The only thing that stops me is I don’t want to take my arms off her.
     
    She cried forever and each sob nearly ripped me in two. It was like stitches coming apart. Eventually she fell asleep curled up against me with her head tucked against my chest. I trace lines on her bare back, staring off into empty space, wondering how anyone could have done that to her.
     
    I don’t know if I can handle it. The longer I lay there, the more worked up I get as feelings of anger consume me. I flex my hands, stab my nails into my skin, fight to stay still.
     
    Callie begins to stir and peers up at me with her swollen, bloodshot eyes.
     
    “Are you okay?” I ask, brushing her hair back from her forehead.
     
    “I’m fine.” Her voice is hoarse, her cheeks red, and her pupils are dilated.
     
    I pause, not sure what question is the right question, or if one even exists. “Callie, what you told me… who else knows about this?”
     
    “No one.” Her bare shoulders rise and fall as she fights to breathe. “Except for Seth.”
     
    I hesitate, my fingers still in her hair. “Not even your mom?”
     
    The sadness in her eyes nearly kills me. “Only you and Seth.” She tucks her head down, hiding her face.
     
    I want to ask her who it was, so I can hunt them down and fucking beat him to death. Thousands of ideas flood my mind, but I never knew her well enough to make assumptions. I could ask her, but at the moment she might break if I do. I know because I’ve been at that point most of my life.
     
    “I think we should get you dressed.” I lift my head and glance over her shoulder at the clock on the nightstand.
     
    “I’m sorry. You probably have stuff to do and I’m sitting here, holding you up.” She slants her head to the side to slip out from my arm, but I flex my arms and hug her against me.
     
    “I only said that because Luke’s going to be home soon,” I explain, inching her face closer to mine. “Not because I want you to get dressed and leave.”
     
    “Oh.” She relaxes a little, the locks of her hair spreading across my chest as she lowers her face down.
     
    I sweep some of her hair to the side, which smells faintly of rain, and kiss her gently on the lips. When I pull away, she seems surprised.
     
    “Kayden… I-I…” She struggles for words. “You don’t have to be with me because you feel sorry for me. I didn’t even mean to tell you that. I just got caught up in the moment.”
     
    I gaze down at her, astounded. “I’m with you because I want to be with you.”
     
    She swallows hard. “Even after what I told you?”
     
    I brush my finger along her cheekbone. “Callie, I feel the exact same way about you now as I did an hour ago. Nothing’s different.”
     
    She fights back tears as she blinks her eyes. “Are you sure? Because sometimes… sometimes I’m a mess. What happened just barely wasn’t a one-time thing. I get that way when I remember things.”
     
    I nod, scared as hell. I want to be with her, more than anything at the moment. I just hope I can handle it, for her sake.
     
     
     
     
     
    Callie
     
    I didn’t mean to drop it on him like a giant bomb, but the need to get away from him so I could rid the vile feeling in my body was too overpowering. I let it slip out, hoping he’d freak out and let me go, but he did the opposite. He held on, allowing me to cry, letting me break apart, and giving me more than he’ll ever know.
     
    Saying it aloud to him was liberating, like I took hold of a part of my life again. I just hope it stays that way.
     
    He doesn’t let me go as I sit up, his body rising up with me. He releases me briefly to climb over me and pick up my bra from off the floor. I loop my arms through the straps and my hands tremble as I reach around to fasten the clasp. He gathers up my shirt next, shaking it out, then slips it over my head. I elevate my arms as he pulls it down over me to cover me up.
     
    “What do you want to do for the rest of the day?” he asks and glances at the window. “Or, should I say night?”
     
    I pull the shirt over the last of my stomach and flip my hair out from under the collar. “I should probably go back to my dorm and get caught up on my homework. I have a lot of papers to write still.”
     
    “You know school is basically going to end in a few days?”
     
    “I know, but I missed a lot of classes when I was… avoiding you.”
     
    He