The Redemption of Callie & Kayden

he pauses halfway in, with one of his feet still on the ground as he examines my reddened face. “Okay, Seth, what did you say to her this time?” he jokes, and brushes the pad of his thumb across my cheek. He grins at me as I stand up a little so he can climb onto the seat.
    “Nothing I haven’t said before,” Seth responds with a wicked glint in his brown eyes. “She just reacts the same way each time, which makes it so much fun.”
    I swat his arm and then sit down onto Kayden’s lap, immediately overwhelmed by the scent of his cologne. His slings an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into him as he guides the seat belt down from behind himself and fastens it over both of us. It’s snowing outside and fluffy flakes are stuck in the brown locks of his hair. I run my hand gently along the top of his head and dust them out. Some of them melt from my body heat and his hair ends up with this wet, sexy look.
    “So where do we still have to go?” Luke asks as he tosses his bag into the back of the truck that still has Kayden’s motorcycle in it, and then he hops in and slams the door. The truck is already running and he turns up the heater and hot air blasts out from the vents.
    “To my house,” I say. “And…” I look at Kayden. He hasn’t been home since we took off to San Diego and I can tell he doesn’t want to go back. But he has to go back and get his clothes and stuff and I think deep down he might want to talk to his brother Tyler. “And to Kayden’s, I think.”
    The cab becomes silent and then Luke sighs and drives out onto the main road, flipping on the wipers. The roads are a little slushy and slick so he reaches to the small shifter in the center and shoves it into four-wheel drive. The truck makes a loud thud and jerks as it slides into gear.
    “Jesus.” Seth makes a face as he turns his legs to the side and adjusts his seat belt, which has tightened. “It feels like it’s going to fall apart.”
    Luke pats the dash. “It’s fine. It’s just old.”
    Seth rolls his eyes and then crosses his arms. We all remain quiet as he veers off roads and makes turns down the narrow streets. The radio plays “Wonderwall,” by Oasis, and then “Hands Down,” by Dashboard Confessionals. When he pulls into the driveway beside my house, Luke puts it into park and mutters, “Hurry up.”
    “Relax,” Kayden tells him, flipping the handle and pushing open the door. He brings his foot to the ground and climbs out, moving me out with him. Once my feet are planted firmly to the ground, he releases his grip on me and slams the door.
    I don’t ask questions when he takes my hand and walks up the driveway with me. He never said anything about coming inside, but I think in his own head he’s protecting me. We walk up the steps and I try not to think about the haunting memories inside out and out. Instead, I think about the good ones that I spent with Kayden and Seth.
    By the time we reach the top of the stairs, my mother is swinging the door open. She has on an apron over a floral cream skirt and a white shirt trimmed with lace. Her hair is curled up at the ends and she has a string of pearls around her neck. She also has a plate of chocolate chip cookies in her hand and she’s smiling brightly. I can tell Kayden’s trying really hard not to laugh at the
Leave It to Beaver
theme she’s got going on.
    “I’m so glad you decided to stop by,” she says and then pulls me in for a hug while balancing the cookies in her hand. She moves back and then hugs Kayden too. He pats her back, awkwardly exchanging a confounded look with me.
    But all I can do is smile. At that moment, I love my mother, the cookies, and the 1960s dresses and all because I’m pretty sure no one has hugged Kayden like that besides me. She urges the plate of cookies at us, and shaking my head with a tiny smile, I take a one to make her happy. I had accidentally let it slip during on a phone conversation about my throwing-up problem and I’m pretty sure for the rest of my life she will probably try to overfeed me.
    The good-byes are quick and my dad and Kayden even chat a little bit about football. They don’t ask him questions about what happened with Caleb or his dad, even though the gossip around town is spinning into stories full of suicide, attempted murder, and every felony charge imaginable.
    We’re heading out to the truck when Jackson’s car pulls into the driveway. My initial reaction is to run away from him,