The Redemption of Callie & Kayden

behind me for the seat belt. “At least that’s what my mom told me yesterday when I called her. She said that Maci told her he wasn’t allowed visitors except for her and that he can’t even talk on the phone.”
    His gaze cuts to me as he stops the truck at the exit and looks both ways at the empty street. “You believe her?”
    I pull the seat belt down and buckle it, and then my shoulders lift and slump. “I don’t know. Maci Owens is a lot of things, but why would she lie about that?”
    “To cover up what really happened.” The truck fishtails as he pulls out onto the main road that’s slippery with snow. It’s late, the sky is gray, and the lampposts lining the street highlight the flakes falling from the sky.
    I’m about to tell him yes, let’s drive down the highway and fly toward Afton. I was planning on heading back in a few days anyway, but then my phone starts playing “Hate Me,” by Blue October.
    I frown. “It’s my mom.” I take my phone out of my pocket and stare at the glowing screen. I briefly consider letting it go to voicemail where she could yammer to it about how messed up she thinks it is that Kayden beat up Caleb. But giving her an open door to a one-sided conversation is like Christmas morning for her and I don’t want to have to listen to her go on and on in hopes of hearing something important.
    I press TALK and put the phone up to my ear. “Hello.”
    “Hi, sweetie,” she singsongs and my face instantly sinks. “How are you?”
    “Fine.” I ignore Luke’s questioning stare and watch the road.
    “You don’t sound fine,” she replies and then sighs. “Callie, you’re not going back to being depressed again, are you? Because I thought college was healing that.”
    “I was never depressed,” I respond flatly. “Just quiet.”
    She sighs exaggeratedly and I grit my teeth. “Look, honey, I just wanted to let you know that Caleb’s probably going to be pressing charges against Kayden for what he did.”
    “What!” I exclaim, startling Luke enough that he jumps and swerves the truck a little and the side of the tire clips the curb, causing the truck to lurch. He quickly regains control and I lower my voice and press my finger to my ear to hear better as I huddle toward the door. “What the fuck do you mean he’s pressing charges?”
    “Callie Lawrence, you will not use that kind of language on the phone with me, young lady,” she warns. “You know how much I don’t like the
F
word.”
    “Sorry,” I apologize. “But why is Caleb pressing charges? They both beat each other up.”
    “No, Kayden hit Caleb for no reason,” she says. “Caleb was just defending himself.”
    “He didn’t hit him for no reason. He hit him because of me.” It slips out like poison vapor and I choke on each syllable.
    There’s an extensive pause. “Callie, what do you mean he hit Caleb because of you? Why would he do that?”
    My shoulders curl in as the shame and the dirtiness floods my body and I remember her limited ability to understand things. “It’s nothing. I’m just upset and saying stuff. It doesn’t mean anything.”
    She pauses again and I wonder if for a split second, she’s contemplating my words on a deeper level. “Callie, is there something you want to tell me?”
    When I breathe again, it’s deafening and I swear the whole world can hear it and they know my secret. “No, Mom.”
    “Okay then.” She sounds disappointed, like I was just about to give her the secret locked in a box inside me. But only Kayden has the key to it. “Well, I just wanted to let you know in case it comes up. I know his best friend goes to school there with you and I don’t want you to have to hear it by gossip.”
    I shake my head. “All right.”
    “I’ll talk to you later, Callie.”
    “Okay, bye.”
    We hang up and I clutch the phone in my hand, strangling the life out of it. My palms start to sweat and I can’t stop thinking about Kayden.
He did it for me. He did it for me. I need to save him.
“I think we should go to Afton.”
    When Luke looks at me, there are lines on his forehead and his hands are gripping the steering wheel. “Really?”
    “Yeah.” I raise my hips and slide the phone into the pocket of my jeans. “My mom said Caleb’s going to press charges against Kayden.”
    He keeps some of his attention on the road as he turns the truck into the parking lot in front of my dorm. “Are you shitting me?”
    I zip up my coat and put my gloves on.