The Redemption of Callie & Kayden

uneasy because I don’t want her to belong with me. I want her to belong with someone who will make her happy, even if it means I have to hurt for the rest of my life.
    I proceed to the bike cautiously, deciding if I should put her in front of me or behind.
    She slides back without looking at me and runs her fingers along the dent in the side of it. “You wreck this once?” Her eyes are massive when she glances up at me.
    I swallow the rock-size lump in my throat and resist the overwhelming impulse to lean forward and kiss her. “Yeah, it was a while ago though. I promise I’ll drive safely, especially with you on the back… I would never let anything hurt you.” I feel stupid for saying it because I’ve hurt her many times.
    She gives me a dead-serious look as she says, “I know you won’t.” She swivels her hips and inches back a little farther with her hands on the seat. “I trust you, Kayden. Even if you don’t want me to.”
    She doesn’t know enough about me to trust me so much, but I can see in her eyes there’s no use arguing with her. I hop on and rev the engine. She scoots forward until her chest is pressed up against my back and the fronts of her legs are touching the backs of mine. Her arms circle my waist and she buries her face into my back. It’s the most contact I’ve had with someone since it happened and I swear my heart practically ruptures and bleeds out into my chest. I wish I could die right there with her holding onto me, because it would be a very peaceful death. I wouldn’t be alone and empty inside. She would be there with me and she’d be the last thing I’d ever feel and breathe.
    I start to panic at how calming the thought is, but I shove it way down where I can’t feel it. I stop overthinking everything and give the motorcycle some gas, before releasing the brake. We take off, just Callie and me and the wind.

Chapter 8
    #16 Make someone understand that you understand them no matter what it takes
Callie
    I thought I’d be more scared than I am. The roads are icy and there’s nothing but two wheels and a small amount of metal between the ground and my body. But I’m holding onto Kayden and my head’s resting against his back and I’m happier than I have been in the last month. I let the cold air flow over me as he winds back and forth, following the curves of the road. We pass people in cars and on the sidewalks in front of the stores bordering the main road in town. They look at us like we’re insane. But that’s okay. We can be insane together.
    I shut my eyes and block everything out, breathing in the smell of the crisp winter air as I tighten my arms around Kayden’s waist. I feel his chest contract, like he gasped, but the lull of the engine is all I hear.
    When the motorcycle starts to decelerate, I open my eyes. We’re pulling up in front of the café where Seth and I get our pancakes almost every morning. I don’t move right away. I don’t really want to.
    Kayden parks the bike at the front, near the entrance doors. Red and green twinkly lights are flashing and reflect across the snow. The air smells like sausage and coffee and it makes my stomach growl.
    “You alive back there?” Kayden asks, turning his head and looking over his shoulder at me.
    I nod, but don’t move my face away from his back. I’m afraid if I do he’ll disappear.
    “Callie?” Kayden says. “Are you okay?”
    My shoulders lower as I let out a breath and then force myself to let him go. I lean back and look him in the eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
    He frowns and draws a line across my cheek with his finger. “You look frozen.”
    I touch my cheeks and either they’re numb or my fingers are. “Maybe we should go inside.”
    Kayden swings his leg over the bike and gets to his feet. I start to climb off when my phone vibrates inside my pocket. I take it out and scroll through to check my messages.
    Seth: We’ll b there in a bit. We had to stop at the store.
    Me: For what?
    Seth: For stuff.
    Me: Is something wrong?
    Seth: No… we just think you two might need a few minutes to yourselves.
    Me: When will you be here?
    Seth: Soon. And remember: skittish cat.
    “Skittish cat?” Kayden says.
    I look up at him and realize he’s leaning over me, reading the screen. “It’s nothing.” I shove the phone into my pocket, bend my knee up, and draw my leg to the side to get off the bike.
    Kayden lifts an eyebrow as he circles his fingers around my wrist and helps me off the