The Redemption of Callie & Kayden

again.
    I can’t do this without you. I… I-I love you, Kayden. And I don’t expect you to say it back. I don’t expect anything. I just wanted you to know because you deserve to know and you deserve to be loved.
    The line goes quiet. I hear her breathing for a moment before she hangs up. Her words echo in my head. It’s like she knows. Knows that no one’s ever said that to me before, except for Daisy and that wasn’t the same. It was fake and easy to say back to her because it was just words to both of us. Callie means it. I can tell through the sound of her tears.
    I don’t know what to do. My heart is thumping in my chest as I glance around at the people getting in their cars and eating their breakfast inside the diner. I know what I
want
to do. I want to turn it off, make my heart relax, run away from the feelings nipping at my heels.
    I get up, sliding my phone into my back pocket, and then I start to run down the road right as the wind kicks up. Snow flurries are falling on the sidewalk and road, but I run against them, pushing forward, unsure where I’m going. And that’s okay. Sometimes the best things are the ones that aren’t planned, the decisions made while living in the moment.

Chapter 17
    #1 Overcome your worst fear
Callie
    “Have you heard anything from him?” Seth asks me. He’s lounging on the bed, with the remote pointed at the television as he surfs through the channels. Kayden’s been gone all night and I’m extremely worried about him. I text him a couple of times, but he doesn’t respond. Everyone keeps reassuring me that everything’s okay, but Luke left really early, saying he needed coffee, when really I think he went to look for Kayden. At least I hope he did.
    I shake my head and set the brush down on the counter. “No, not yet.”
    I wonder if he’s heard my voicemail, if he’s heard me pour out my heart and soul. If he has, he’s probably upset, or pissed, or maybe even scared. But I needed to say it. No more hiding. I love Kayden and he needed to know that.
    I leave my hair down and walk back into the room. I drop down on the bed, flat on my stomach, and stretch out. “I need caffeine,” I say through a yawn. “I didn’t sleep very well.”
    He tosses the remote onto the foot of the bed. “Maybe it’s because you spent half the night talking to a voicemail.”
    I prop up on my elbows. “You heard that?”
    He nods. “I heard the crying too.” Leaning forward, he sweeps my hair out of my face. “Do you want to talk about it?”
    I shake my head and pivot to my side. “Not really. I kind of talked about it last night.”
    He crooks his eyebrow. “On a voicemail.”
    I nod. “He’ll hear it and that’s all that matters.”
    “And then what?”
    “And then he hears it.”
    Seth waits for an explanation. “And…”
    I trace the floral pattern on the faded bedspread. “And then nothing… I didn’t tell him because I expected anything. I just wanted him to know how I felt about him… He deserves that.”
    He presses his lips together, contemplating. “Did you tell him you love him?”
    I look up from the bedspread. “Y-yes.”
    “Callie, I…” There are drops of pity in his eyes. He doesn’t think this is going to end well.
    I sit up and tuck my feet under me. “Seth, I promise everything will be all right. The very fact that I could tell him I loved him means something to me… It means I’m growing. Do I wish he’ll say it back? Yes. But either way, I’m glad I did it.”
    He gives me a lopsided grin and then brushes the tip of my nose with the tip of his finger. “That’s good.” He sits up and swings his feet over the edge of the bed. “But Callie, if he doesn’t say it back, as your best friend and protector of evil guys who want to hurt you, I’m going to have to kick his ass.”
    I snort a laugh and cover my mouth. “Yeah, okay.”
    He stands to his feet and presses his fist into his hand, popping his knuckles. “I’m not joking. I’ll hurt him for hurting you.”
    Laughter sputters from my lips at the sight of tall, thin Seth trying to kick Kayden’s ass. “Well, thank you, protector. I appreciate
your
getting
your
ass kicked.”
    His nose crinkles as he scoops up a pillow and throws it at me. I duck and it zips above my head, landing on the floor. I start laughing at him, clutching onto my stomach as I roll onto my back.
    “What the hell’s so funny about that?” Seth sounds offended and he rolls up the sleeves of