All the fun Callie had dancing is gone, along with any happy effects from the alcohol. She’s trembling, though I’m not sure if it’s fear or rage until she speaks through clenched teeth.
“Why is he here? Hasn’t he ruined my life enough already? Why did he have to get involved with her?”
She’s not talking to me, and she’s not expecting any answers, not unless the universe finds its voice. The best approach seems to be to let her get it all out.
“All the years lost, all the money lost. I should have known better than to trust a man, and now I can’t get rid of him.”
The money comment catches my attention, and I’m curious enough to want to ask about it, but Callie continues.
“What if he marries Alexis? He’ll be in Sadie’s life forever. He’ll be an uncle to Sadie’s future children.” She wails in pain and starts to sob, and I steer us over to a bench where I can hold her and let her cry.
I don’t have tissues on me, so I pull my shirt over my head and offer it to her. She’s lost in her misery, and the feeling of helplessness that washes over me is cold and bitter.
In my head, I’m stalking back to the pool house and punching that asshole over and over until he can’t speak to her ever again. The thought of it is extremely satisfying, but the fact that I won’t let myself do it has me in almost as much pain as Callie.
Instead, I hold her tight and rub her back, and encourage her to let it all out. I imagine she’s already cried countless nights over that punk, and I hope I can somehow help her to never need to cry about him again.
Eventually, she stills, her breathing returning somewhat back to normal, no more need for my shirt that’s bunched in her hands.
“Ready to go to the room?”
She nods, and just as we’re standing, Callie’s mom appears on the path. “Oh, Callie, Max. You two are still out.” Looking more closely, she asks, “Callie, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Mom.” Callie’s voice is surprisingly clear, and she stands tall beside me. “We were just headed inside.”
“Okay. See you in the morning.”
I’m filled with curiosity about what Ms. Baker knows about Rick, and whether she has any idea how much his presence upsets her daughter. Callie seems to be trying to do her best not to look bothered.
“You’ll feel better tomorrow,” I tell Callie as I unlock the door to our room.
She’s quiet, only giving me a not-very-hopeful look. Inside the room, she mumbles hello to Miles then heads straight for the bathroom.
While she’s in there, I give my brother a rundown on the evening, most of my updates revolving around Rick Jansen and Callie’s reaction to him. His jaw tightens as he listens.
“It also seems that she got overserved at the bar.” I tell him about the dancing with her sister and friends, but I leave out the part about Callie’s suggestive comment.
“Why did you let that happen?”
“I don’t know how it happened. Maybe she didn’t have enough to eat. It was a good thing, though, for a while. She needed to relax.”
“Yeah, but I’m sure the alcohol didn’t help her response to seeing her ex with his new girlfriend.”
“I know, and I can’t see her like that again. I’m not talking about the drinking, but how upset she was. It was painful.”
Miles gives me a long look, picking up much more than I’m saying, and I can’t be bothered to try to hide how I’m feeling.
When Callie comes out of the bathroom only a few minutes later, our conversation grinds to a halt. Not because we don’t want to be heard, but because the girl is wearing skimpy little pajamas that instantly have me drooling.
It’s shorts and a shirt, but it’s silky and pink and clings to her body in all the right places. I’m made completely speechless by the way her breasts jiggle as she crosses to the bed.
When I manage to drag my eyes up to her face, I’m pained to see that her eyes are still red. “Are you okay, Callie?”
“I’ve been better.”
“What can I do to help?”
She bites her bottom lip and avoids looking at either of us as she says, “Could you hold me while I fall asleep?”
