60: Callie
TRIGGER WARNING: Mature scenes ahead related to sexual assault. If this is problematic for you, please skip ahead. Your well-being is more important than knowing every detail of this story. The next chapter will at least allude to what happened.
One more chapter for this weekend... you won't enjoy.
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The school holidays passed in the blink of an eye, as we were all too busy having fun. When I wasn't hanging with Sara and Lex, I was out with one of my new friends doing something, whether that be going to the creek with Zac and Jackson, or catching a movie with Ash, or going to a party with Luke and Ash.
My life was full.
Things were turning up.
And ever so slowly, my heart was feeling like it was healing the hole Flynn had left. I was sure that, in a few more weeks, I'd be truly over him.
Ash and I never kissed again after our heated make out session at the beginning of the holidays. We were just really good friends instead. But sometimes I caught myself remembering it... And I hoped that when I felt fully over the last boy, I could finally be someone Ash deserved.
But for now, distractions were my way through the pain.
We were sitting in Sara's room watching a movie. My best friend and sister were up on Sara's bed and I was on the floor, but despite the distance, I could hear their whispered sweet nothings to each other.
Reaching for my leg, I slipped it on and started to get to my feet.
"Where are you going?" Lex asked.
"Noah wanted to see a movie with me sometime these holidays. I think I'll go take him up on it now," I said back.
"Right now?" Lex pressed.
"Yup." Glancing over at Sara though, I added, "Is that okay with you?"
"With me?" Her eyebrows arched up as she glanced at Lex. "Of course. It's not like either of you are into each other. But even if you were... I wouldn't hold you back on that, Cal."
"Great. I'll see you both later... have fun." I added a wink for good measure before exiting the room.
Heaving a sigh that I was alone for the first time in a while, I took my time wandering down the hallway to Noah's room.
After three sharp raps on the door, a deep voice inside called out, "Come in."
Pushing the door open, I was quick to glance around his room before locking eyes with his obsidian ones on his bed.
"Callie," he said in surprise, closing his laptop and sitting up. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Still fancy seeing that movie?"
Confusion marred his face for a moment until eventually the grin broke through. "I knew you'd come around."
We were both still laughing as we drove back towards his house. The grey skies had finally achieved their mission and rain was sheeting down in buckets, but the mood in the car was far from grey.
"And that one line he said after they walked out of that bar and—" Noah started, recounting one moment from the movie, but his giggles and mine broke him off as we nodded and laughed.
But ever so quickly as we drove further and further down the motorway on our way home, the rain became heavier and heavier.
And our laughter quickly vanished.
"I can barely see," I muttered.
"Me neither..."
"Should we pull over for a while until it calms down?"
Not that I really knew exactly where we were at this point considering nothing was visible outside the car in this weather, but we couldn't have been too far from home. Nonetheless, we were better safe than sorry.
The moment we turned off the motorway, Noah pulled off the road into a rest spot, turning his key in the ignition until the motor ceased. "It hasn't rained like this in forever," he commented. "Especially not at this time of year."
"Yeah, well... the weather patterns are barely ever predictable anymore with all the climate change."
"This is true..."
Shaking my head, I muttered, "If only our politicians had listened to the scientists all those years ago..."
But as Noah gave a solemn nod, I realised I had killed the mood in the car.
Not liking the silence, I turned to him and said, "So how's uni treating you?"
Heaving a groan, his head fell against the headrest as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "I hate it."
"Hate?" I exclaimed.
"I wanted to study criminology, but mum and dad said it would be a 'waste of my grades' if I did anything that wasn't medicine, engineering, or law."
Shaking my head, I replied, "But it's your life, Noah. You're an adult now. If you want to switch, you should—"
"I don't want to disappoint them," he whispered, head slumping over as he looked at his lap.
My heart panged to see him so vulnerable in front of me. Growing up, I always remembered Noah as a strong, together person, who was ever so charming, smart, and kind.
But here he was in front of me.
Eyes glistening.
Posture slouching.
Face altered by anguish of being the person he wants to be and his parents want him to be.
At least I never had that forced on me by my parents.
Mum and dad said Lex and I could do whatever we want, uni degree or not.
Dad was the only one with some expectations... and that was no children until we had established a career.
Wanting to lighten the mood, I unbuckled my seatbelt and began to hoist myself up.
His head lifted, eyebrow cocked with confusion as I began to climb through the crack between the seats.
"What are you—"
"It's cramped up here," I said as I propelled myself through, prosthetic getting stuck on the seat on the way through. Noah helped me get unstuck, then, not long later, climbed over the seats himself and joined me in the back, glancing around his car.
"I never sit back here," he mused.
"Nor do I," I laughed back.
He gave me a small smile, gaze flickering around my face before finally settling on my eyes. "I figured you needed the leg room."
"Thanks," I whispered, feeling my face begin to flush under his attention and the air seemingly disappearing in its abundance around me.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think Noah would pass me one of those looks.
But as I glanced everywhere in the car but at him, I could still feel his eyes burning into my face.
Eventually, I just settled on my lap, trying to swallow the growing lump in my throat that wouldn't go away with any amount of saliva.
And then he said, "So... are you and that Flynn guy definitely over?"
My heart was pounding in my chest as my mind screamed, Why does he care about that? "Yes," I squeaked.
"Good," he whispered.
My head flipped up, face falling as I asked back, "Good?" Did he know something about him I didn't? Were there warning signs I didn't—
"The one time I finally started to like you back, you moved on from me, Callie. And I hated that I missed my chance."
And then the world seemed to stop at his admission.
As Noah's face began to flush.
As Noah began to look everywhere but me.
As Noah nervously bit at his bottom lip, seemingly anxious for my response.
But all I could think to say was, "You knew?"
Ever so slowly, his obsidian eyes met mine. One side of his mouth pulled up into a shy smile. "You were pretty obvious, Cal... with the whole squeaking when you talk thing."
Jaw going slack, I let his words mull over in my head for a moment. Then I retorted, "I did not squeak."
"Totally squeaked. So squeaky you could have almost been a dog toy."
"Noah!" I shouted and hit him in the arm.
But he just chuckled as he grabbed my hand that I had raised to swat him again for laughing at me.
Then, ever so slowly, he began to lace his fingers through mine.
And my heart stopped.
Or maybe it sped up.
Whatever it was doing, I couldn't think.
I couldn't breathe.
Because all my childhood dreams were coming true right now.
Noah was holding my hand.
Noah's face was softening as his eyes took me in.
Noah's gaze fixated on my mouth as he slowly began to lean forward.
Everything I had ever wanted was happening and my body was reacting in all sorts of ways to it.
But a small voice in the back of my head was whispering, Push him away... he's not who you want.
Not wanting to think about the who my mind was referring to, I did the exact opposite it asked for.
Instead, I leaned right back in.
Until our lips softly brushed against each other's. Until Noah's free hand came up, cupping my face. Until my arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss.
I'll save you the details of how the next half an hour passed... because surely you've read enough scenes about me making out with people. It's all the same, really. Some better some worse. Some with too much saliva some too much tongue...
Noah really was perfect though, just as I had hoped. Right pressure to his kiss. Perfect touch of his hand on me.
But half an hour in, things started to take a turn. And while some things I was used to... well... let me just show you.
Noah's lips broke away from my mouth for the hundredth time, slowly working its way down my jaw, brushing over the hollow of my neck and making me shiver in delight.
But then his hand that had mostly drifted between my side and face slowly began to dip down below my waist. And down the length of my skirt.
And then his fingers slowly began to caress my thigh.
I had mixed emotions.
The stirring, raging hormones in me was partially screaming more.
But the other part of me that knew this was our first date—if were even calling it that—and this was our first kiss knew that this was a little too soon.
So I reached down, grabbing his hand and began to lace my fingers through his, as though I wanted to hold his hand.
But then his other arm, that had been supporting my head against his backseat, began to snake out from his spot.
And again, his hand worked its way down my side until it reached the top of my skirt.
This time, instead of trailing down to my thigh, his fingers gently brushed over my stomach, stopping at the button that clasped the fabric together. And then he began to try to undo it.
My body went rigid.
But he didn't notice, lips still working their way over me, hand fixated on its mission.
So I said, "Noah..."
"Mmm?" he mumbled against my collarbone, button now coming undone.
I moved my other hand quickly down to grasp his wrist as his fingers began trying to edge their way under my underwear.
He pulled back, eyes meeting mine in confusion at my sudden action.
I shook my head at him, hoping it would be enough. Hoping that he'd get it that I wasn't ready for that step yet.
But instead his eyebrows pulled together. "Why not? Am I doing something wrong?"
"It's not that you're doing anything wrong... I just... I'm not ready." My eyes were beginning to sting and voice becoming croaky.
"Shh... it's okay," he said, hand retreating from my hold and coming to cup my face. "The first time is always scary. But I'll take care of you."
The first... He was planning on taking it that far? "I'm not having my first time in a car, Noah," I said, unable to bring myself to say I can't believe we are even talking about this.
"We don't have to go the full way yet... we can wait until we're back at mine. But we can get warmed up while we wait for the rain to die down." And as though he assumed that would be enough to convince me, his mouth immediately dipped back to my neck and hand began to trail back to my underwear.
"No," I said, voice a little more forceful as I gripped his wrist again, pulling him away.
I tried to shimmy out from under him, but he was too heavy on top of me. "It's okay, Callie," he said, not even pulling back to look at me as he began to nudge up my shirt. "I'll look after you. I'll make it feel really good."
"I don't want to," I said.
"Shhh... It will be fine."
"Noah!" I half screamed as his hand groped my breast under my shirt.
My heart was now pounding in my chest and his touches, that once felt like soft, delicate, silk now felt like they were boiling, burning acid. "Keep it down," he whispered in my ear, hand reaching down between us as I heard his zipper come undone.
Knowing I had to react now or never while his arm was away from my grip, I did all I could in that moment.
Raising my prosthetic leg, I propelled my knee with as much force as I could into his groin.
He hissed in pain and fell off me into the crack between the bench and the front seats.
Taking this freedom as my opportunity, I righted my clothes, zipped my skirt back up, and reached for the door, forcing it open.
He was still doubled over in pain, clutching at his private parts, but one of his arms snaked out to grab me as I started to climb out of the car. "Callie, you're overreacting," he hissed between his teeth.
"Fuck you," I shouted back, pulling myself out of his grip and stepping into the pouring rain.
My clothes were saturated in seconds.
The rain was instantly snaking around my sleeve, slipping into my socket.
But I didn't care.
I had to get out of here. Quickly.
So with that, I walked the whole half hour trip home. Despite the fact that I could barely see through the sheeting water.
Despite the fact that I wasn't sure what was rain or tears.
Even though my body shook from the cold.
And even though, ten minutes into my trek, my stump was throbbing in agony from the rubbing against my skin.
But I didn't second-guess myself for one moment.
Because it was either head back to Noah's car or head home.
And never would I go near him again.
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