I wonder how many chapters are left...

Here's another.

Hope you're still enjoying it.

Thanks to jueka1 who seems to be keeping up with my crazy number of uploads.

Enjoy some bittersweet Callie and Flynn

_____

The moment we had rounded the corner, out of Noah's sight, I tightened my hold on Callie to pull her to a stop.

Slowly turning her tired eyes to meet mine, she muttered a, "What?"

Moving my arm away from her, her face fell impossibly further in the absence of my touch, making my heart flutter in delight that she would long to be in my arms... even if I was just a comfort to her and nothing else.

"I'm just wondering if we should call someone to drive you. It's quite a long walk back to—"

But Callie was already shaking her head at me. "I'll be fine. I could use the walk."

Pressing my lips together, I also admitted, "I'm wary he's going to drive past us."

Heaving a sigh, she said, "Well... can we hide out at yours for a bit then? Considering it's closer?"

Eyes blowing wide, I instinctively nodded in disbelief.

But while I remained frozen in place, Callie began to walk ahead in the direction of my place.

Coming to my senses, I quickly tagged behind her.

"Is anyone home?" she asked as I slipped the key in the door.

"Charlie and Hunter generally hang out at the skatepark for a few hours after school, so it's just us." But as the meaning behind my words began to sink in, I froze, hand on the door handle, not pushing it open.

"What?" she pressed.

"Um," I said, letting go of the handle, "Maybe we should just hang out here?"

"Out the front of your house?" Callie replied, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah..." I said back, as though it were obvious.

"Where Noah could drive by and see us at any moment."

She has a point... "We could go into my back yard? It hasn't been mowed in forever but—"

"Am I not allowed inside?" she interrupted, eyes turning down in sorrow.

I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times as I processed her question. Then I quickly said, "Of course you are, but—"

"Then can't I just come in?"

Pressing my lips together, I caved to her wishes and pushed the door open. Then I took a step to the side, letting her lead the way.

With slow, measured steps, Callie sauntered into my house, looking this way and that. "It's different than I remember," she mused.

"How so?"

"Well... cleaner, for one." She gave me a sheepish smile, as though she were apologetic for her comment. Though she wasn't wrong.

"Mum's been cleaning in her sobriety," I explained.

Callie gave me a brief nod, continuing to walk down the hallway—past the kitchen, past the living room, past the bathroom... "I suppose my memory of this place is pretty hazy though. The first time I saw it, you were sneaking me in while I was drunk. Then the second time I was sneaking out with a splitting headache and hangover."

I barked a laugh at her recount of events, glad she recalled the time in such fond spirits. But then my heart began to quicken as her hand came down on my doorknob.

I didn't have time to think or suggest we sit in the living room. Next I knew, she shoved the door open and stepped inside.

Keeping myself fixated in the spot in the hallway, I watched her saunter into my room, head turning this way and that as she took it in. But then she came to a pause at my nightstand.

Face in flames, I quickly darted into the room, grabbing the item in question as her hand extended to pick it up.

But it was too late.

She had seen it.

Eyes watery, Callie slowly turned to look up at me. "You still have that?"

Shrugging, I made a point to look anywhere but her. "It was a good movie," I muttered, shoving the ticket into my back pocket.

Callie guffawed before crossing her arms over her chest, the remaining clouds disappearing from her eyes. "You did not think that at the time. As I recall, you spent that whole afternoon and evening complaining about it."

"Yeah... well... perhaps the movie itself was bad but—" I caught myself just in time.

Though Callie didn't get the hint. "But what?" she asked, eyes narrowing in a challenging stare.

"But maybe I liked it for reasons beyond what was going on the screen in front of me," I mumbled before turning away from her. Walking over to my desk, I pulled the ticket back out and rested it down.

There was no point hiding it anymore now that the truth was out there.

Though Callie was strangely quiet behind me.

Hesitantly, I glanced over my shoulder to gauge her response. Her eyes were glistening, face softening.

"We should... maybe go to the living room," I finally admitted, feeling the walls around me coming closer, my breath starting to become sharper and shallower the longer she stared at me with those gorgeous grey eyes.

"Am I not welcome in here?" she asked, that previous look disappearing, quickly replaced with hurt.

"Of course you are..." I mumbled before rubbing the back of my neck. "I just... don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

Then she blurted out, "You never make me feel uncomfortable, Flynn."

I paused yet again. Hand stiff behind my neck, ever so slowly I turned my eyes back to her.

Callie's face was as red as the dirt in the outback. Her gaze was fixated to the ground. Her hands fiddled in front of her.

And even though my heart was pounding in my chest, I closed the distance between us. Raising a shaky hand, I pulled one of hers from their entwined state and firmly held her hand in mine—not lacing my fingers. Not making any other move, for that matter. Just holding her.

Ever so slowly, her gaze lifted to meet mine, a familiar longing stirring in her.

A part of me wanted to lean in that moment.

I even let my eyes dart down briefly to take in her moist, full, lips.

But then my conscience whispered, Today isn't right, Flynn. Not after what happened with Noah.

So instead I said, "So... do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" she breathed, eyes still starry like she was thinking about something completely different.

"Why the guy you spent years pining over is now someone you run away from?"

At once, the light left her eyes and she began to retreat.

But I gripped her hand tightly before she could break her hold.

Maybe the dazzled look in her gaze was gone.

Maybe her shoulders were slouching over.

And maybe her mind was retreating into itself.

But damn if I'm going to let her completely run away from me while I have hold of her.

"I'd rather—"

"Callie," I interrupted, giving her hand a light squeeze. "You know you can talk to me about anything. And, besides, bottling things up is never good."

She pressed her lips together, eyes dancing around my face for an insurmountable time. Then eventually she said, "I'll tell you if you promise me you'll leave him alone."

Brows coming together, I said, "Come on... just one punch."

"Flynn..." she warned.

"Okay, okay... I'll stay away from him. Until you ask me not to."

She gave me a soft smile, but as the reality of what she was about to tell me evidently consumed her mind, all warmth disappeared again, her face and body only going cold.

And then she tugged me over to my bed.

Meme: