Page 17 (1/2)

For her

I park my motorcycle next to the curb, relieved to see that Luke’s truck is out front But my face falls when I see his mom’s Cadillac parked next to it I don’t want to talk to anyone and Luke’s mom is weird and likes to talk about nonsense She’ll want to talk too, especially if she’s heard the ruers from the handlebars and cli at the house, deciding if I really want to go in It’s not like Luke would pressin the air

I’m about to cli around fro on his shoulder I start to walk toward hi hands and Callie looks like she’s struggling to walk across the ice Her attention is focused on her feet, but her blue eyes slide up froround and land on me They widen and her hand falls from Seth’s Her brown hair waves in the wind as she starts to run toward in to back away, but she hits a patch of ice and her feet go flying out frothy strides, I’ve made it across the snow-packed front yard and to her Her hair is spread around her head and he eyes are enorlossy The pale, smooth skin that I know covers her entire body almost matches the shade of the snow She blinks up at roan that tears at my heart

"That hurt" Her chest ascends and falls as she sighs with her lip pouting out

It’s theI’ve ever seen and it briefly flingsup atme as I thrust inside her But as I reach limpse of the scar on my arm and I’to end up

Callie puts her hand in mine and warmth envelops my body I pull her to her feet, and unable to help myself, slip an arood to hold her and I start to choke up What the fuck is wrong with me?

She tips her head up and peers ateyes "Hi"

She bites on her lip, like she’s embarrassed by her word choice

This time I decide to do better than the last tih her hair, brushing so up into a smile "Are you okay?" She skio slack "You look frozen"

I can’t help but smile "You just fell and sla if I’e question "Did you drive your bike here?" She glances over at the motorcycle and then back atdeeper into her hips,onto her "Maybe"

She frowns "You have to be cold"

"Not really," I lie

"Uuys?" Luke interrupts and Callie and I blink out of our own little world

I look at hi Callie closer to nals at his house where his h the frontthat’s surrounded by icicles "Do you et the hell away froo of Callie, but she slides her hand fro with you," she says as she laces her fingers through ers from hers "No way You’ll freeze to death"

She straightens her shoulders and fixes me with a look of determination "Yes, I as on the hood of his jacket "Youme out with this one?"

"Sure" Seth unzips his jacket and slips his arms out of the sleeves "Put this on" He chucks the jacket to Callie and she catches it with a smile on her face

"She’ll freeze to death," I say as Callie puts her arh the sleeves The jacket nearly ss her tiny body

Seth raises his eyebrows as he yanks down the sleeves of his black shirt, and then he backs toward Luke’s truck "She’ll be fine

She’s a lot tougher than you give her credit for"

Callie zips the jacket up all the way to her chin and then gathers her hair at the nape of her neck and pulls the hood over her head She looks up at me and her eyes are filled with so much willpower I’ile and vulnerable

"Are you sure?" I ask, hoping she’ll change her mind

"Because it’s colder than hell"

She steps past me toward the bike with her chin elevated even when her s the front yard "Absolutely" A smile touches her deep-red lips and humor creeps into her voice "Besides, hell is warh and walk behind her, the snow up to my ankles "Okay, if that’s what you want"

"Kayden" Luke calls out my name and I reluctantly turn around

"Don’t do anything stupid," he says, and for a second everything’s noruy who sawon the floor in a pool of my own blood and cuts on my arms that I put there myself He tosses me one of his spare coats, a thick tan one with a thermal insulated layer that he keeps in the truck in case it breaks down He likes to always be prepared

I catch it and put it on, even though I was enjoying freezing the pain out of me I pull the hood overon the bike She looks good on it, like she belongs there, and itwithwith someone ill 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 ofatthe dent in the side of it "You wreck this once?" Her eyes are lances up at me

I s the rock-size lu io 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 ives 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 h about me to trustwith her I hop on and rev the engine She scoots forward until her chest is pressed up againstthe 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 intoonto me, because it would be a very peaceful death I wouldn’t be alone and empty inside She would be there withI’d ever feel and breathe

I start to panic at how calht is, but I shove it way dohere I can’t feel it I stop overthinking everything and give thethe brake We take off, just Callie and me and the wind