Callie and Lexi's Kiss List | ✓

70: Callie

AND ANOTHER

Here you go.

As usual, thanks already to jueka1 for commenting.

brightyeolie and amiva0402, good luck catching up...

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I was still gripping onto his hand like it was my lifeline. Like Flynn's hand and its warm hold around mine was the only thing holding me together right now.

But as I finished recounting the events in the car and my walk home, his hand tightened exponentially around mine, starting to cut circulation off. One glance at him, and I saw his jaw was working overtime as he tried to bite back all his anger.

Stupidly, I squeezed his hand lightly back—with the slight bit of strength I still had left in it—before saying, "It's okay."

Heaving out an exasperated smile, the tension in his hold finally released as he whirled around to me. "Okay? Okay? What he did is not okay, Callie."

"It isn't," I agreed. "But I'm..." Though I stopped myself before the lie came out of my mouth.

"You're not okay," he finished for me.

I shook my head. "But I will be. Eventually. I just want to forget it happened."

"Why haven't you reported him?" he almost pleaded with me.

"My parents did," I said.

"Really?"

I nodded. "I asked them not to, but they ignored my wishes. So when I got home on Wednesday after tutoring..." I took a deep breath, realising I really was going to admit this all to him. And while I felt safe telling all of this to Flynn... I hated knowing my actions were upsetting him. "The police were there to take a statement from me."

"And?" he pressed when I didn't go on. "What did you tell them?"

"That I had made it up to my parents."

"What?" he exclaimed, hand yanking out of mine.

My fingers immediately went cold. Reflexively, I wrapped my arms around my body. "I didn't want them to get in trouble for reporting it, so rather than saying they were lying, I said I made it up."

"Did your parents believe—"

"Of course they didn't. Their amputee daughter doesn't just walk home in the rain over a mere fight with someone. And I just didn't become the... shell I was over nothing." The events of that day began to replay on repeat on my mind, casting a wall of gloom and iciness over me.

But before I could sink too deep, an arm came around my shoulder.

Glancing up, Flynn's warm obsidian stare was closer than I last saw, causing my heart to give a slight flutter.

But then I remembered our moment before.

When his eyes trailed down to my lips.

When the heat was there.

When the chance to make a move was there.

But instead he asked me about this.

I was stupid for even thinking for a second that—

"Hey," he said softly, gently squeezing me. "Come back to earth, Callie."

"I'm here," I whispered.

"So why did you lie to the police?"