Callie and Brandon: A Love Above Family

Chapter 7: Callie

'What do you mean you're going out for dinner with another girl?' Callie felt shocked. Brandon had just informed her of his accidental date. Date! Her blood boiled for a few moment, and then she just felt empty. Is this what he secretly wanted? Someone he could be with openly? Without all these games? Callie needed to be anywhere but with Brandon.

'I need to leave' Callie spoke calmly. 

Brandon started to panic, she could see he was distressed about how she was reacting but she couldn't think about him now. Calm, she needed calm. She needed Jude. 'Please give me some space to think okay' she didn't even wait for his reply. Brandon could be so thoughtless when he was passionate about something. Anything to do with his music was one of them. It was something she loved about him but it was also something she couldn't stand. Callie found it hard to trust anybody. Brandon usually wasn't one of the distrustful people but a date? Really? How could he even get into that situation without something, even just something small going on? It was too much, she had already been disappointed when he'd said no to spending time with her, this was the icing on the cake of a shitty Saturday. 

She found Jude in his room, he was skyping Connor. She was just about to turn around again, when he motioned for her to stay. 'Hey Connor, Callie just turned up. You mind if we talk more tomorrow? Oh and wave!' Jude turned the screen towards Callie, she waved at the little figure of Connor on the screen waving at her. He looked happy. She was glad, things had been tough for him. Jude had been a bag of mixed emotions when he'd come back from visiting Connor recently. Callie had seen how happy going to see Connor had made Jude, but she could also see a terrible sadness underneath it all. The person Jude loved had moved away, and he was in pain. As brave as he had been to tell him to go, Callie wasn't sure she would have been able to make the same choice. Callie could barely stand to be away from Brandon in the same city, never mind across state lines. Perhaps Callie was being a bit spoilt but she couldn't get over the date thing just yet. It still smarted. 'Bye Jude, I love you' Callie heard Connor call through the screen. Jude placed the laptop on the bed.

'So what's up sis? You look sad.' Damn maybe Jude hadn't been the best choice, he knew her too well. 'I'm ok. Just been thinking about this year. It's been so crazy and I was just thinking about you and Connor. It must be so difficult to love someone you can't be around all the time. The person who makes you feel like the best version of yourself. The one who makes you feel happy and safe.' Callie wasn't sure who she was talking about anymore. Connor or Brandon it didn't matter. It was all true. 

Jude sat for a minute in silence, like he was really thinking through her question and about his own answer. She loved this about Jude, he wasn't just going to say anything. He wanted to answer as truthfully and honestly as he could. 

'I think for me. He is the person I love, so for me to have the person I love he needs to be happy. The only way for Connor to be truly happy at the moment is to be with his mom. If he stayed for me, if he did anything that big for me whilst we're so young I think it would break us. Sometimes I wish we didn't have to think about all this big and crazy stuff but we do. I react, I do stupid stuff but in the end Connor's happiness is worth more than mine to me. So I put up with it. I don't know what will happen but at least I will know I loved him as much as I could in the circumstances we were given.' 

Jude was so good with his words and the way he treated others, he was the better person. Callie knew that but until this moment, Callie hadn't realised how much her little brother had grown. He wasn't some little kid anymore, he was turning into a man. One she immensely proud of, he was amazing and he was right. Sometimes you had let people be themselves so they could be happy, just because you loved them. Brandon loved music, he loved spending time with people who loved music. People who understood him in a way she couldn't. She didn't want to ever take something like that away from him and he had told her about it. She needed to love and accept him for who he was, otherwise things like these would rip them apart quicker than any miles between Jude or Connor could.

'When did you get so grown up Jude? I'm happy for you. I'm glad you found someone so special.' Callie reached out to rub the top of his head and stopped herself, he wasn't a kid anymore she shouldn't belittle him with actions like that. Instead she reached out to him with arms open and he reached out too. Safely ensconced in each other's arms, jude whispered into Callie's ear 'Don't worry sis you'll find someone else. I know you loved Brandon, it just wasn't the right time'.

Callie hated herself a bit, she hated lying to her adopted family but lying to Jude felt like betrayal. One she suddenly wasn't sure he would forgive her for - if she ever had to choose between Jude and Brandon - she didn't know if she could survive without each one of them. Jude did not take lying well, and she had lied so many times before.

'Jude, I've got to tell you something.........'