Mindless

Fourteen

~Cole~

I could feel her staring at me for the full drive up to Dad's house. Completely frozen exactly how she'd been sat when I kissed her. When she kissed me back. I just needed her to be quiet for a minute. To stop her trying to avoid the question I so badly needed an answer to. Not knowing was ripping me apart. I'd hoped it had been because she was just in shock and didn't know how to or that he'd threatened her. Those were the better options. The worst had been her not trusting me enough to tell me. If that had been her reasoning I think I may have just pulled her out of her seat and sunk into her right there. The answer she'd given me hadn't been one I'd been expecting, but it was right. I had jumped to conclusions. Just assumed that she would sleep with some guy she so clearly hated and whilst she was staring at me for the ride, I was pulling myself apart for not picking up on it sooner. 

Because of course that won't have been the first time it'd happened. Not judging by her reaction to it, her want to avoid him at all costs, bring a fake boyfriend along in the hopes of putting him off. It makes sense now why she needed a hockey player out of everyone else she could have had. Intimidation. She needed someone to scare him into not touching her and I'd apparently missed the mark. 

"Cole?" I am not a fan of how small her voice sounds right now. Callie's usually a loud mouth. Cocky with an attitude that drives me insane but seeing her without it is somehow worse. 

"Mhm?" 

"Where are we going?"

"I need my dad to sort something for me but he won't do it until he's met you." 

"Until he's met me?" 

"Yeah." 

"Why?" 

"Because he doesn't understand why I won't do it myself and you are my excuse." She shuffled slightly. "Well. Not excuse. You're my reason to not. He just doesn't believe I could possibly have a girlfriend." 

"So what, you kidnap me from the middle of the street, tell my boss I'm not coming into work and drive me to your dad's house without warning?" I wind my window down as I pull up to the front gates, in putting this months code and pressing the buzzer so my dad knows I'm here, then turn to Callie sat in the passenger seat. "I'm going to make the worst first impression. I'm exhausted, it's been a long ass day and I am literally in my work gear." 

"And?" 

"Cole, I can't meet your father looking like this! Are you insane? Look at- that!" She holds her hand out, palm up, at the window. "And you want me to walk into a house, the equivalent of a fucking palace, looking like I'm there to work the bar?" 

"Stop stressing yourself out, you look fine. My dad appreciates a hard worker and he knows I've pulled you out of work to bring you up here. It literally doesn't matter at all. I might wipe the smudged lipstick from your face though." 

"WHAT?" Callie's eyes went wide, instantly pulling the mirror down on her visor and groaning as I chuckled at her. So easy to work up. I pulled up outside the house, rounding the car quickly before Callie could let herself out. 

"There's cameras covering the entire property. Just bare that in mind, okay?" 

"Pretty intense security for a businessman." 

"You'd be surprised the number of people that want to steal anything from my dad. He's a - collector." I put my hand on the bottom of Callie's back as we walk up to the front door. "My sister might be home. She'll likely keep out of the way but just incase some random girl shows up and asks what you're doing in her house." 

We stepped into the hall and Callie's eyes immediately searched the corners. I rubbed my thumb over her back, hoping the gesture would ease any anxiety she was having, another thing I'd begun picking up from Callie recently. She's a lot more anxious than she lets on. She tends to freeze up a little, rubs her thumb and plays with her fingers until she builds the confidence to do whatever she needs to.