Five
The first time Caleb kissed Callie, the two of them had been listening to music in his bedroom. They were fifteen and Callie's father had been away to a conference for their church. Five days without listening to him screaming at her for being in the way, for not being the perfect daughter. Her mother had let her eat ice cream for breakfast, they watched T.V. late into the night, and gossiped about boys. But like all good things, reality came crushing down on them when her father arrived home a day early and found his perfect house wasn't so perfect. He turned his rage toward Callie's mother, and Callie was able to slip out of the house undetected. As usual, she found herself climbing into Caleb's bedroom.
He didn't say anything as he made room for her on his bed and offered her one of his earbuds. For hours, they didn't utter a sound, just lying in peaceful silence. Then, out of the blue, Caleb pulled the earbuds out of their ears, rolled onto his side. As he brought his hand up to her face, caressing her cheek, she felt herself trembling, tears welled in her eyes, and her chest ached as her breathing shallowed.
He leaned forward and just before his lips could touch her, he said, "I love cherry ChapStick."
And then he kissed her.
That kiss, however, had been gentle and brief, sweet and almost timid. The way he was currently kissing her was nothing like that first kiss. His lips were demanding, his arms holding her firmly against his body with need and want, desire radiating off of him in waves that had Callie reeling for more. She'd missed the way he kissed her, the way he held her close. She felt safe with him, worthy and beautiful.
Gasping for air, he ended the kiss. His warm breath trickled down her neck, across her collarbone. Her skin erupted in bumps and she shivered, though she wasn't cold.
"Let me take you home," he whispered, his lips once more brushing across hers.
Her breathy reply trickled from between her lips. "Okay."
The smile that crept up on his face was adorable, the joy and happiness had her giggling.
Caleb kissed her once more before sweeping her off her feet. "Dude, we're leaving. Be good and don't get arrested," he yelled, tilting his head toward the backward patio.
A moment later, she heard Kieran's animated reply. "I make no promises."
Laughing, Callie tightened her arms around Caleb as he carried her out of The Drunk Tank. Parked outside the front door was his old beat-up, Chevy truck. She'd spent so many nights curled up next to him as he drove through town. In fact, it had been this truck where he told her about The Velvet Dolls being offered a recording deal. This truck where he told her he was leaving as soon as they graduated. And this truck where he made love to her the night her mother killed her father in self-defense.
"I can't believe you still have this thing," she murmured as he set her back on her feet.
Caleb snorted and opened the passenger door. "Dad threatened to sell it for scrap more times than I can count, but Mom wouldn't let him. When they moved to Vermont, they put it in a garage for me. It's silly, I know, but this truck means a lot to me."
"Me, too." Callie leaned up and kissed him. "I'm glad you kept it."
"How could I not? This truck was a part of us. It was my connection back to you."
Tears filled her eyes and though she was embarrassed at becoming emotional, she managed to smile. "Take me home."
"With pleasure."
Callie expected her nerves to be an issue as they drove through the small, town to Callie's apartment building. She even expected to doubt her judgement as she led Caleb along the cobblestone pathway to her front door. And she expected herself to bid him goodnight when she unlocked the front door, rather than grabbing the front of his shirt and dragging him into her apartment.
A fat, black-haired cat slumbered off the couch and ran into the kitchen. Winston didn't like strangers and usually hid when Callie had company. A smile tugged onto her lips as she turned to Caleb, feeling nervous and anxious. She needed him. Needed to feel his hands on her body, to feel his kiss on her skin, the weight of him on top of her as he made love to her. She needed him to love her the way she loved him, so she slipped her hands into his and led him into her bedroom. Her heart raced as she turned and faced him, a lifetime of memories flooding her.
"Suddenly, I don't know what to say to you," she told him, shocked by the vulnerability in her words.
"Tell me you love me," he said, slowly inching closer to her.
"I do."
Caleb smiled. "Tell me how you never stopped loving me."
"Not once," she replied, the truth in her words evident. "I wanted to run away with you, but I was scared."
"You don't have to be scared." Caleb cupped her face between his hands and lowered his lips against hers. "Ever again."
Slowly, passionately, they stripped off their clothes, their bodies meddling together, glistening with sweat, whispers of love and need tumbling from between their lips. As they made love, the fifteen years they were apart dissipated and nothing else mattered but their love.
—TVD—
Callie struggled once again to keep her tears from falling as she watched Caleb sliding his blue jeans over his ass. He turned and faced her, the button on his pants still undone. A trail of hair led down to the promise land and she felt her cheeks warming at the memory of their night together.
Her memories of sex with Caleb were nothing like experiencing it again. The way he fit inside her, the way he touched her, tasted her, loved every inch of her body—he cherished her heart, body, and soul.
"Like what you see?" he asked, a cocky smirk twisting the corner of his lip upward.
"It's all right," she replied, shrugging her shoulders.
"Just all right?" Caleb crawled onto the bed, pushing her back against her pillows. "Maybe I need to show you that I'm more than just all right."
"Maybe you do," she challenged, but knew they didn't have time for another round mind-blowing sex. Caleb's tour bus was set to roll out of Greeneville in twenty minutes, and once more, Callie would be left behind.
"You can come with me." And when she sighed, he added, "What's keeping you here?"
"My job. Sadie. I can't just walk away from my life."
"Sure you can."
"No," she said, pushing him off of her and standing up with the sheet wrapped around her nude body. "I'm not a kid anymore, Caleb. I have responsibilities."
"Don't you think I know that? But you're not happy here, Cal. I can see it in your eyes. You don't want to be stuck helping people like Hank. You're better than this town."
"No, I'm not," she mumbled. "I don't belong in your world, Caleb. I'm awkward and silly. I'd be in the way, and I . . ."
"You what?" he asked, quietly.
"Nothing," she muttered, turning from him, but when he felt his arms sliding around her, she whimpered. "Just go."
"No," he whispered, his breath warm and sweet on his skin. "Not without you."
"I can't," she cried. "I can't be in your world, not when I've got nothing to give you in return."
"Give me?" he asked, shifting them so she was facing him. "I don't need you to give me anything, but you. Just you. You're everything I need, everything I want. God, Cal, I've loved you for half my life. Don't you see that?"
"I do," she admitted. "And I love you, too, but you're a rock idol, Caleb. A fucking God to your fans. I'd be the tramp using you for your money, for your fame. I read the tabloids; I see what people say about the women men like you fuck."
"That I fuck?" He snorted. "What? You think I have a girl in every town? I'm not like that, Cal. I don't fuck just anyone; never have and never will. There hasn't been anyone but you. Just you."
"Caleb," she wept. "I . . . I can't."
"You can," he said, releasing her and stepping away. He grabbed his shirt off the floor and pulled it on, not bothering to button it as he slipped his feet into his shoes. He looked back at her. "You just don't want to. I'll always love you, Cal. And when you're ready to grow up and leave your mom and dad behind you, you know where I'll be."
And without giving her a chance to stop him, Caleb turned and walked out of her bedroom. Tears flooded her eyes as she sunk to the floor, her heart breaking, her soul tearing, and her body betraying her. She wanted to scream for him to come back, scream at him to wait for her, but instead, she sat on the floor, crying like a baby because she couldn't make herself leave her miserable life and be happy with the man she loved.