absolutely fucked, but come on. You
can ’ t leave like this.”
“I can ’ t. But I have to,” I tell him
firmly, meeting his desperate gaze. “Thank you. For helping me back there. I
don ’ t know what would have happened if you hadn ’ t—”
“Let me drive you somewhere. Anywhere,” he cuts me off, “We
can figure out a game plan. Figure out how to take Hellman down, find a way to
help Avery. We can do this together, Callie. Just please. Don ’ t—”
“Jack,” I say quietly, laying a hand on his firm chest, “I ’ m sorry, but there are some things that just can ’ t
be fixed. No matter how hard you try.”
“ I don’ t accept that,” he says
fiercely, holding my hand flush to his chest.
“That ’ s why you ’ re
going to do amazing things with your life,” I reply, smiling sadly, “I hope I
get to hear all about them someday.”
“Cal,” he whispers, taking my face in his hands.
“What is it, Jack?” I ask, my voice barely audible as I ’ m overcome by the nearness of him. Even though my body is still
reeling from Hellman ’ s despicable touch, the nearness of
Jack cuts right through that unease. I feel my body being drawn to his. It ’ s like gravity, this feeling. I find myself wondering if I
really have the strength to break away. To turn my back on this person who has
always understood me, even if from afar.
He levels his gaze at me, takes a breath, and simply says,
“Don ’t leave us. ”
I stare up at him in the low light. I know that he means is,
“Don ’t leave me. ” But to my honest surprise, it ’ s still not enough. I can ’ t be what he
needs right now. I need to do what ’ s right for me, what ’ s going to keep me safe and whole. And god knows, that doesn ’ t involve staying under this roof for another night.
“Bye Jack,” I whisper back, brushing the rich brown locks
away from his forehead, standing on tiptoe to reach him. My face is barely an
inch away from his, and I feel my body making a decision before my brain has
time to check it. I bring my lips swiftly to his, amazed by the soft fullness
of his kiss. In half a second, his surprise wears off, and he kisses me right
back. I wrap my arms around his broad shoulders, pressing myself flush against
his muscled form. His arms circle the small of my back as our mouths move
together. His tongue sweeps against mine, and I shudder with pleasure as the
taste of him goes straight to my head.
A deep, aching want rushes through my body as I press myself
to Jack. The intensity of our kiss takes us both by surprise...mostly because
it feels so natural. So right . And it ’ s that rightness,
more than anything that dashes my heart into a thousand pieces. No matter how
good it feels, or how good we could have been together, I can ’ t
stay to find out. Not now.
Now, I have to go. I tear myself from his embrace, my chest
tight with impending despair. I turn away from him, from my home, from my
family. From everything I ’ ve ever known.
“Callie,” he calls after me. I can hear the hopelessness in
his voice. He knows I ’ m already gone. I turn to look at my
brown-haired best friend of old. My Jack.
“Hey. By the way,” I say softly, “You really did make a
wonderful Romeo. I wasn ’ t kidding about that ‘do amazing
things with your life ’ . If you want to do the acting
thing, don ’ t let anyone stop you.”
“I won ’ t,” he tells me, steeling
himself against my leaving. “I promise you, Cal.”
And with one last smile, I tear my eyes away from him. I
take my final step away from my life so far, and my first step into the life I ’ m about to make from nothing.
Chapter Nine
New York City
Present Day
Ohhh boy... I think to myself, as I feel myself
rising up from a heavy, vodka-soaked slumber, this is not gonna be pretty.
Rolling onto my back, I gingerly pry my eyelids open, just a
hair. A groan escapes my throat as the vibrant morning sunlight floods straight
into my
can ’ t leave like this.”
“I can ’ t. But I have to,” I tell him
firmly, meeting his desperate gaze. “Thank you. For helping me back there. I
don ’ t know what would have happened if you hadn ’ t—”
“Let me drive you somewhere. Anywhere,” he cuts me off, “We
can figure out a game plan. Figure out how to take Hellman down, find a way to
help Avery. We can do this together, Callie. Just please. Don ’ t—”
“Jack,” I say quietly, laying a hand on his firm chest, “I ’ m sorry, but there are some things that just can ’ t
be fixed. No matter how hard you try.”
“ I don’ t accept that,” he says
fiercely, holding my hand flush to his chest.
“That ’ s why you ’ re
going to do amazing things with your life,” I reply, smiling sadly, “I hope I
get to hear all about them someday.”
“Cal,” he whispers, taking my face in his hands.
“What is it, Jack?” I ask, my voice barely audible as I ’ m overcome by the nearness of him. Even though my body is still
reeling from Hellman ’ s despicable touch, the nearness of
Jack cuts right through that unease. I feel my body being drawn to his. It ’ s like gravity, this feeling. I find myself wondering if I
really have the strength to break away. To turn my back on this person who has
always understood me, even if from afar.
He levels his gaze at me, takes a breath, and simply says,
“Don ’t leave us. ”
I stare up at him in the low light. I know that he means is,
“Don ’t leave me. ” But to my honest surprise, it ’ s still not enough. I can ’ t be what he
needs right now. I need to do what ’ s right for me, what ’ s going to keep me safe and whole. And god knows, that doesn ’ t involve staying under this roof for another night.
“Bye Jack,” I whisper back, brushing the rich brown locks
away from his forehead, standing on tiptoe to reach him. My face is barely an
inch away from his, and I feel my body making a decision before my brain has
time to check it. I bring my lips swiftly to his, amazed by the soft fullness
of his kiss. In half a second, his surprise wears off, and he kisses me right
back. I wrap my arms around his broad shoulders, pressing myself flush against
his muscled form. His arms circle the small of my back as our mouths move
together. His tongue sweeps against mine, and I shudder with pleasure as the
taste of him goes straight to my head.
A deep, aching want rushes through my body as I press myself
to Jack. The intensity of our kiss takes us both by surprise...mostly because
it feels so natural. So right . And it ’ s that rightness,
more than anything that dashes my heart into a thousand pieces. No matter how
good it feels, or how good we could have been together, I can ’ t
stay to find out. Not now.
Now, I have to go. I tear myself from his embrace, my chest
tight with impending despair. I turn away from him, from my home, from my
family. From everything I ’ ve ever known.
“Callie,” he calls after me. I can hear the hopelessness in
his voice. He knows I ’ m already gone. I turn to look at my
brown-haired best friend of old. My Jack.
“Hey. By the way,” I say softly, “You really did make a
wonderful Romeo. I wasn ’ t kidding about that ‘do amazing
things with your life ’ . If you want to do the acting
thing, don ’ t let anyone stop you.”
“I won ’ t,” he tells me, steeling
himself against my leaving. “I promise you, Cal.”
And with one last smile, I tear my eyes away from him. I
take my final step away from my life so far, and my first step into the life I ’ m about to make from nothing.
Chapter Nine
New York City
Present Day
Ohhh boy... I think to myself, as I feel myself
rising up from a heavy, vodka-soaked slumber, this is not gonna be pretty.
Rolling onto my back, I gingerly pry my eyelids open, just a
hair. A groan escapes my throat as the vibrant morning sunlight floods straight
into my
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