Page 69 of Fate Forever and Always

“No. Fucking. Way.” She dragged out the Y. “How did you not call me right away and tell me everything?”

“Well, this kind of changes things. I mean, I don’t think I should be telling you every detail about it, right? He deserves privacy, and you look at him like a brother, right? So, do you really want to know all that?”

She thought for a moment, and her face contorted into a wince. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Her tone turned a bit more hesitant. “Are you happy? Like, was it good, at least?”

I gripped her hand. “Very.” I wagged my eyebrows up and down. She made a barfing noise. We both started laughing to the point of tears. It felt good to be home. It felt even better to laugh again.

Chapter twenty-nine

Callie

Nick and I had been home about a week already and things seemed to be going back to normal. Luckily, I had taken a little extra time off. Originally, it was so I had time to recover from the honeymoon, but today would be the first day back at the restaurant with my mom, and piano lessons start up again tomorrow.

Of course, Sara was working, and I overheard her talking. It sounded like she was dating Jake,again. I had chosen not to acknowledge her presence, and so far, so good. She had kept her distance. I thought maybe I would get through today without any issues.

I was very wrong. I walked outside to leave, and saw Jake leaning on my car.

“Jake? What are you doing here?”

“You are ignoring me.”

He looked…different. His eyes were almost manic, and he looked like he hadn’t showered in well over a week.

“I’m not ignoring you. I just have no reason to talk to you.” I tried to say it as calmly, but directly, as possible.

He stepped toward me, and I stepped back immediately, my whole body tensing in fear. My heart began to race, but I was trying to stay as calm as possible without showing him he was having an effect on me.

“You didn’t speak to me for months, Callie. Then you completely ghost me and go on our honeymoon alone. Then you went as far as lying when you finally picked up the phone.”

My eyes went wide. How the hell would he know I went there? I mean, he had called, but I told him I was just out of town. I guess the good thing was he thought I went alone. He heard Nick that day, so I don’t know why he hadn’t put two and two together yet.

“Callie, please let me talk to you. I just wanna talk.” He reached out to touch my arm, and I flinched again.

“What was that? Are you scared of me?”

“No,” I said curtly. “I have no reason to be, right?” I stepped away so we had the original amount of space between us. “I just don’t want to talk to you right now. Jake, I am really glad you are getting help. I am also glad you are working on yourself, but I want no part of it. Our reasons for talking to each other ended the day I found your dick inside one of my friends.”

He was getting agitated and started pacing back and forth. He dragged his fingers through his greasy hair. When he finally looked at me, it was like a switch had gone off, and he practically dove at me.

He gripped both my upper arms and pulled me in so close that I could smell his breath—it smelled like straight bourbon. His eyes were dark, and it was like I was looking at a different person altogether. I closed my eyes because now I was scared.

“Jake,” I cried out. “Let me go right n—”

Before I could finish my sentence, Jake was thrown to the ground. I heard him let out a grunt and a swear. When I opened my eyes, I was looking at Nick’s back. He put himself between Jake and me.

I started to sob, and it felt like I was thrown back into the dressing room situation. I sank down against the back door of the restaurant. I was starting to gasp for air, remembering every minute detail about that day. That man's hands running up and down my body, and the feeling of his hands gripping me tight.

I watched Nick’s mouth move as if he was saying something, but it wasn’t processing in my brain because I began having a flashback.

“Nick, I’m scared—”

The next thing I knew, everything went dark.

NICK

I called Callie’s mom as soon as we got into the ambulance. They didn’t allow me in with her, but when her mom showed up she assured me she would come get me as soon as she could.

They had been in the hospital room for over an hour. Callie had hit her head on the stairs when she fainted. Luckily, she was already sitting down, so she didn’t fall hard or far, but it still cut up her head.

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