Last Call: Prologue "Last Call"

A/N: Copyright Disclaimer → The storyline and OC ideas are mine. Everything recognizable belongs to ABC Family/Freeform ©. The story takes place about 10 years after they have graduated from high school. Brandon lost his chance at Juilliard but was offered contracts through Disney to compose music for several successful movies, shows, and artists. Callie is a successful, self-employed photographer.

Callie's POV

The sound of her cell phone ringing startled her awake. She grabbed it quickly from her bedside table before the ring tone could start over. Hopefully, she hadn't woken him up. The name on the screen made her chest tighten with anticipation and dread. She swiped left to silence the call as she looked at the clock in the top right corner: 12:33 AM. Somethings never change.

She heard a moan and felt the bed shake as he turned over on his side to face her. His hand reached out across her stomach. He used the leverage to pull himself closer to her, so that his head was resting on her collarbone and his top leg was strewn over her's. He asked without opening his eyes, "'Who was that?" Callie felt her phone vibrate with a voice message as she whispered, "Brandon needs me to take him home" without looking down at either Kyle or her phone.

It was less than a month ago the last time, and certainly not the first time, that Brandon had called her to get a ride home from the bar. She both needed and hated those phone calls, but all the man in the bed next to her needed to know was that she hated those phone calls. She knew, like all the other times, that she could grumble and pretend that she would ignore Brandon's calls in the middle of the night, and Kyle would encourage her to support her "brother" through his difficult time.

She sighed loudly which prompted him to tell her, "You might as well stay at his place and make sure he's ready for breakfast with the family." He had no idea that his suggestion would lead to his own heartbreak. They'd been dating for almost two years since her 25th birthday, but he didn't know about her history with Brandon or anything else really. He was okay with focusing on the future instead of the past. He did respect her no-sex rule after learning basic snippets of her assault by Liam.

She kissed the top of his head before getting out of bed and dressing quickly. She stopped at the bedroom door on her way out and turned back around to watch him snuggle into her spot in the bed. He was genuinely such a wonderful person. She took a deep breath before exiting the apartment and driving the twenty minutes to the bar that Brandon frequents.

Brandon's POV

The bar was finally clearing out. Last call was about twenty minutes ago, which was his signal to call Callie. He continued to nurse his water with lime as he glanced to the door every few seconds, waiting. He'd waited as long as he could before calling her again, but nearing three weeks was straining his sanity. He'd tried to move on years ago with Courtney, and a couple of other over the last ten years, but life always brought him right back here, waiting for Callie.

After Juilliard was no longer an option, he was talented enough to land several Disney contracts thanks to his success at Idyllwild. He'd gone nearly a decade without being home for any significant amount of time, sustaining his relationships through telephone calls and Facetime.

As he sipped his water, he remembered the first time that he'd called her to drive him home after returning to the States from his work abroad. He'd honestly needed her that night because he'd gotten totally tanked and couldn't even call her himself. The bartender had to grabbed Brandon's hand to use his finger to unlock his own phone. The bartender must have asked who the girl in the background picture was and called Callie because the next thing he knew was the clean laundry scent of her car as she shuffled him into the front seat and rolled down the window, just in case.

He didn't remember much of the ride home or getting into his house, but he remembered vividly how Callie simply hugged him for what seemed like an eternity and a split second at the same time. No one else even knew that he was back home. he didn't want anyone to know, except her. He remembered her helping him take off his shoes because he fell over the first time he tried by himself. He remembered her gasp when he first fell, then her chuckle when she realized that he wasn't hurt.

She pulled the covers back and maneuvered herself under his arm to help him into bed. In her effort to get him far enough on the bed, she ended up falling sideways on top of him. When she tried to stand back up, he tightened his arm around her waist and tucked his chin over her head so that she could feel her breath flowing off of his neck.

"Brandon. What are you doing? Let me up. I'm going to get your gatorade and aspirin for when you wake up." She realized that as she spoke, her lips were lightly kissing his neck. He squeezed her body closer into his own for a second and used his other arm to pull her more on top of him. Callie sighed and relaxed into the body that she'd spent every day of the last ten years imagining, remembering.

"Brandon, I can't st…"

"Shhh. Just want to hold you for a little while."

He moved so that his cheek rested against her forehead and she was covering his body like a blanket.

"This is the only thing that I've wanted every single day since I left. Please, don't leave me." He kissed her forehead and gently rubbed his cheek across what he could reach of her face.

Callie stayed still while she considered her options. She knew that she couldn't stay all night because Kyle was waiting for her. He had only recently moved in with her and was still a little clingy. However, he was probably back to sleep by now and she'd told him that she wasn't sure how long it would take. Staying with Brandon, at least for a little while, was worth whatever she would have to tell Kyle in the morning. Callie snuggled her face into Brandon's chest and smiled.

"I'm going to get you your Gatorade to hopefully abate a horrible hangover. I will be right back and I will stay until I'm sure you won't drown in your own vomit while you sleep, deal?" She asked asked as she sat up enough to look into his eyes.

"Whatever gets you to stay." He smiled quickly and dropped his arms from around her. She found the bag from the convenience store with the aspirin and two Gatorades. She put one in the refrigerator for his breakfast and brought one back to his bedroom. As she walked through the downstairs of his house, she noticed that it was very spacious but lacked any personal touches. Most of his belongings were packed in his suitcase, and there wasn't much else as far as furnishings in the entire house. His house was so empty.

When she returned to the bedroom, he had moved to the right side. He still remembered which side of the bed she slept on. She walked around to his side of the bed and twisted the cap off of the Gatorade.

"Drink the whole thing before you go back to sleep." She said. He peeked through one eye at the size of the bottle.

"I can't drink that whole thing. How about half?"

"Do you want me to stay?" She asked already knowing the answer. He pouted, but still moved to prop himself up in the bed to down the refreshment.

"You're not playing fair." He stated as he reached out for the bottle. She looked down at him and refused to even sit on the bed before he finished his drink.

"I don't have to play fair. You're the one who called me, remember."

Brandon finished the drink in four or five chugs and Callie walked around the bed to get under the covers. She sat on the side and took her shoes off, thankful that she'd put on yoga pants with her pajama top. She lifted the covers and snuggled into them, leaving plenty of space between her body and Brandon's.

Apparently, he found that unacceptable, so he moved closer to her and pulled her onto her side facing him. If he only knew that that was how she slept most nights pretending that the pillow was his body, pretending that the other body was actually his. Callie settled her cheekbone along his collarbone, marvelling at how their bodies fit together perfectly like puzzle pieces.

He glanced again at the door leading into the bar, waiting. He finished off his water and pushed the glass towards the bartender as the door opened and Callie came in confidently, smiling at him. This wasn't the first time she had been here to meet him, and it wouldn't be the last.