"Callie."
For a moment there was nothing he could do. He stood there, watching her, she doing the same to him. There she was, her face a mask of pain, her bottom lip quivering. Her voice broke around his name.
"Brandon."
Every fibre of his being strained, pulling him towards her. Within a few steps he had covered the space between them. Her arms wrapped around his waist and his locked around her shoulders, determined to never let her leave again.
Her entire body was shaking; or maybe it was his. He had no way of knowing. The two of them stood in the pouring rain, shuddering as it enveloped them and left them secluded in their own world. She sobbed into his chest, her hands making fists in the material of his shirt, desperately trying to bury herself even closer to him. Brandon gripped her tighter in response, leaving soft kisses in her hair and allowing his tears to mix with hers and the rain, repeating her name over and over again.
With a deep breath he leaned away from her so he could see her face. Her arms fell to her side but he slid his hands up her neck so they rested on either side of her face, framing it with his large palms. With his thumbs he wiped the tears from her cheeks. He took another shuddering breath, barely able to speak, "Callie, are you okay?"
She wouldn't look him in the eyes. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth; he could see her teeth gently biting into it. "Callie, look at me," her eyes met his, "are you okay?"
She mutely nodded, gasping for air as she stammered, "I-I'm so sorry."
A million questions raged through Brandon's mind. Where had she been? Why was she back? How did she feel about him? His mouth opened and closed, trying to ask all of the questions that he was drowning in, yet unable to ask any of them. As usual she rendered him speechless. Standing here in the rain with her, their clothes sticking to their bodies, her hair wet beneath his fingers, feeling the heat emanating off her, it made his heart ache. Focusing on anything with her pressed up against him like that was impossible. He had missed her so much. He had imagined this moment a million times, seeing her again, getting to hold her, but nothing had prepared him for this. She attempted to pull away from him, fresh tears in her eyes, but he grabbed her wrist. His voice sounded strangled "no. Callie, stop."
"Brandon," she started, staring at his hand encircling her wrist, "I shouldn't have come back. I need to go."
"Don't do this, don't leave again. Don't leave me again." This wasn't possible. He couldn't lose her again, not after finally seeing her, not after all of the waiting; the possibility alone was like a knife being twisted in his gut.
Her voice was high and approaching panicky. "Let go of me."
With a flash of guilt he dropped his arm to his side but took a step closer to her. "Why did you come back?"
Her only answer was a small shrug.
"Why? Everyone's been worried sick. After all this time, why are you back Callie?" He was pleading now, "I need answers."
She stammered and wouldn't meet his eyes. "I had to check on Jude." She cleared her throat. "Is he okay?"
Brandon pushed his hair back from his forehead sending up a spray of water as he did so. "He misses you, he's been okay, but he really misses you."
Once again she nodded, constantly shifting under his intense gaze. If she was really going to leave then he had to make sure she knew. She had to know how he felt. He was about to tell her when she spoke again.
"I missed you," she barely whispered the words. Brandon's heart stuttered in his chest. Callie cleared her throat. "Um, you have that big piano competition tomorrow, right? You've supported me in so much... Um, I wanted to tell you that you're going to do great. Just... good luck." She exhaled. "Goodbye Brandon."
"Callie, don't go." His voice broke. She had just admitted to missing him. She had come back, for him. They stood there, the rain beating down on them. He had to do something, anything, to make her stay. "I have thought about you, every day since you've been gone. I can't sleep. I can't relax. I can't function. I miss you. I miss you so much. I'm sorry that I made you leave. I would never try to push you away. Not having you here... it's torture Callie. But, I don't regret it. I couldn't ever regret kissing you, because I have never, wanted anything so badly in my life. I have never wanted anyone this much."
Her words came out, angry and hurt, "you're with Talya."
"God Callie!" Brandon's voice raised and he released a cruel laugh. "It's you." He eyes shone with passion and pain. "It's always been you. I tried to behave; I tried to think of you like I should. I was with Talya in some sort of crazy attempt to distract myself from you. That didn't work at all. Every time I'm in the same room as you I want to be standing beside you. I want to be the one who makes you laugh. I want to hear about your secrets. I want to listen to you play guitar. When you're not with me I find myself smiling at the mention of your name. Talya has never been, or done, any of those things to me. You're so brave and strong; you've changed my life. No one could ever hope to be comparable to you. And that scares me to death. I'm scared. I'm scared of losing you again. I will do everything I can to keep you in my life, because I can't have a life that you're not in. The way you've affected me terrifies me to no end. It's pure agony, blissful agony." He choked. "I love you, Callie. So please, don't leave."
The seconds dragged on. Two hesitant steps forward and she was standing right in front of him. He felt frozen in place, incapable of doing anything, barely breathing as she gazed up at him. It was his turn to shy away from eye contact. A shaking hand rested on his cheek, so soft and warm. His eyes squeezed shut and he leaned into her palm, her thumb lightly tracing his bottom lip. She came closer, their breaths mingling in the short space between them. When he opened his eyes she was biting her lip again. Didn't she know that was driving him insane? His entire body was tense with anticipation, her gaze wandered to his lips, barely an inch away, and he could almost hear himself snapping into hundreds of pieces. It would be so easy to close the gap, to capture her mouth with his, but he was stunned, and this decision had to be hers. Her other hand rose to his chest, feeling his erratic heartbeat beneath his soaked shirt. Then she pressed her lips to his.
It was slow and sweet, a gentle kiss that said everything she couldn't. He felt her pull away and watched, mesmerized, as she gifted him with the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. He gingerly placed his hand on the small of her back, just as he had when they had waltzed together for the first time. A small grin pulled the corners of his mouth upward. He leaned his head down and kissed each corner of her smile before she pulled his head down, forcing him to kiss her how she wanted. She parted her lips and he followed her, doing the same. He needed this. He needed her. His hand tightened on her waist. A sigh escaped her lips, the sound rocking him to his very core. He needed her. She ran her tongue ran across his bottom lip and his self control shattered. He needed her. He pulled her in closer, pressing every inch of his body against hers. He ran a finger up the center of her spine, making her shiver, before burying his hand in her hair. He pulled it ever so slightly and she moaned into their kiss. He had never heard anything so irresistible. Every nerve in his body was a live wire. Her hands slid to the top of his jeans. She tugged on his belt loop. He deepened the kiss, his desire for her overwhelming every thought in his hectic mind. He sucked her lip into his mouth, just as she had done before, and bit down, eliciting another moan from her lovely lips. He continued to kiss and bite her, moving from her lips, down to her jaw line, over her throat, and down her neck. She let forth a chorus of rapid breaths and soft moans, the sound turning him on even more. He felt her hands grasp the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and sliding them over his bare chest. The sensation made him bite into her earlobe even harder. He heard her gasp his name, "Brandon."
He paused, kissing the place he had just bitten, and whispered, his voice raw with lust, "I want you." He had never felt so completely helpless. He was lost in her, in her hands, in her lips, in her body rubbing against his in the most tempting of ways. She owned every part of him; he was helpless to resist this wicked angel. The sweetest girl he'd ever met with an alluring edge that drove him wild. He ran his hands down her back, caressing every curve of her body. He let them wander down her ass and grip the backs of her thighs. In one fluid motion he pulled her up into his arms, supporting her as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She laughed against his lips and pulled back, gazing into his eyes. Her eyes were bright with want, her chest flushed. He delicately pressed a kiss to her lips, smiling at this amazing girl. With her hands buried deep in his hair she told him what he had been dying to hear.
"I love you too Brandon."