Chapter 10.

Brandon clutched Callie to himself protectively, their hearts pounding in their chests, as they listened to the sound of footsteps, coming closer. They weren't expecting the family back so soon. It wasn't even noon yet. They were both aware of the possibility that it wasn't a family member at all who had just entered their home. Please don't let it be Liam, Callie thought. Please, not him. The footsteps stopped for a few seconds, then began again. Whoever it was, they were right outside the bathroom door. The doorknob jiggled as the person on the other side tried to get in.

"Hello?" A voice called out, as they knocked on the door. "Callie? Are you in there? Brandon?"

Callie let out the breath she'd been holding. The voice was decidedly not Liam's. It was female.

"Mariana," Brandon mouthed to her. For some reason, she was home early. But their relief was short-lived, because Mariana's return home opened the door for a whole new set of worries. She caught them together, in a compromising position, to put it lightly. "In here!" Brandon called. "Hold on a sec."

"What?" Callie whispered, confused. They stood up, and Brandon handed her the bathrobe, and dressed in his own.

"Hurry up!" Mariana called. "I've gotta pee!"

"Get in the shower and close the curtain," Brandon whispered into Callie's ear. She nodded, then went inside, drawing the plastic shower curtain around her. Once she was hidden away, she stood silently, not daring to move a muscle, and Brandon opened the bathroom door. "All yours," he said.

"Where's Callie?" Mariana asked.

"Uh... I don't know," he shrugged, as his sister hurried into the bathroom and shut the door.

Callie's heart raced when Mariana entered the room. It beat so loud, she feared her foster sister would hear it. As Mariana washed her hands, Callie slapped her own hand over her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut. The condom! It was in the trashcan. Would she notice it?

"Callie, I know you're in there," Mariana sighed. "I can hear you breathing. And Brandon is really bad liar. You can come out."

Timidly, Callie opened the shower curtain, and stepped out onto the cold floor. "Please don't tell on us," she begged, pleading with her eyes. "Please. You owe me, Mariana."

She had her there. Callie had kept her secrets, even if it meant risking her own neck. The pills, which she took the blame for, Mariana's secret meetings with her birth mother, the drinking at Wyatt's party. She could've easily ratted her out on several occasions, but she didn't. If anything, Callie was loyal to a fault. Now it was Mariana's turn to pay it forward. "Your secret's safe with me. I won't say a word."

"Thank you," said Callie. She squeezed her foster sister's hand. Peeking out into the hall, she saw Brandon standing there. "She's in on it," she told him. "But she's not gonna tell."

"You better not, Mariana," Brandon said, coming into the room. "Because Callie could get in a lot of trouble if the wrong person finds out."

"I'm not going to tell. I already said I wouldn't," Mariana reassured him. "But I've gotta ask... why take the risk?"

"Because," said Brandon. "We love each other." He looked at Callie, and she nodded. "And some risks are worth taking."

"I guess I already knew that," Mariana replied, thinking about her own motives for her recent activities. To an outsider, they would seem stupid and reckless, but they were acts of love. She glanced back at the trashcan. "You guys are being careless, though. For one thing," she pointed in the direction of the can. "Lose the rubber. That's like leaving a calling card."

Callie giggled a little, amused by Mariana's advice, and watched Brandon pick the condom out of the garbage.

"For another thing," Mariana continued. "If you're gonna have sex, don't do it in our one and only bathroom. It's kind of a high traffic area." She smiled slightly. "Just for the record, though... I think you two are really cute together."

Callie wasn't the hugging type. Hugging anyone other than Jude, and now Brandon, made her uncomfortable. But she forced herself to throw her arms around Mariana.

Mariana was taken aback by Callie's embrace. If anyone fit the description of being a "cold fish," it was her foster sister. Since her arrival, Callie seemed almost emotionless, only showing affection to her little brother. Was it possible that her tough-as-nails act wasn't the real her at all? Once the surprise wore off, she was touched. She patted Callie's back, returning the hug. "I'll cover for you guys in any way I can," she promised.

That night, Callie lay in her own bed, listening to Mariana snore. She missed sleeping with Brandon. He made her feel so warm and loved. The rest of the family, except Stef, who was on her way home that very moment, had returned late that afternoon. With them came a sense of safety. If Liam tried anything, there would be plenty of witnesses. But at the same time, she wondered what kind of risk she was putting her foster family under simply by sharing their home. Telling them about Liam could be dangerous, but so could keeping it from them. It was a problem with no clear solution.

The minutes ticked by as Callie chewed on her problems. The clock had just hit 11:30 when Stef peeked into the bedroom. "Stef?" Callie whispered.

Seeing Mariana was asleep, Stef crossed the room silently. "You're still up?" She whispered.

Callie nodded. "How's your Grandma?"

"Getting there," she replied. She pulled Callie's blanket up to her chin, and rubbed her back. "Can I kiss you goodnight?"

Callie shrugged her shoulder. "I guess so. Yeah." No one had tucked her in and kissed her goodnight since she was ten years old. The ritual was unfamiliar.

Stef leaned down, and pressed her lips to Callie's soft cheek. "Goodnight sweetheart," she whispered. "Sweet dreams."

To Be Continued