Chapter Eleven
His touch wasn't slow, romantic or loving. It was rapid, lustful, desiring. His lips quickly moved from my lips to my neck, and down my abdomen as we fell onto the bed. With practiced hands he undid my bra, and with hesitation I pulled it over my head.
"Callieā¦" he said, calling my name in desire.
"Sawyer!"
I spoke his name in annoyance as he burst through the door, completely interrupting my spontaneous hookup. He gave Eli a menacing look. He got off me quickly and stood up.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked in annoyance, redoing my strap.
"It's my job, isn't it? By the way, you can go," said Sawyer to Eli. Sawyer looked down at him from his towering height of six foot two, and then turned to me, still sitting on the bed.
"What the hell were you doing?"
"I would have thought it would be fairly obvious," I said flippantly, crossing my legs.
"With him? He's a player!" cried out Sawyer. I rolled my eyes angrily.
"Yeah, and I'm not exactly a Miss Commitment. Though maybe I would be if you would give me enough room," I said.
"Just look out for you," he defended.
"Right. That's crap, and you know it. You haven't spoken to me in a week. You act as though I've dropped off the face of the Earth, yet you still think you have the right to older brother me? Piss off," I said, smoothing down my hair and stalking out of the room. I shook off the hand he put around my upper arm.
As I walked over to the table and poured myself another beer, I was distracted by a familiar voice. Jenny. As I turned to face it, I saw her and Rhys having a fight. Possibly another breakup fight. Half the party turned to see them curse at each other and bring up terrible aspects of one another. I winced as the time she'd lost her virginity was mentioned in a shout-I knew about it, but she didn't generally spread it around.
The intention of the fight became clear as he stalked off and she walked back into the party, head held high. For the first time in several days she actually met my eyes. I knew that some part of her wanted to talk to me about the things she shared with no one else. But before I could stop myself, I'd turned away from her.
Music was blasting in my ears as one of the basketball players, John Fenning, came to talk to me. I smiled a sideways smile at him as he approached.
"Callie," he said in greeting.
"John."
"You look great," he said. I smiled. I did look a little bit great-my mini skirt was new and I loved it, and my halter was just high enough to show off my pierced navel. It was an outfit just on the borderline for me, between being unsuitable and just a wee bit too trashy.
"Thanks. Original, by the way," I said. He laughed.
"Best I could come up with," he said. I flipped my curls over my shoulder.
"It could be worse, I guess," I said. I took another gulp of the drink in my hand, and the alcohol immediately went to my head. I felt Sawyer's eyes on my back as I allowed John to take in the image of me in my outfit.
John had leaned down before he'd appeared at my side. John nodded companionably at Sawyer-they were friends.
"Callie, can I talk to you?" he asked. I took my eyes off John's lips to give him an annoyed glance.
"What, again? The first time was just way too much fun," I said sarcastically.
"I deserve that. Please?" he entreated. Sighing, I nodded and he tucked my hand in his, as he had so many times before. He sighed himself as I pulled my hand away from his grasp.
"I'm sorry," he said as we entered a room and sat down on the bed.
"For what? Siding against me? Shutting me out for a week? Blocking me out for a lust crush that's never going to happen anyway? Stopping two hookups? For that matter, scaring away any boy that's ever showed an interest in me?" I asked.
"All of that. I'm just looking out for you Cal," he said.
"Well, you're looking too hard. And do you know what it was like? You didn't talk to me at all because you thought it would make Jenny like you for once. She's in love with Rhys," I said cruelly. He ignored all my comments about Jenny.
"You're right. I've been horrible. You deserve to be angry, but can't we go back?" he said.
"No! Sawyer, I'm tired. Tired of being your backup plan, your emergency date, your best pal when no one better is around. We have nothing in common, you're in love with my sister, and you've been treating me like crap recently anyway," I said.
"Callie, you're my best friend. You always have been, always will be," he promised.
"Even as a friend I'm too good for you," I said. As I stood up, his hand shot out to powerfully grip my wrist. I halted and glanced back at him over my shoulder.
"You've been my friend, a better friend than anyone else has been, for fifteen years. You don't mean that," he said.
"I do. We're through, BJ," I said, his nickname slipping out before I could stop it. He released my wrist as his face fell and I ran from him.
The next morning Jenny and Lauren had both already left in the car when I awoke, and my parents were nowhere to be seen. I glanced at my watch and noticed I was already missing first period.
By the time I'd washed and messed with my hair enough to make it presentable, first period was over and I'd be late for second without my car. I ran out of the house, applying clear lip gloss as I did so.
I stopped suddenly as I caught sight of a familiar car-a black one that resembled an SUV, only littler. And the tall, dark haired boy that was leaning against it, clad in his blue jeans and varsity jacket. I shot him a scathing look and prepared to walk past him.
"Come one, just take a drive. We're already late and I need to make it up to you," he said.
"And you think a drive in your car is enough?" I asked.
"It's a start," he admitted.
"I don't need your car."
"How else are you going to get there?"
"The bus?" I suggested.
"Neither of us have taken public transit in six months. Please Squirt?" he begged.
"Wow. How much you must have fallen that I'm annoyed that you were so presumptuous as to use a degrading nickname," I shot out, running past him.
