Chapter 26
Callie gave up with sleep by seven. She remained in Brandon's arms, relishing in the feeling of safeness. Plus, she didn't want to wake him. She felt awful for keeping him up most of the night. Vico and Liam's face haunted her dreams more so than usual because of the latest attack. If she didn't wake up in a panic or crying, he woke up from her whimpers or tossing in turning and then eventually helped her back to reality. At the feeling of his stirring, she lifted her head to look up at him.
"Good morning, beautiful." He whispered groggily as he reached down to press a kiss to her lips.
"Why don't you go back to sleep, it's still early." Callie suggested, placing her hand on his chest.
He shook his head. "I'm up now."
"Sorry I kept you up all night."
"Don't apologize." He said softly. "I'm glad you did so you didn't have to deal with it alone."
"I love you." She whispered. She was extremely thankful for him, especially at her worst times. His presence alone comforted her, but he somehow always knew what she needed at that moment. Last night he woke her up with gentle hands, held her in his safe arms while she sobbed, and whispered soothing words to calm her down. He was patient and loving. There was no hint of frustration after she had woken him up for the umpteenth time. She knew what it was like to suffer alone; to wake up in a panic or struggle to separate her nightmares from reality. It was a lonely, awful place to be and she was thankful she no longer had to do this alone.
"Love you too." He smiled. She started to pull away, but Brandon tightened his grip on her. "Where are you going?"
"I have to pee."
"Don't leave me." Brandon cried dramatically, pulling her closer to his body.
Callie giggled, rubbing her stomach gently. "Blame Melody. She's pressing on my bladder."
"Ugh, I can't get mad at her." Brandon grinned, sliding his hand down to Callie's stomach. "Don't press on Mommy's bladder."
Callie planted another kiss on Brandon's lips before she rolled over and slid out of the bed. "She has you wrapped around her finger already."
"She's going to be a Daddy's little girl." Brandon laughed, watching his girlfriend waddle towards the door. A breath left his lips after she left. He knew her better than anyone, and he knew that she was putting up a façade. She hadn't said much since yesterday's events and he refused to let the cracks he made in her walls be resealed.
She returned to the room a few minutes later. "Sorry, between the broken wrist and the big belly, everything takes longer to do."
A smile stretched Brandon's lips as Callie slipped back into the bed. He pulled her into his arms, inhaling the sweet, vanilla scent of her shampoo. "How are you feeling?"
Callie shrugged. "A little sore and my wrist hurts, but I'm okay."
"Are you actually okay?" Brandon asked. He could see right through. He could tell that she wasn't okay; that she was hurting in more ways than one. He also knew she wasn't one to spill her feelings. He had to pry.
Tears sparkled in Callie's eyes. "No."
"Talk to me." Brandon said, reaching up to push a strand curl behind her ear.
"I just feel like I finally start to make progress and then it gets destroyed. And I just don't know what to do anymore. I don't know how to get over this anymore. I'm constantly thinking about them. The smallest things bring me back to the woods. I'm constantly on edge waiting for one of them to show up somewhere." Her lower lip trembled as the tears began to spill over her lids.
Brandon's heart physically ached every time he saw his girlfriend cry. And then he always felt a surge of fury ignite within him at the usual cause of her tears: Vico and Liam. But part of him also felt relieved that she was crying. It meant she was letting out whatever pain or emotions she was feeling. He knew she cried with him the most because she trusted him; she was able to let her guard down in front of him. "They're not coming near you again. They're both behind bars where they'll stay until the trial and then once they're found guilty. You were making progress and now those wounds were reopened, but I promise you they will continue to heal again. And I'll be with you every step of the way."
"I just don't want to be dealing with this anymore." Callie whispered as Brandon's hand gently came up to cup her cheek, the pad of his thumb brushing away the tears on her bruised cheek. "I'm having a baby in a few weeks."
"I know, but you are, and you will be for a while. I would give anything for you to not have to deal with this. But I think the baby coming will be a distraction. A lot of your focus is going to be on that beautiful little girl." Brandon said as his hand slid down to her stomach. A smile found his lips when he felt the familiar jolt beneath his hand. He made a mental note to make sure Callie still took care of herself when Melody was born. It would be very easy for her to get caught up in caring for the baby and push away the things she needed to do to heal.
"Could you help me with something today that'll distract me?" Callie asked as she traced the letters on his t-shirt. She needed something to focus on; something that would stop her thoughts from ruminating on yesterday's events.
"Of course. Anything to help you." Brandon nodded, offering her a sincere grin.
"Can you help me with the nursery today?" Callie questioned softly. They had recently finished buying all the furniture and nursery accessories they needed for the baby. She and Brandon had painted the room a couple of weeks ago but had yet to do anything else.
"I would love to." Brandon placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "But I don't want you doing anything but directing and sitting there looking pretty."
Callie rolled her eyes but leaned in to press a kiss to his lips. "If you insist."
"If this goes there, where does this go?" Brandon muttered to himself as glanced back and forth between the pieces on the floor and the directions lying beside him.
Callie stifled a laugh as she watched Brandon struggle to assemble the crib. She sat in the rocking chair, folding the baby clothes from the laundry basket in front of her. She had washed all the new outfits for Melody, so they would be ready to use when she arrived. With only one functioning hand, it was taking longer than it should to complete. She didn't mind though; Brandon wasn't the handiest person and Callie found his attempts amusing. "How's it going over there?"
Brandon peeled his eyes away from the crib pieces to meet his girlfriend's eyes. He found a smirk stretched across her lips. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Callie couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "Should I be concerned about actually putting Melody in there once you have it assembled?"
Both their heads turned towards the open door as Jesus appeared in the doorway. "Do you need some help in here?"
"Yes please." Callie giggled, earning a playful glare from Brandon. "Brandon is struggling but won't let me do anything."
He narrowed his eyes at her again. He had never been so thankful for his lack of handiness. It made Callie laugh and that sound made him fall in love with her all over again. The sound of her laughter made joy and hope ignite within him; like the feeling a child has when waking up Christmas morning. "I'm doing just fine, and you need to rest."
"Dude, you're using the wrong kind of screwdriver." Jesus pointed at the tool in Brandon's hand and shook his head. His brother was nearly useless when it came to things like this.
"Isn't there just one screwdriver?" Brandon burrowed his eyebrows as he looked up to his brother.
Callie snorted out a laugh. Jesus let out a sigh as he reached into the tool bag beside Brandon and pulled out a box. He opened the box revealing a multitude of screwdriver heads. He pulled one out, grabbed the screwdriver from Brandon, and switched the tops. "No there isn't just one screwdriver. Move over, dude. Let me do this so the baby can actually sleep in the crib."
Brandon huffed as he dropped the screwdriver onto the floor and stood. He waved to the pieces and tools on the floor. "It's all yours."
Jesus chuckled as he knelt to the floor. "Melody is lucky she has a handy uncle because god knows her daddy isn't."
Callie's heart warmed at Jesus's words. One of her biggest fears prior to telling everyone she was pregnant was them accepting the baby given the circumstances. That fear continued to be disputed. Hearing Jesus refer to himself as Melody's uncle and Brandon as Melody's daddy made her smile.
Brandon feigned insult as he watched Jesus easily slide two pieces of the crib together. Callie laughed again at Brandon's reaction. She dropped the last onesie on her lap into the laundry basket full of folded baby clothes and slowly planted her feet on the floor. She reached up to plant a kiss on Brandon's cheek. "Her daddy isn't handy, but he's sweet, and smart, and musically talented, and very handsome."
A smile stretched Brandon's lips as he threw his arm around Callie's shoulder. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, earning an eye roll from Jesus as he glanced at the two. "Enough with the sappiness."
"What's going on in here?" Mariana asked as she stepped into the doorway. "Are you guys putting the nursery together?"
"We sure are." Brandon said. "Want to help? This apparently isn't my forte and Callie's isn't allowed to do much more than direct and look pretty."
Callie looked up at her boyfriend with a raised eyebrow. "Um, I got more done than you. I folded all those clothes with one hand while you failed at putting together a quarter of the crib."
"But I'm handsome and smart." Brandon smirked, gently squeezing Callie's shoulder.
"Yes, you are." Callie laughed, reaching up to peck his lips. She turned to Mariana, pointing at a large shopping back in the corner of the room. "There's some wall décor in that bag if you want to put those up. You're good with decorating and detail, plus it's hard to do with one hand."
Mariana didn't hesitate to make her way to the shopping back. She began to rummage through the items. An aw left her lips as she pulled out butterflies made out of sheet music. "This is adorable."
"I just want her name above her crib, but other than that you have creative control." Callie said.
Mariana squealed. "It's going to look fabulous."
"Thank god we didn't take her shopping with us. Melody would have an over the top, pink, frilly, princess room." Brandon muttered against Callie's ear, but loud enough for them all to hear, which earned a glare from the tiny brunette.
Callie giggled as she placed her hand over her stomach. "But really, thank you guys for helping. We're running out of time and this would take forever for just us to do."
"Of course. We're here for you and the baby." Mariana smiled warmly as she placed a picture frame displaying a photo of one of Callie's sonograms on the dresser.
Jesus finished putting the crib together rather quickly, much to Brandon's dismay. Callie neatly tucked the folded the clothes into the draws of the dresser. Brandon helped decorate the room with Mariana, mostly by hanging things at heights she was unable to reach. Jude made his way into the nursery eventually and helped Callie organize the other products they bought for the baby. By midafternoon, the nursery was nearly finished.
Stef's eyes scanned the room as she stepped into the room. "Wow, it's looking good in here. It's hard to believe Jesus and Jude used to live in here."
"Well, Callie and I sanitized the room after they moved to the garage." Mariana said, earning a chuckle from Stef.
"The only thing that's missing is a baby." Stef grinned as her eyes found Callie who was placing a stuffed bunny into the crib. Stef strolled over to the pregnant brunette and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "How are you feeling, love?"
"A little sore, but I'm okay." Callie met Stef's eyes and forced a smile. Her body was achy, more so than her usual pregnancy aches, and her wrist was throbbing, but it wasn't anything she wasn't used to. She dealt with much worse pain.
"Don't overdo it." Stef warned. "Did you talk to Robert yet?" Stef asked.
"No." Callie whispered, her eyes casting down. Telling Robert meant thinking about it and that was the last thing she wanted to do. She knew he deserved to know; he was her father after all, but she didn't want to hear the disappointment in his voice, see the hurt in his eyes.
"He deserves to know, sweets." Stef pursed her lips as she watched the young brunette shift uncomfortably. "And unless you plan on avoiding him until the bruise on your face goes away and your wrist heals, you can't really hide it."
"I know." Callie sighed. She knew Stef was right and she knew the longer she waited, the worse it would be. "I'll call him and tell him to stop by. I don't want to tell him over the phone."
Stef offered a comforting smile before she placed a kiss to Callie's hairline. "I know it's not easy to discuss, but just remember that we all care about and love you."
Callie nodded. She knew Stef was right, but it didn't make it any easier. Shame and guilt consumed her at the disappointment and pain those she loved felt when she relayed news like this. "We're just about done in here and then I'll call him."
"Do you want me to come out with you?" Brandon offered as Callie disentangled herself from Brandon's arms as the sound of the doorbell.
Callie shook her head. "Thanks, but I think I should talk to him alone."
Brandon offered her a warm smile. He reached up to push her hair behind her ear before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "I'll be right inside if you need me. I love you."
"Love you too." Callie whispered as she stood and made her way to the door. Callie opened the front door to find Robert anxiously waiting on the steps. She told him she needed to tell him something but hadn't hinted to what it was.
Robert's eyes widened, and his face contorted into a mix of shock and concern. His eyes darted from her face to her neck to her wrist. "Are you okay? What happened?
"I'm fine." Callie replied softly as she stepped onto the porch, pulling the door closed behind her. She led Robert to the swing on the corner of the porch, taking a seat.
"What happened?" Robert repeated impatiently as he sat beside her.
"You know how Vico was home on bail awaiting the trial?" Callie watched realization find Robert's face.
"He did this? He hurt you again?"
Callie glanced down at her lap, taking interest in the hem of her shirt. "He cut off his ankle monitor and came after me while I was waiting outside of school for Brandon. He knocked me out and took me to a vacant house. He…he didn't get too far I had my phone in my pocket and was able to call Brandon, plus Stef had tracked my phone."
Robert burrowed his eyebrows as he processed his daughter's words. He had wrangled his mind on his drive over here with possibilities of what this conversation could be concerning, but he never would have thought of this. Vico was supposed to be on strict house arrest. He was wearing an ankle bracelet with sensitive alarms that practically tracked his every move; Callie was supposed to be safe. And yet she was failed once again. "What do you mean he didn't get too far? Your-your bruised and your wrist…"
Callie swallowed the lump in her throat, fighting back images of Vico. "He hit and punched me. Broke my wrist. But he didn't…"
Robert waited a moment, but Callie's voice trailed off. He needed her to finish the sentence; he needed the confirmation. "He didn't rape you?"
Callie cringed at the word but shook her head. "Not this time. He…he tried, but Brandon got there before he had the chance."
Callie's voice cracked mid-sentence and Robert could tell she was barely holding it together. It amazed him how she held herself together. But it also concerned him. He knew she bottled in her emotions, partly because she had built nearly indestructible walls throughout her time in foster care and partly because she put everyone else before herself. "Callie, you don't have to hold it together all the time. Especially in front of me. I'm your father."
Tears glistened in her eyes. Her lower lip trembled. She had managed to keep herself distracted for a few hours with the nursery, but now she was forced to confront her demons. She chewed on her bottom lip as the tears spilled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I just…"
Robert held his arms open and she fell into his embrace. He rubbed her arm softly as her tears splashed onto his shirt. "Don't apologize, Cal. You're allowed to fall apart. You've been through so much. You can always talk to me."
"It just feels like any time I make progress it gets destroyed. I don't want to think about them anymore. I don't want them to win. But I just…when I'm not distracted they are all I can think about. I can't sleep without seeing them. And the slightest thing reminds me of them." Tears splashed onto Robert's shirt as she finally confessed her feelings into his chest.
"I can't imagine what you're going through, but I think that's to be expected. You've had one trauma after another and the way they hurt you was…vicious. But you're not letting them win, Callie." Robert said softly. His heart ached for the pain she was suffering from. "You're moving on with your life. You're going to work through this. And you are going to win when this goes to trial. They're going to spend a long, long time in prison paying for what they did to you. They hurt you Callie, but they didn't break you. They didn't win."
"I guess." Callie whispered. She sat up and placed a hand over her stomach, hesitating before meeting Robert's eyes. "I'm happy I'm having a daughter. I want to raise her to be a strong, independent girl. But it also terrifies me because I don't want her to go through what I did. I haven't even met her yet, but the thought of her going through that terrifies me."
Robert pursed his lips. "I didn't know you before this happened, but as your father, it kills me that this happened to you. And I can't imagine how Stef and Lena felt when you came home that night or when they were waiting in the hospital. And I worry all the time about Sophia. It's hard to be a girl in this world. Worrying also comes with being a parent, so you got that down already."
A small smile found Callie's lips as she reached up to wipe at her dampened cheeks. "I think I'm already a pro at that part."
"But you can't live your life in fear of what might happen. The most you can do is protect her in the ways that you can. You already said you want to raise her strong and independent. God forbid something does happen to her, she'll be strong enough to get through it, especially with her strong mother." Robert placed a hand on Callie's leg as he offered her a sincere smile.
"Maybe I'll just keep her locked up." Callie replied sarcastically, rubbing small circles over her belly. "And never let her near boys."
A chuckle left Robert's lips. "The first time she's sick or gets hurt or someone tells her something mean, or she gets her heart broken, it's going to hurt worse for you. But these are the things that strengthen them. And if you keep her away from boys, she can't find her Brandon."
A grin stretched Callie's lips. "True. Although I don't know how many Brandons are out there."
"I'm glad you found Brandon. He's a really good guy and he loves you. You may know this, but I want to say it anyway. What you went through wasn't…it's not what intimate relationships are." Robert stumbled on his words.
Callie shifted uncomfortably. She knew he was referring to sex, which was not something she really wanted to discuss with her father. "You don't have to…"
"No. I think it's important. I know you have Brandon and because of that, you know that not all men are like Vico and Liam. What you went through was awful and traumatizing, but that doesn't mean you can't have…normal adult relationships." Robert was aware he was being awkward. This was the reason why Jill always talked to Sophia about relationships and sex, but he felt this was important and he felt as though it was his job. He was the only male parental figure and Callie's life and he knew the value this had in coming from a male. A male Callie trusted. Because he knew this wasn't just a women's problem.
Callie's eyes returned to her fumbling hands. This was something her mind thought about countless times. Brandon was so caring and patient and she was so grateful for that, but she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be ready for that step.
"What I'm trying to say is that rape and sex are not the same thing." Robert noted that way Callie tensed at the word.
"I know." Callie whispered because she did know. She knew sex wasn't violent, painful, shameful, terrifying. She knew sex wasn't supposed to leave you feeling guilty and dirty. The rational part of her knew, but there was still part of her that couldn't separate the two. "Part of me does anyway."
"They're not the same thing. I know you probably don't feel comfortable talking about this with me, but you should talk about this with someone. Stef or Lena, your therapist, Jill." Robert suggested. "It's okay to have questions and to talk about it. And don't let anyone pressure you into anything you aren't ready for."
"That's not really an issue. Brandon would never." Callie smiled as she thought of the curly haired boy who occupied her heart.
"I didn't think so. That boy loves you. I can see it just in the way he looks at you." Robert grinned. He was grateful she found someone like Brandon; someone who truly loved her, who knew how to help her, who stood by her no matter what. Robert snaked his arm around Callie's shoulder and placed a kiss to her hair. "Thank you for telling me what happened."
"I didn't want to. More so I just didn't want to think about what happened, but I'm glad I did." She felt relieved now that she did disclose yesterday's events to him. His words had been reassuring and helped minimize some of her anxious thoughts, but she still hating talking. She didn't want to think about it and talking about it did just that.
So sorry for the long time between updates. I had a setback in my Lyme treatment and was drowning in work all semester, and of course, this was a chapter that needed a lot of work. I struggled with the flow of this one, but hope you enjoyed! There's lots of drama coming next chapter!
Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays! Happy New Year! Review!