Chapter 5

All I have to do is say one word... One word about you...

And your back to living on the streets... Where I found you.

Tommy's words echoed in Callie's mind throughout her entire walk back towards the motel as she tried to contemplate what she should do in her current situation.

Stay and continue to be Tommy's personal punching bag every time she couldn't pay him on time?

Or... Leave with nothing going for her and nowhere to stay?

Her options were always less than ideal and never actually felt like she had much of a choice in the first place, but here she was weighing the benefits of each.

If she left, she wouldn't have to deal with Tommy anymore. She wouldn't owe him money. She wouldn't feel as if she was working hard all day just to hand practically her entire check to some asshole who clearly took advantage of the fact that she was alone. If she left, she'd be free. Free of Tommy and free of Stef ever coming back and trying to visit her for whatever stupid reason she had.

Free? Would that really mean anything if she was back at square one? With no roof over her head and no job? Sure, she might be able to find another job, but how long would that take? Where would she stay until then? If it wasn't for Tommy, it'd be some other asshole claiming to want to help her get on her feet... until she finally is, and then hold it against her like they all had.

Like the Judge had...

Callie took in a deep breath and realized her decision when she saw the broken down sign of the Super 8 Motel clear in her vision.

She came back.

What else would that mean?

I can do this, she whispered to herself as she put her key inside of the doorknob when she reached the door.

He doesn't hurt me all of the time, she continued to rationalize.

Only when I don't have all of his money... Maybe I just need to find another job, she thought to herself. That should solve it, right?

Within seconds, she got the door open all of the way and placed her bag on her bed, closing the door and locking it behind her. She sat down beside the bag and removed the cash from the front zipper, beginning to count the tip money she had received today.

Twenty-nine dollars.

She let out a deep breath and scratched her head, remembering that she wouldn't get paid for another week.

She was a hundred and twenty-one dollars short. If she got $29 for every day for the next four days, she would still be short the next time Tommy came to see her.

Shit, she thought to herself as she tried to come up with another plan to make more money. She tossed the cash back onto the bed and leaned back against it out of exhaustion, closing her eyes and attempting to forget about this whole mess she was in.

"Callie," Stef finally blurted out softly, even though she honestly didn't expect a calm tone from the girl in return.

The teens eyes widened instantly, causing her body to lift up in a sitting position to face the blonde, who she had first thought to have been imagining. Instantly, she fumbled with her words out of pure confusion and unawareness. "Wh-H- WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Her eyes remained stiff and she tried to stand up and away from the bed as fast as she could. But to her dismay, it took longer than she would have liked since Stef was able to make her way over toward the right side of it, where she was.

She didn't want to alarm Callie but it was obviously too late for that. Instead, she put her arms in front of her body and attempted to calm the girl. "Look, honey. Please... just-"

"GET OUT!" The teen ordered the woman, as she herself tried to step towards the door in an attempt to flee. If Stef was going to refuse to leave, then at least Callie would have the option to do so.

Stef stepped into action and brought herself over toward the front of the entrance faster than the seventeen-year old could blink. The woman was clearly blocking Callie's path and pressing her back towards the wood now.

"Callie, I can't leave," she shook her head and kept her eyes focused on Callie's. "I won't keep making the same mistake with you, even if that's what you think you want."

"Then, let me go!" Callie demanded while she tried to reach for the doorknob underneath Stef's arm, but she wasn't able to pull the door open with Stef's weight being used to keep the entrance shut.

"No," Stef responded coldly this time. "Not until you listen to what I have to say."

"You broke into my room! There's no way in hell this is legal!" Callie yelled angrily, in an attempt to remind Stef that she was breaking the law at this point, but the blonde honestly could care less. Getting in trouble with her boss, or even possibly getting fired because of this was the least of her worries, even if her daughter didn't understand it.

"It's the only way I can speak to you and you know it," the cop told her in a steady and stern voice. "Just relax, Callie, please," the woman begged.

Callie shook her head when she realized Stef wasn't going to move. "You can't do this," the teen reiterated as she walked over toward the phone on the nightstand and lifted the receiver up to her ear. The teen couldn't hear a single sound from the phone as she tried to dial the police, which just made her even more agitated, causing her hand to reach around it until she realized the cord had been removed.

Stef let out a breath this time, fully expecting the girl to lose it completely but still attempting to keep her calm. "I'm sorry, sweets. I had to unhook the phone. Can you please–"

"You're insane," Callie retorted and she couldn't help but completely believe it at this point. What kind of woman would break an entering and keep her hostage, unplugging her only way out?

Stef nodded. "Fine, you can believe that if you want bu–"

"I do," Callie was quick to interrupt her, not caring about anything else now.

Stef sighed again deeply, as she tried to consider how she would make things right again.

What could she possibly say to fix this?

This time, she was stumped.

Her mind, a blank, and she could almost feel her only opportunity floating away right in front of her.

"Why are you doing this?" Callie began, breaking the long silence between them. "What do you want from me?" she asked.

Stef tried to focus. "I just want to talk, Callie."

"Why?" Callie continued. "Why now? Why do you want to act like you suddenly care, now? What changed, huh?"

"Nothing–"

"What? Now, you have time for me?" Callie interrupted again. In her mind, there was nothing Stef could say that could make things right again. The cop was just wasting both of their time. "Now, that it's convenient for you... now, you want to try to makes things better?"

"No, Callie. That's not it."

"What is it that you need to hear from me, for you to leave? That I forgive you?" the teen finally came to the realization. "You have a guilty conscience and need to hear it in order to go away? Fine! I forgive you. Now, please leave," the teen finished harshly.

Stef eyed Callie carefully.

She knew that deep down, Callie was never going to let her explain. She was never going to sit down and just listen to what she and Lena had to say, not willingly. That was why Stef had decided to spend the night there, just to make sure that the girl would be safe instead of forcing her to come home with her and making matters worse. At this point, she couldn't force her daughter to do anything, but Callie couldn't force the woman to stop either.

She couldn't stop Stef from finally being able to tell their side of the story...