Chapter 8

As soon as Lena realized she was alone in their bedroom, the brunette finally allowed the tears to flow down from her eyes and onto her cheeks. She, herself, couldn't actually believe that she allowed the words to slip out of her mouth... And so easily. It wasn't like her to do something like this and she was well aware of it. She was always the first to give someone the benefit of the doubt and to forgive them. But even if she wanted to forgive Callie and give her a second chance, she felt as if she wouldn't be able to. She couldn't invite her back into their home with open arms like Stef had.

And it was far too late to take those words she said back now.

Not when Stef was still persistent on taking Callie in all over again.

How could she do this?

This was her fault.

Everything was fine.

Everything was better than fine.

Why did Callie have to come back now?

She shook her head and pulled her suitcase out from the closet, silently wondering if she should take a duffel bag instead.

Stef would have to come to her senses soon, right?

Maybe she shouldn't pack that much...

She shook her head at the thought. She didn't want to have to come back and get more clothes if it took longer than just a couple of days. Stef was just as stubborn as she was. With that thought, she threw the suitcase open on top of the bed and contemplated where to begin.

Stef stood silently outside when Lena walked in the house without another word. She was taken completely off guard by what her wife had said and got the most awful feeling come over her. It was as if she forgot how to move, speak or even breathe, like if she wasn't actually inside of her body anymore. It felt like a dream of some sort.

She couldn't really be serious? She thought to herself as she started to go over everything they had said in their conversation all over again. What else could she have told her to get her wife to change her mind about Callie? What did Callie do that was so wrong that would cause Lena to hold that much of a grudge against her? To just flee at the sight of their daughter? Something wasn't right.

She stopped in her thoughts when she saw the front door opening and Callie beginning to come out with both of her bags. Stef squinted her eyes at her as if she had to have been kidding. It was obvious that with all the yelling, the teen had to have overheard them.

Callie looked up to face Stef and tried to appear disconnected. "It's okay," she said simply. "I understand," she tried to add. "I'll come visit Jude as soon as I'm settled. I don't want to see him until I have somewhere steady to stay," she tried to say casually. She didn't need to let them think that any of this had gotten to her.

Stef nodded and her face depicted pure disappointment. "So you're just going to leave again? Nothing's changed? Is that it?" The blonde questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'd rather do that than mess this up for Jude," Callie admitted.

Stef shook her head at Callie's statement. The cop both loved and hated that Callie always put her brother before herself. It was her best yet worst attribute. It was the thing that had made Stef fall in love with her yet it was also what Callie used to reason her constantly running away. How was that even possible? She wondered.

"And where are you going to go, may I ask?" She continued to question. "To your boyfriend? The one who beat you?"

"He's not my boyfriend," the teen was quick to answer. "And he didn't beat me," she tried to clarify. A few blows didn't really constitute as a beating to Callie.

"Those bruises beg to differ," Stef replied in a louder and more serious tone in an attempt to get the teen to realize just how serious it really was. But instead Callie shook her head slightly as if the blonde was just exaggerating.

"I've been through worse," she answered. "I can take care of myself. Don't worry about me," the girl answered.

"Telling a mom not to worry about her child is like telling her to stop breathing. It's impossible," Stef said calmly and finished with a sigh.

Callie adjusted her bag over her shoulder because the strap was beginning to hurt. She wanted to leave now that the conversation with Stef was making her feel worse and worse with every second that she stood there.

Stef read her mind. "I'll drop you off," Stef said when she felt Callie beginning to grow impatient. "Give me five minutes, okay?" She said as she reached for the car keys from her pocket and handed them over to the teen. "Wait in the car?" She suggested.

Callie considered telling he blonde that she could walk but didn't want to go back and forth with her on this. She was just dropping her off, she realized. That meant she had accepted what would happen... "Okay," she nodded as she reached for the keys.

A/N: Just curious, does this story seem as if it's going too slow/fast? I honestly want my readers' input.