Chapter 16

Mariana couldn't sleep. It wasn't that having Callie back home was making everything all the more awkward for her even though it was. She was happy to have her sister back although it was a little weird for Mariana to go back to sharing her bedroom. She hadn't even considered how strange it must've felt for Calloe. The Latin girl couldn't help but worry. If Callie were to sneak out in the middle of the night, as she had done before, Mariana couldn't help but blame herself for it.

They shared rooms the last time she left.

How had she not heard her sister sneaking out?

Packing?

Had Callie packed while she was sleeping right next to her?

How could she not have heard that?

How had she not heard the bed creak when her sister got up from her own bed… the door screeching open and closing as she left?

She couldn't help but blame herself for not being able to stop her sister. She was the closest person near her aside from Jude.

"Are you asleep?" Mariana finally asked.

Callie opened her eyes when she sensed that something was wrong in her sister's voice. It was obvious that there was something on her mind. The teen turned her body around in her bed.

"Not yet," she answered simply.

There was an even more awkward silence. It was never this awkward between them.

"What's up?" Callie brought herself to ask.

"No, nothing," Mariana answered. "I just wanted to know. That's all."

"Why?" Callie couldn't help but ask.

Mariana shrugged her shoulders but she was never one to hold her tongue no matter the fact that she knew that she should. "Look," she began. "You know I love you, right?"

Callie knew it was coming. There was bound to be some sort of backlash sometime from Mariana.

"It's just… I can't help but get a feeling that you're not here to stay."

"I am," Callie tried to assure her.

"You say that now but you weren't here then. You weren't here to see how everyone fell apart. Moms argued so much that I was sure they were getting a divorce. After a few months passed, Stef wanted to keep looking for you… and mama didn't."

"I know," Callie said. "She gave up on me. And I don't blame her for that."

"Lena had to. It was either that or let it keep ruining her… For a few days after you left, she didn't go to work. She stayed home most nights, sitting by the phone. Just hoping that you'd call or come back. You weren't here to see how messed up she was. At first it was mama that had hope. Stef didn't have any. She was almost positive she'd never see you again and even I was too. It wasn't until she saw you that night when she was working, that mom started caring. And that made Lena really mad."

"I know."

"She was mad because she didn't want to care so much. She was afraid that if she did and you just decided to leave again, she was going to regret it because all that hurt she felt was going to come back."

"I'm not. I'm not going to leave again."

"You say that now. And I want to believe you. But I was here. It was us who had to pick up the pieces. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad that you're back. I just… really hope you are back."

"I am."

"I hope so."

Callie sat up from her bed and tied a hair in a ponytail before getting up.

"Where are you going?" Mariana demanded.

"To pee," Callie answered. "And I need a glass of water." Callie wanted to give a smart remark back but she knew that Mariana had the right to not believe her. She had to give it time first.

Mariana breathed in deeply and tried her best to let it go. She couldn't' control everything that happened in the house. She had to believe Callie despite not wanting to. "Just don't be long."

Callie shook her head as she decided to get up.

"You're going to have to trust me some time," Callie added.

Lena took a sip from her cup of tea and continued to read the texts on Callie's phone. She had snuck out of her and Stef' bedroom and couldn't help but take the phone along with her. Stef had seen everything on it and refused to share the information. Lena had the right to know what they were dealing with, what Callie was dealing with. She had to read the incoming texts from Tommy.

1. Come home before you make things worse.

2. Where the hell are you.

3. Callie, stop playing games. If you come home now, we can work things out.

4. Callie, I'm trying to work with you.

5. What the fuck do you think you're doing? If you go to the police, I will take you down with me. Don't be stupid.

6. I love you. Just come back to me. We can still make this work. I promise.

7. Bring your ass home. You know that I will find you and gut you like a fish. You're dead!

8. You think you're done with me. We're not over until I say we're over.

9. I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it. Call me and let' talk this through.

Lena couldn't help but feel queezy and disgusted after reading the texts. This guy thought he had control over Callie in ways that Lena didn't even want to imagine. This is the type of person she was living with? She wondered. What was Callie thinking?

She couldn't fight the urge anymore. She had to do it.

And before she knew it she was dialing Tommy's number from Callie's cell and the phone was glued to her ear.

The woman had no idea what she was doing or if it was a good idea or not, but she couldn't stop herself from doing it. The anger she felt radiating from her body was enough to not hang up or give in.

"Hello," a man on the other line answered.

Lena couldn't' speak at first. She fumbled to hold the phone and wasn't even sure the guy would answer.

"Callie, where the hell are you?"

"This isn't Callie," Lena found her voice.

"Then who is this? Where is Callie?" the man demanded.

"This is her mother. And you need to stop harassing my daughter," Lena demanded in an even angrier tone.

"Callie's mother is dead. Who the hell is this, really?"

"No. If you call or text this number again, then you're the one who's dead!" Lena shouted into the phone. And as soon as she did, she felt the phone call disconnect. She let out an exaggerated breath. She had wanted to say so much more but what cut off before she got a chance to.

Callie walked down the stairs and made her way over to the kitchen. She saw that the light was one and wondered if she should turn back. But some thought in her mind, allowed her to keep going.

Lena heard the footsteps and assumed it was her wife at this time of night. She shoved the cellphone in the pocket of her robe not wanting to explain the call to Stef. The blonde was certainly not approve of the idea.

Callie walked in and once she got a look at Lena's face, immediately regretted it. "Oh I'm sorry… I didn't know you were in here." And as soon as she turned around to leave, she heard the woman's voice.

"Callie, wait," Lena stopped her. "Stay," the woman suggested.

Callie froze and wondered if that was such a good idea. She had felt enough guilt for the day. She didn't want to feel anymore. Or hear about how badly she had destroyed the family. She was trying to stay so that she could prove them all wrong and show them how much she had changed, but the entire day's events was just pushing her further out the door. Staying was becoming a much harder task as every minute gone by.

"Please," Lena added.

Callie knew that she owed her at least that much. The least she could do was allow Lena to say what she had to despite how difficult it would be for Callie to hear. With much skepticism, she turned her body around to meet Lena's eyes.

"Okay," she agreed.