Chapter 11.

"Hey, Jude?" said Callie, turning to her brother. "Do you want to play a game or something?" She looked at him pleadingly. "Your choice?"

Seeing Jude and Mariana being so close hurt Callie more than she wanted to admit. She was glad he had someone to love and support him while she was gone, but he was her baby brother, whom she practically raised by herself. In her situation, she thought, anyone would be at least a little jealous to see him favor someone else.

Jude shrugged, and walked past the games closet and up the stairs. Callie's heart sunk with disappointment, thinking he was ignoring her, until he stopped in the middle of the stairs and looked back at her.

"Do you want me to follow you?" she asked.

He nodded, gesturing for her to hurry. He led her to her and Mariana's room, and opened the closet, rummaging through the shelves. When he found what he was looking for, he held it out to Callie. It was a Ouija board.

"You sure want to play that, buddy?" He stared at her unwavering. She sat down on the floor, crossing her legs underneath her. "Well, okay."

Jude sat down across from her and set up the ancient-looking board. Then, he placed two fingers on the planchette. Reluctantly, she did the same.

"So, what should we ask it?" she said, looking up at Jude. She was skeptical of anything she couldn't see, and that included ghosts, but she was willing to play along if it meant spending one-on-one time with him.

Jude's eyes filled with sadness, damp and dark. Callie could tell he was trying to communicate something important, and he didn't quite know how. But she had a hunch about what he was thinking. "Do you want to try to talk to mom?" she asked.

Jude gave her the slightest nod.

"Okay," she replied. "But don't be disappointed if nothing happens. It's just a game." She gazed down at the board, feeling the tiniest bit foolish. "Mom, are you there? It's us. Callie and Jude."

The siblings studied the planchette, waiting for something to happen. After several seconds, Callie realized she'd been holding her breath, anticipating... something. When minutes passed, and still nothing happened, she lifted her fingers from the plastic pointer. "I don't think she's gonna answer, buddy." She gave Jude an apologetic look. "It's a good thing that mom can't communicate with us, though. That means she's at peace, so we should be happy for her. Right?"

His lips hinted at a smile, and he nodded again.

Just then, an idea hit Callie. She knew before they started that they wouldn't make contact with a spirit using the Ouija board; it was just a dumb toy. But maybe, just maybe, she could use it to make contact with her brother? It was just crazy enough to work.

"We can still play with it," she told him. She gave him a playful grin, lowering her voice to sound mysterious. "Jude, this is Callie speaking. Are you there?"

Jude gave her an actual smile, and moved the planchette so it pointed at "Yes."

Pleased by her results, she decided to continue with the game. "Jude. Do you still love me?" She sucked in her breath, both dreading and eagerly awaiting his answer.

After a moment of hesitation, he slid the planchette back to "Yes."

Callie felt tears sting her eyes, and taking control of the game piece, she used it to spell out the words, "I love you too."

But there was one question still on her mind. One that scared her to ask, but she had to, because she was Callie, and she couldn't leave things alone. Lord knew she'd heard that from enough people to know it was true. She made eye contact with Jude for a split second before asking; "Will you ever talk again?"

Gingerly, her brother set his fingers to the planchette, and then, barely touching it, he prodded it across the board. When he stopped, it pointed to the word, "Maybe."

"So, honey, what are your plans for today?" asked Stef, taking a sip from her steaming coffee mug.

Callie shrugged. "Robert texted me earlier. He wants me to go up to the house and check on it."

Stef nodded. "You want me to go with you?"

"I'll go with her," Brandon volunteered, coming into the kitchen. He turned to Callie. "I mean, if you want me to?"

"Sure," Callie shrugged. "If you really want to." He'd been asking to spend time with her all week, and she'd been avoiding him, busying herself with Jude, and Stef and Lena. She hated to leave their relationship in limbo; it was unfair to him, but she didn't know what else to do. Whatever they had, it was as confusing to her as it was to him. Maybe even more so.

She grabbed her keys, and soon, they were out the door.

"Whoa," said Brandon, when they pulled into the Quinn's long driveway. He whistled appreciatively. "Is this a house or a hotel?"

"Do you want to see the inside?" Callie asked, getting out of the car.

"Yeah, " he replied, following her. "If it's okay."

"It is," she assured him. "I left a pair of shoes here that I've been meaning to get, anyway." She found the house key on her keychain, then punched in a security code and unlocked the door.

Their footsteps echoed when they entered the foyer. Callie had to admit, Robert and Jill's house was beautiful, in an immaculate, showroom sort of way. It did feel like a hotel, impersonal and tastefully decorated. "Come on. I'll show you my room."

They reached the top of the staircase, and she led him down the hall, opening the French doors to her bedroom. "Here it is," she said, turning to him. "Welcome to Barbie's Dreamhouse."

Brandon laughed, placing his hand on her back. "It's a cute room. You're right, though. I can't really see you in it."

"I know," she nodded. She walked around the spacious pink square, looking at the possessions she'd left behind. Most of it was just frivolous stuff, things she didn't need at school; figurines, a dozen or so books she'd already read, the paintings on the walls... things like that.

She wandered into her bathroom. Curious, she ran her hand over the top of the wooden cabinets, until her fingers touched a flat piece of metal. It was her razor blade; the one she used to cut with. Apparently, the maid wasn't doing her job very well. She held the blade in the palm of her sweaty hand. It was dull, flecked with rust. Sighing, she put it back in it's hiding place. Suddenly, she was anxious to leave the room behind; it was full of bad memories.

She went to the walk-in closet, and threw it open, making the few hangers that still hung inside swing. Her cork-soled sandals sat in the corner of the carpeted floor. She picked them up, and turned to Brandon. "Well, I got what I wanted, so let's head back downstairs."

On the way back down, Brandon noticed the black, perfectly polished baby grand piano that sat under the stairs. He studied it, practically drooling.

"Go for it," Callie told him, giving him a playful nudge toward the bench. "You know you want to..."

Brandon hopped off the last step, and sat down at the piano, lifting the cover off the keys. "This is a beautiful instrument," he told her, hardly able to tear his eyes away. "Does anyone play it, or is it just for show?"

"Jill plays," she told him, going to his side. "But she's nowhere near as good as you are. Play me something?"

He nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. Then, he poised his hands above the keys, and began to play the first notes of a song. Callie listened, trying to place the bittersweet tune. When he reached the chorus, she knew what it was. It was Outlaws, the love song he'd written for her. Their song.

Suddenly, she felt overcome with emotion. Her eyes stung, and her throat tightened. Ever since she'd heard him sing it with Lou, the song affected her in a way she didn't understand. "Hey," she said, interrupting his musical trance. "Let's go outside."

She closed the piano, and took him by the hand, heading toward the back door.

Just off the patio, the pool sparkled in the sunlight, and the chemical tang of chlorine greeted them. Looking out at the gleam of the turquoise water, so cool and inviting, Callie was hit with inspiration. She turned to Brandon. "Want to go for a swim?"

Brandon smiled shyly, his hands in his pocket. "I don't have a bathing suit."

"Neither do I," she pointed out, smiling mischievously. "Is that a problem?"

His face lit up with amusement. "Are you suggesting we go skinny-dipping?"

"Why not?" she asked. The isolated house was empty, and the pool was surrounded by a fence. It was doubtful that anyone would see them. "Let's do it. It'll be fun."

"Well, okay," he finally agreed. "I'm up for it if you are." He pulled his shirt over his head, and tossed it on a lounge chair.

Following his lead, Callie began to undress too. When they were both naked, facing each other, she turned to the water, and took a running leap into it.

When she surfaced, she beckoned to Brandon. "Come on in. It feels amazing!" It did. She'd never felt so free in her life, enveloped in the crystal-clear water, kicking her legs to stay afloat.

Taking a deep breath, Brandon dove in and paddled to her.

When they were face to face, Callie smiled. "I have to admit, I enjoyed that." Brandon was easily the sexiest creature on Earth.

"What in particular did you enjoy?" he teased, his mouth twitching as if he wanted to laugh.

"Looking at your cute little pale butt," she told him.

"Pale?" he chuckled.

She nodded, snaking her arms around him and cupping him in her hands. "What can I say? I happen to like your ass." She squeezed it for emphasis.

"Well," he said. "I happen to like yours too." The blue-green water reflected in his eyes, bringing out their incredible shade of green. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead, droplets running down his face.

He was so close, Callie could feel his cool breath against her mouth as he leaned in to kiss her. They kissed eagerly, over and over, until they felt themselves begin to sink.

Gasping for breath, they resurfaced. Brandon took her back in his arms. He kissed her again, slipping his tongue into her mouth. Giving in, she parted her lips wider, drinking him in.

Kissing in the deep water was hard. They couldn't keep it up for very long. When they finally broke apart, Callie leisurely floated on her back, letting the sun warm her chilled skin. She was aware that she was giving Brandon a full-frontal view of her body. She watched him slip under the water, swimming closer to her as she drifted away from him. Seconds later, he resurfaced, the water lapping at his chest.

Their swim was interrupted by the sound of a weed-whacker on the other side of the fence. Callie kicked herself upright, and looked to Brandon, her eyes wide with panic. "Omigod," she breathed. "I don't believe this. The gardener's here."

Brandon looked at her, then, at their clothes, horrified. "What do we do?"

"Hurry," she said, swimming to the pool's edge. She climbed out, and ran to the pool-house. Once they were inside, she locked the door behind them, and shut the heavy canvas drapes. "He won't see us in here."

"This place is pretty cool," Brandon told her, looking around.

Callie nodded. "I used to come out here when I wanted to be alone." She opened the mini fridge. "Do you want a soda or something? It looks like we're going to be stuck here for a while." They would have to stay inside until the gardener left, and they could retrieve their clothes.

"Sure," he said. "What have you got?"

She crouched down, suddenly feeling bashful about her nudity. "Root beer?" She took out two chilled cans.

"Sounds good."

She passed him a can, and he cracked it open, sitting down on a lounge chair.

"I'm freezing," she told him. She rubbed her arms. They were covered with goosebumps. She went to a small closet, and found an over-sized beach towel, and brought it back to the chair. Then she settled in beside him, covering them both with the soft, dry fabric.

Immediately, their lips found each other once again. Brandon cupped her cheek in his hand, tenderly kissing her. "I know a good way to warm up," he whispered in a husky voice.

He cradled her in one arm. His free hand slid down her wet body, over her stomach, heading further South. Smiling, Callie turned on her back, and he rolled on top of her, kissing her hard on the mouth. She closed her eyes as he slid into her, and she felt him move inside her.

When they were finished, they snuggled close, radiating each other's body heat. Callie shivered, and Brandon tucked the towel around her shoulders. Their eyes met, and he pressed a feather-light, incredibly tender kiss to her lips.

Still holding her gaze, he tucked her wet hair behind her ear and brushed his thumb across her cheek. "You want to know what I'm thinking?"

She nodded, chewing her swollen lip. "Tell me."

He smiled, his eyes hazy with some deep emotion; it wasn't lust. Instinctively, Callie knew what he was going to say. Her soul jumped for joy, and her stomach dropped with dread.

He continued to play with her stringy hair, his lips turning up in a vague smile. He looked her straight in the eye as he said it. "I love you, Callie."

To Be Continued... will Callie admit her feelings for Brandon?