Hanging By A Moment
Hanging By A Moment
Paring: Callie/Arizona
Rating: M
A/N: Here's the next chapter! This story will be over soon. For those of you asking, yes there will be a sequel. I'm already working on it. So it will be up soon after this story is over. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for your continued support.
Chapter 15:
Arizona was on her way to the library when she ran into Aria. It's been weeks since they last saw each other; somehow Aria had been able to successfully avoid Arizona until now.
"Hey, I hear congratulations are in order." Aria said avoiding eye contact.
"Thank you." Arizona said gracefully. "Same. USC, right?"
"Right…" Aria said.
"So you're going to be all the way out in California?" Arizona asked hating that things were so incredibly awkward between them.
"Yes." Aria said. Then after a long pause, "So how's everything?"
"Good, good." Arizona said. "Tim leaves in a few weeks…we're having a going away party, you're more than welcome to come by if you want."
"Is my sister going to be there?" Aria asked.
"Aria…" Arizona said in a warning tone not wanting to get into another argument.
"I'll see if I can make it." Aria said. "Where were you going just now?"
"To the library. I still have to finish the English paper if I want to graduate." Arizona said with a chuckle.
"Mind if I come with you?" Aria asked.
"Not at all." Arizona said offering her a big smile.
"Are you ready for graduation?" Aria asked as they walked through the almost empty hallway.
"No, not yet. I'm still not sure what dress I'm going to wear." Arizona said. "What about you?"
"Yes, I already picked my dress. Emotionally, though…I'm not sure." Aria said. "I'm going to miss this place."
"Yeah, I guess I'll miss it too." Arizona said. A meaningful glance was exchanged between them. Even though this weren't fully okay or back to normal somewhere deep inside Arizona there was hope that eventually they would be.
After they were done with school Aria invited Arizona to lunch. Arizona sent a quick text to Callie to cancel the plans they had together. Arizona figured that later on whenever they had the chance to talk she would tell her all about her day and she would understand why she wanted to have lunch with Aria instead.
"Excited for Indiana?" Aria asked as she maneuvered her food to her mouth with a pair of chopsticks.
"Nervous and excited..." Arizona said.
"At least that way you'll be closer to Callie…." Aria said.
"What do you mean?" Arizona said surprised that Aria had brought up Callie's name so casually.
"Well she's moving to New York," Aria said. "New York is much closer to Indiana than Florida is."
"Huh." Arizona said not really knowing how to process this new information.
"You didn't know, did you?" Aria asked already knowing the answer.
"You know what, Aria? I just remembered a thing I forgot to do." Arizona said. "We'll… do this some other time."
Callie was just getting out of a meeting when she was able to check her phone. Arizona had been calling her incessantly, before returning the call she checked her text messages 3 of them were from Arizona asking her to meet her at their stop behind Arizona's house. Things between them were still testy since the night before, all Callie's hopes of things getting better between them faded quickly after reading those text messages.
Behind Arizona's house were an abandoned swing set where Callie and Arizona hung out from time to time whenever they wanted some time alone. Callie found Arizona sitting there alone looking somewhat upset.
"What's up, hon?" Callie greeted Arizona with a kiss that the blond barely responded to. "What's wrong?" Arizona's coldness not going unnoticed by Callie.
"I had lunch with Aria today." Arizona said as Callie sat next to her.
"That's good, right?" Callie said.
"Yes." Arizona said. "She got into USC."
"I know. I saw the letter." Callie said. She didn't mention anything to Arizona because she wasn't sure where Aria and Arizona stood so she thought it better to avoid the subject as a whole. Maybe that's why Arizona was acting so strange.
"She also told me that you were moving to New York." Arizona blurted out. "Something I had no knowledge about, I may add."
"Arizona…" Callie's whole body went cold at the sound of Arizona's words.
"So its true." Arizona said. She just had to look at Callie to know that Aria was telling the truth. "You're going away and you didn't even had the common decency to tell me about it."
"Its not like that, I swear." Callie said. "I'm not even sure I'm doing it."
"Moving?" Arizona asked.
"My dad offered me a job in New York but I'm not sure I'm taking it." Callie said. "Before coming to Miami I applied for a different job, also in New York, but I never heard back so I thought I didn't get it. But they called me last week, I still haven't made a decision, that's why I didn't tell you." Callie said trying to defend herself.
"I thought we were together, that this was serious to you." Arizona said.
"It is." Callie said. "Arizona, it is."
"You hid this from me." Arizona said. "When were you going to tell me?"
"I don't know." Callie said regretfully.
"I-I can't even look at you right now." Arizona said standing up, feeling a pressing need to get as far away from Callie as possible.
"Just let me explain!" Callie said standing up after Arizona.
"I just need to know one thing." Arizona said.
"What's that?" Callie asked.
"These jobs…you knew about them before we happened?" Arizona asked looking Callie deep in the eyes as if to detect a lie.
"Arizona…just let me explain." Callie said.
"No." Arizona said. "I don't need to hear anything more." Arizona felt her eyes quickly tearing up. "This was nice. While it lasted, it was nice."
"Don't do this." Callie said. "Please just let me explain. Let's talk about this." She almost pleaded.
"There's nothing else to explain, Calliope." Arizona said. "You lied to me."
"I've never lied to you." Callie said.
"No. You hid things from me which is worse." Arizona said. "You knew from the start that you were never staying and yet you strung me along."
"That's unfair." Callie said. "Just calm down, okay? Let's talk calmly about this."
"I don't want to talk to you, I don even want to look at you!" Arizona said.
"Arizona…" Callie said reaching for Arizona's arm.
"Don't touch me." Arizona said suddenly pulling away from Callie.
"I love you." Callie said eyes pleading. "Please, don't do this."
"Don't say that." Arizona said. They stood there just staring at each other without exchanging any words.
"Do you want me to leave?" Callie asked.
"Yes." Arizona said without hesitation.
"Okay." Callie said sadly.
As she started walking away a part of Arizona wanted to shout at her to stop, to come back, to take back what she said. But she didn't. Callie walked away and deep inside her, Arizona knew that something broke between them that afternoon, something that the instant she lost it, she wanted it back.
That night Callie ended up at a bar. The conversation with Arizona kept playing in her mind over and over again. She couldn't bear to go to her house; she didn't want to talk to anyone about what happened between her and Arizona. Talking with someone about it would make it real for her and she wasn't ready for it to be real, she wasn't ready to face that it was over yet.
"Hi." A cute brunette who had been sitting next to Callie for a while said.
"Hey." Callie said distractedly.
"Y-you come here a lot." The cute brunette said clumsily.
"Not really." Callie said.
"I'm Dani." The brunette said extending her hand towards Callie.
"Callie." She said shaking Dani's hand. For the first time Callie took a good look at Dani. She was on the short side with an average built and long black hair that really framed her features.
"So what are you drinking, Callie?" Dani asked.
"Tequila." Callie said dryly.
"Rough day?" Dani asked trying to make conversation.
"You could say that…" Callie said.
"Been there." Dani said.
"What about?" Callie asked. At Dani's confused look she added, "Its been a rough day for you too?"
"It was…but then I saw you." Dani said with a charming smile.
"Does ever work?" Callie said with a few chuckles.
"Sort of…is it working now?" Dani asked.
"Sort of…" Callie said with a shrug.
"Tell me something, is Callie short for something?" Dani asked.
"No. Not really." Callie said. "Is Dani short for something?" She asked even though she wasn't particularly interested.
"Daniela." Dani replied.
"You're Hispanic?" Callie asked.
"Yes. Colombian." Dani said.
"Cuban." Callie said pointing to herself.
"I figured." Dani said.
"How come?" Callie asked curious.
"Cuban women are irresistibly attractive." Dani said.
"Is that another line?" Callie asked. "Cause I bet that one works like a dream."
"Is it working right now?" Dani asked as Callie downed the rest of her shot of tequila.
"Wanna get out of here?" Callie asked standing up from the barstool.
"Lead the way." Dani said standing up after Callie.
Callie took Dani's hand leading her out of the bar and into her car.