Chapter Twenty-Two

Jamie:

“Dude, what the hell?” Colby yelled. “We're on the same team. Stop trying to shoot me.”

I growled in frustration. “Then get out of my way.”

“What is wrong with you?” He put his controller on the coffee table and took a sip of water.

“Are you quitting?”

“You're being an ass, so yeah.”

I heard his sister in those words and sighed. Neither of them realized how similar they really were. That thought creeped me out since I couldn't seem to get her out of my mind.

“You think the girls went to Amelia's party?” I asked for the tenth time that night.

Colby barked out a laugh. “The one place you wouldn't be welcome.”

“Can you picture Callie there?” I tried to laugh with him.

Colby succeeded where I failed, holding his stomach as he did. “Gosh no. She's probably hating every second. I'm kind of surprised she isn't back.”

“Me too.”

Colby eyed me, and I let it drop. Callie and I weren't dating. We were only having a little fun, and I knew it'd have to stop soon before anyone found out.

Colby was the closest thing I had to family. He'd been there through everything growing up. He was the only person besides Jay and his mom who knew what my dad could be like. This house was a haven, always had been, and I hoped it always would be.

Jamie Daniels didn't get feelings, and I wasn't going to start now, not with so much on the line. Because Colby was right, I'd only mess it up. That was what screw ups did and my best friend had the same opinion of me that my father did, a fact I hadn't known until he thought he was protecting his sister. It hurt, but I was used to what people thought of me by now.

The front door rattled as someone tried and failed to unlock it. There was the crash of keys on the ground, and then it rattled again before it opened.

Callie stumbled in, waving at someone behind her. “Bye,” she yelled, unable to control the volume of her voice while obviously trying not to be heard.

“It's okay, Cal,” Colby said, causing her to jump and slam her back against the wall. “Kat isn't here. She's at Noah's.”

I almost laughed at the look on her face when her eyes swung from Colby to me and back again. She opened her mouth to say something, then snapped it shut and shook her head.

Keeping one hand on the wall for balance as she kicked off her boots, she stumbled again before righting herself and walking past us into the kitchen.

Colby glanced at me, and we both followed her.

“What are you doing back?” Colby asked.

“And drunk.” I laughed.

“I'm not drunk.” I had to give her credit, she enunciated each word, so they didn't sound slurred.

“Oh, I beg to differ.” I leaned against the door-frame, folding my arms across my chest.

The look she gave me started out defiant, but turned heated as she scanned me from head to toe, taking in my cotton pajama pants and white shirt that had always been a little too tight.

Colby shifted uncomfortably, and I moved across the room to pull out a glass. Filling it at the tap, I handed it to Callie. “Drink.”

She obeyed, keeping her eyes trained on me as if she refused to look at her brother.

“How was the party?” Colby asked.

“I didn't go to a party.” Her voice rose an octave. “I was just at Morgan's like I said I would be.”

“Then why did you come home? And drunk?”

She looked around. “Don't ask me what happened, okay? Because I've had an awful lot of Tequila, and I'll tell you. Trust me, you don't want to know.”

There was a battle going on in her mind, I could tell.

“Did you kiss someone at the party?” As he said it, I watched her face. A guilty look sprang into place that cut me deep. That wasn't supposed to hurt so much. It was proof that things had gone too far with us.

“It wasn't…”

Colby cut her off, and I could've punched him. “Why did you even go?”

She stomped her foot and turned on him. “Maybe because I was invited.” A queasy grimace passed over her face and she sat down. “Contrary to what some people think, I'm not a social pariah.”

“That's not…” He ran a hand through his hair. “You know that's not what I think.”

“Do I?”

“Cal,” I stopped them both. “Just tell us what happened.”

“Fine.” She fixed her brother with a stare, still angry at him. “I found Morgan in a room with some guy,” she finally said. “They were going at it pretty heavily.”

“Crap,” I whispered.

Colby didn't respond. His expression hardened. I knew my friend. Impulsive. Unforgiving. That look meant he'd made an instant choice, and he didn't like it.

Without another word, he turned around and went back into the living room.

Callie and I stared at each other wordlessly for another moment before she pushed herself up.

“You guys made me tell.” She sighed as she walked to her room and shut the door.