The Coincidence 06 The Resolution of Callie & Kayden (22 page)

‘This entire time?’

He unzips the bag. ‘Yeah, I was watching you write.’

‘That sounds super boring.’ I lie down in the bed and turn on my side to face him.

‘Actually, it was super entertaining.’ He grabs something from his bag, flips on a lamp nearby, and then turns to me. There’s a small, silver box in his hand and a sparkle in his eyes. ‘Merry Christmas.’ He gives me the box as he lies back down beside me.

I wait a moment or two, trying not to think too hard about what’s in it. Finally, I just open it.

Then I stop breathing.

‘Oh my God, you didn’t have to do this …’ I whisper in awe.

‘I know I didn’t,’ Kayden says, watching me with a smile on his face, ‘but I wanted to.’

Inside the box is probably one of the coolest necklaces I’ve seen. It’s in no way traditional, which makes me love it even more. The silver pendant is shaped like a book, and when I pick it up, I noticed it’s engraved on the front with
By Callie Lawrence.
It also opens up like a locket but the inside is blank, like fresh pages ready to be stained with a story.

‘Do you like it?’ he finally asks and I realize that beneath his grin, he’s waiting for my approval.

‘It’s perfect,’ I say then lean over to kiss him.

‘Good,’ he says between kisses. ‘I’m glad you like it. It’s for when you write your story. To show I believe in you.’

I almost start crying right there. ‘I love it.’ I put the necklace on, promising to never take it off. Then I lie down and snuggle against him beneath the covers, feeling more content than I ever have.

I’m about to fall asleep when he asks, ‘Can I read it now?’

My eyelids lift open. ‘Read what?’

‘Your story,’ he says with a lopsided grin as he stares down at me expectantly. ‘I saw you type “The End.”’

I suddenly get nervous and my palms get so sweaty I have to wipe them off on the front of my shirt. ‘You want to read it right now?’

He nods enthusiastically. ‘I do.’

‘Um … okay.’ I turn over and reach for my laptop, feeling even more anxious. I hope he likes it, hope he understands it, because really, he’s half the story.

And one of the most important parts.

He tells me I can go to sleep while he reads it, but there’s no way I can shut my eyes. So I end up lying there, staring at all the patches in the ceiling until he finishes. I know the exact moment he does because I can hear his breathing quicken. Then he sets the laptop aside and rolls over to me. He just stares at me and I can’t read him at all.

‘So what’d you think?’ I ask, aiming for indifferent but ending up sounding like a bundle of nerves.

He’s silent for forever, each second passing almost painfully slow. ‘I think it’s beautiful and meaningful and real,’ he finally says, his tone radiating every emotion he’s feeling. ‘Although, I’m pretty sure ours gets a happily ever after.’

‘You think so?’ I ask with a soft smile. ‘Because that’s a big promise.’

His smile reflects mine. ‘No, I know so.’

And then he kisses me.

But this isn’t the end of our story just yet.

In fact, it kind of feels like the beginning.

It’s the last game of the season and I’m feeling pretty good. Things have been amazing with Callie and I’ve been focusing on the future instead of the past. It’s been that way for the last month, ever since I said my goodbye. I’m not happy all the time, though, but then again no one ever is. I still feel the slightest bit of guilt and sadness whenever I think of my father and how it all ended, but that happens very rarely.

What almost always happens is that I’m happy, not just with Callie and mine’s relationship, but with myself. It took me forever to get to this place, to let go, but I’ve managed to find my own form of inner peace with all that happened to me. And I can honestly say that my life is great at the moment.

Right now, I’m fucking amped up, though, as I get ready to make the last play of the game. If we don’t make it, we lose, but I’m not betting on us losing, In fact, I can feel it in the air, in the hollers of the crowd, in the lights that are so fucking bright it’s blinding. From the fucking way that I’m loving every minute of this.

My team is lined up and I’m hunched over, waiting for the snap. My heart is thudding, my skin damp with sweat, my feet ready. And my mind …

Is silent.

I hear everything. From the sound of the footsteps, to my coach shouting something on the sidelines. I can also hear my own voice.

You can do it.

I know I can.

My heart slams against my chest as the ball is snapped in my directions. My fingers perfectly wrap around it and then I’m running back, looking for the perfect throw. But then I realize there’s no perfect through, but a close one. So I spring my arm back and let the ball slip from my fingers and soar away.

I let it all soar away as I breathe freely for the first time, waiting for it to happen.

The ball climbs higher and so does my pulse. I swear the crowd is holding their breaths, but maybe that’s because I’m holding mine as I watch the ball reach its peak and then drop.

It drops.

And drops.

And drops.

Then it lands perfectly in the receiver’s hands.

Perfect.

Touchdown!

The crowd starts cheering and so do my teammates as we win the game. And this time I join them, cheering and happy as I look up at the crowd where I know Callie is watching me with pride. But only part of my celebration is because I kicked ass and played my heart out. The other part is because I’ve finally left my inner demons behind and found my love for the game.

Life is great. Not perfect, but life never is. But perfection would be boring anyway. For the most part, things are good, though. Kayden and I are still living together, and plan to stay that way for a while. Our walls are covered in photos of us as a couple, with family, with friends. It shows how whole our lives are and how far we’ve both come.

There’s been a lot of talk about him getting drafted next year, though, and we did have the talk even though it’s early. It only took us like two minutes of him laying out all the reasons why he needs me to come with him if he leaves Laramie, and it took me like half a second to sputter that I’d follow him anywhere, that I can write anywhere since that’s what I’ve been doing and plan to keep doing. That a life without him would be a sad life I never want to have.

We have a little routine now where we alternate holidays between my parents’ house and his brother’s in Virginia. I got to meet a sober Tyler about six months ago and that was nice. And Kayden hasn’t cut himself in just over a year. The sadness in his eyes is gone, except for on occasion, like when he gets a random call from his mother. He never answers her, though, or calls her back, and her voicemails are anything but persuading.

But other than the occasional sadness and silly fights, Kayden and I are going strong. He tells me every day that he loves me and I tell him every day how important he is to me. Our happy after is working quite well for us and seems to only get better in time. It makes me excited for what the future holds – our future. Makes me excited that we have a future.

‘Writing again, I see,’ Seth interrupts my thoughts as he strolls into my living room without even knocking. He doesn’t bother to shut the door either, even though it’s freezing outside and a light gust of snow blows in.

‘What if I hadn’t been dressed?’ I joke, closing my journal. It’s filled with so many pages of my pen that ink is seriously starting to stain the edges.

He rolls his eyes. ‘Yeah, right. You would never be naked in your living room.’ He pauses then gets this scandalous look on his face. ‘I, on the other hand, make it a daily ritual.’

Now I’m the one rolling my eyes. ‘Oh, whatever.’ I toss the journal on the coffee table as I get to my feet. ‘So are you going to shut the door or are you trying to add to my heating bill?’ I grin at him.

He shakes his head, but is amused. ‘Actually, it’s time to go to the game.’

My forehead creases as I glance at the time on my phone. ‘But it’s super early.’ Like hours early.

‘I know,’ he says, picking up my coat from the armrest and tossing it to me, ‘but I was instructed to take you there early.’

‘By who?’ I ask as I slip my arms through the sleeves of my coat and zip it up.

‘It’s a secret.’ Then he winks at me and heads out the door, leaving me utterly confused.

I follow him outside, locking the door before I trot down the stairs behind him. There’s a light frost on the ground and the air is nipping, but the sun is shining and the reflection of it against the snow makes everything sparkle. I can’t help but breathe in the magicalness of the air before getting into the car.

Seth’s grinning by the time I shut the door as he starts up the engine and then backs out.

‘You’re acting weird,’ I tell him as I buckle my seatbelt. ‘What’s up?’

He shrugs as he turns the steering wheel and we head toward the street. ‘Nothing.’

I know Seth enough to know that he’s lying. ‘You’re so full of it. What’s going on …? Why are you taking me early?’

‘It’s a surprise,’ he says, pulling out onto the street.

‘Please, pretty please, tell me,’ I beg with my hands clasped in front of me.

He shakes his head. ‘No way. Not this time.’

‘I won’t tell anyone.’

‘It doesn’t matter, Callie. I’d be mad at myself if I ruined this one for you.’

I pout as I slump back in the seat. ‘Oh, fine. I’ll play along.’ I fiddle with the stereo until I find a good song then I try to relax, but as we pass by a bookstore something dawns on me.

‘Oh, crap.’ I put a hand to the base of my neck. ‘I forgot my necklace.’ It’s the one Kayden gave me for Christmas that has a book pendant with my name on it.

‘You’ll be fine for one game, Callie,’ Seth brushes me off.

‘No way. We have to go back. It brings him good luck whenever I wear it.’

Seth chuckles as he turns off the main road toward the shiny, steel stadium. ‘You two and your superstition.’

‘It’s not a superstition,’ I say, which isn’t quite the truth, but Kayden says that whenever I wear it, it brings him good luck when he plays. Growing up with a father for a football coach, I know enough to tolerate these superstitions.

‘Relax, Callie,’ Seth tells me as he parks the car near the entrance of the stadium. ‘I have your necklace.’

‘Why do you have it?’ I wonder.

There’s a pause and I feel the shift in the air. Something’s happening. Something important.

Seth looks like he’s about to cry as he reaches over, takes my hand, turns it palm up, and drops the necklace into it. ‘Don’t look at it until you get into the stadium.’ He closes my fingers around it then sits back in his seat. ‘Now go.’

I glance down at my hand and then to the stadium, knowing without really knowing that something magical is about to happen. Unable to form words, I get out of the car and make my journey toward the stadium with the necklace clutched in my hand. The security asks my name then lets me through when I tell him.

I walk down the tunnel and onto the field, smiling when I remember the night Kayden took me here over two years ago to play catch. And to make out pressed up against the field post. It seems smaller this time, though, less overwhelming. Honestly, I feel like I kind of belong here.

The feeling only amplifies when Kayden emerges from behind me. I take in his brown hair hanging in his gorgeous eyes I swear can read my soul now. And his lean arms and broad shoulders that hold me whenever I feel sad. He’s dressed not in his uniform but in jeans, boots, and his coat, which I find a little odd.

‘Hey, you made it,’ he says as he casually walks toward me, like this isn’t at all weird.

‘Yeah, but I’m wondering why I needed to make it,’ I say with suspicion, tipping my head back to look up at him as he reaches me. ‘I’m guessing you and Seth have something major planned, though, since the two of you never plot together unless it’s something epic.’

‘Oh, it’s definitely epic,’ he says in a cocky tone, but his eyes reveal otherwise. He’s nervous and that makes me nervous.

‘Okay …?’ My fingers tighten around the necklace. ‘Would you like to share with me what this epicness is?’

He nods, but swallows hard, his skin suddenly paling. ‘A-actually,’ he starts to stammer, but then clears his throat and shakes his head at himself. ‘Okay, let me try
that
again.’ We both laugh, but not because this is funny – because we’re nervous.

‘Do you remember the last time you and I were out here?’ he asks, motioning at the field and the bleachers enclosing it.

I nod. ‘Yeah, I kicked your ass at catch.’

He laughs, his eyes bright, but his nerves still there. ‘You did, didn’t you?’ He pauses, tugging his fingers through his hair. ‘Well, I thought I’d bring you back here so we could relive another good past memory since we haven’t done this one before.’

Is that what this is about? ‘You want to play catch again?’

He shakes his head. ‘No, I want to ask you something.’

‘Okay …?’ I’m so confused.

And he’s looking paler by the second.

‘Do you have your necklace?’ he asks, his voice almost as soft as a whisper.

I nod then open my hand. ‘Yeah, Seth told me not to look at it until I got to the stadium.’ There’s a pause and then he nervously waits for me to catch on. ‘Oh, right.’ I laugh at myself as I look down at the book pendant in my hand.

And then I see it.

What all of this is about?

‘By Callie Lawrence-Owens,’ I read aloud, sounding more nervous than him.

‘Open it.’ This time, he does whisper.

With trembling fingers, I fumble with the clasp and finally get it open. The pages are no longer blank. They are filled with the promise of a story. And it’s the most amazing story ever.