Mistakes I’ve Made by Jordan Marie
14Callie
“When were you going to tell me that you were going to the prom with my brother?” Reed growls. I lift my gaze away from the table, to look at the man who has decimated me and doesn’t even know it.
My fault.
Still, in the middle of my self-blaming and misery is this other emotion. Anger. Of all the girls he could fool around with, Chasity feels like the biggest betrayal. It’s not that he’s seeking out a relationship—or even falling in love. He’s just looking for someone to screw. He’s also doing it in a way that will hurt his brother. I remember the rivalry I felt between them when I first got to Texas. That’s the main reason I told Reed I only wanted to be friends. I didn’t want to be a casualty of some war they have going on.
I guess he found someone to replace me with.
“Well?” he demands when I don’t answer fast enough to suit him.
“I didn’t know my girl had to answer to you, Reed,” Katie says, instantly taking up for me. God, I love her.
“Stay out of this, Katie.”
“Stop telling Katie what to do,” I bark. “She’s my best friend. She has a right to take up for me any time, because that’s what friends do.”
“That’s rich. I thought we were friends, Callie. Isn’t that the shit you kept shoveling my way? Is this how you handle friendship? You know how I feel about Mitch getting around you and what the fuck do you do?”
“Oh, I know how you feel about your brother, Reed,” I snap, having enough of being his dumping ground. This might be my fault, but the fallout is not. That’s all on him.
“Apparently not. If you did and you valued our friendship at all, you wouldn’t go to the prom with him.”
“I have no idea what in the hell you are talking about.”
“Yeah, sure. You are not allowed to go to the prom with Mitch. I forbid it.”
“Oh shit,” Katie murmurs.
“You what?” I squeak, feeling like my head might just explode.
“You heard me. I forbid you to date my brother. If you’re that desperate for a prom date, go with another one of the guys you keep on the string as your friend. God knows there’s a lot of us just waiting for Callie Street to give us a shot.”
“You can’t forbid me to do anything, Reed Lane. I can do whatever in the hell I want to. I wasn’t the one with a prom date here, but because you’ve been so nice about telling me what I can do and can’t do, I tell you what I’m going to do—”
“Callie—”
“I’m going with Mitch to the prom and anywhere in the hell I want to go with him, and do you know why, Reed?”
“Because you’re a bitch?” he snarls. My body jerks from the verbal blow. Right now, he sounds so much like my father that I can’t catch my breath. I can’t think logically. I can only reel from the pain and react from my gut—which I do. I haul off and slap the hell out of him. The sound echoes around us, but it doesn’t give me any satisfaction. Tears are stinging my eyes, burning in their intensity. I feel like I can’t breathe. He goes quiet, stunned—looking at me. I stare back, taking him in one last time, unable to believe any of this. Then, I take off running. “Callie!” Reed yells, but I ignore him and just run harder.
I don’t stop until I make it back inside and in the girl’s bathroom. Luckily, it’s empty when I’m inside. I can’t be sure that Reed won’t follow me in. There’s no lock, so I allow myself to sink down to the floor, my back pressed against the door—as if to hold him back. I sob, tears flowing down my face, and I try my best to drag air into my lungs. They burn from the exertion—as if I’ve been running a marathon.
“Callie, answer me!” Reed yells moments later. “Open this damn door!” he demands as his fist pounds on the metal door, jarring my body. I can’t talk, the sobs are so intense. Yet, even if I could, I wouldn’t answer him. I’m done. “Callie, damn it, you open this door or I’m coming in to get you.”
“Have we got a problem Mr. Lane?” I hear the principal ask. I don’t hear what Reed says in return. My heart is thundering too loudly. Yet, I notice that the voices are getting quieter and quieter. It’s then I realize that Reed is being led away. I’m thankful. I don’t want to see him right now. It’s not going to be easy, but I need to avoid Reed for a while—at least until I get my head straight.