Callie and Lexi's Kiss List | ✓

12: Callie

Oops... finger slipped on the publish button ;D

You guys weren't keen enough on the last chapter end so I figured I'd up the ante while the week passes...

Shout out to jueka1 , amiva0402 , and brightyeolie for your amazing engagement last chapter. Some interesting theories of what's going on here happening in the comments ;) 

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"Nope," I said again, turning away from him.

"You can't just keep 'noping' me," Flynn replied.

"I can and I will." I was glad at that moment that we were safe in the confines of the dark cubby, otherwise I was sure Flynn would be making fun of the crimson state of my cheeks.

"Callie," he complained, poking a finger into my arm as I continued avoid eye contact.

"Nope," I said for the umpteenth time.

"Why won't you tell me? I just told you all of these burdens I carry—"

"I didn't ask you to," I said a little too quickly, a little too harshly. And I regretted it instantly as I watched the Flynn grin ever so slowly drop from his face.

His jaw clenched and the final sparkle disappeared from his eye. "Okay. I'm sorry for bothering you, Callie." He moved my prosthetic back to where I originally had it when he entered the cubby and began to crawl out.

My heart began to race as I realised he was leaving. My eyes had a slight prickle to them as I came to terms with the fact that my snappy attitude was distancing the one person who has ever tried to get close to me since I lost my leg. So I breathed, "Don't go."

Flynn paused before he made it out of the cubby, glancing back over his shoulder. We stared at each other for an immeasurable amount of time—me not sure what else I should say and him trying to read my expression. Eventually he sighed and moved back into the cubby, taking his rightful place next to me once more.

We sat there quietly, the silence becoming increasingly loud, but this time he seemed determined to not talk until I did.

I ran through the best way to phrase it over and over again in my mind, realising it was going to sound stupid and ridiculous and childish no matter how I put it. And while I knew at this point, even if he did laugh at me, Flynn would never spread rumours, I was still scared of his reaction that would inevitably follow. So I said, "It's just... really embarrassing."

"Are you scared I'll make fun of you?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"I won't... I can't promise I won't laugh if I find it funny. But I promise I won't tease you, Callie. And, it should go without saying, but what we discuss in this cubby stays between us."

"I..." I started, but immediately lost the words that followed. After opening and closing my mouth a couple more times, running through the sentences I could possibly say through my head, I finally took a deep breath and blurted, "Lexi and I wrote a list when we were kids of all the boys we would kiss when we got to high school and she found it when she got back and decided to dare me to do it with her."

I could feel it. Feel the heat encompassing my face like flames licking my skin. I could hear the hammering of my heart in my chest—a noise so loud I wondered if Flynn could hear it too. Nevertheless, I couldn't bring myself to look at him and see the evident grin that would be plastered there. Because nope.