A Bird in Flight | ✔︎

Chapter eight: One night stand?

Callan

SHE TOOK MY BREATH away the moment her eyes sought mine in the spa. Add that to our little word games and kissing underwater and I'm in Goddamn heaven.

The world is spinning in circles around me as I drag her into a spare bedroom upstairs. She kicks the door closed with her heel and locks it.

"Safety first," she grins, her face coming in and out of focus.

"You lock me in an' I'll sue ya," I say, the words falling from my mouth in a jumbled mess.

She hooks her legs around my waist, shoving me in the chest so I sprawl out across the soft bed, pinned underneath her knees digging into my ribcage.

"Ouchie," I whine feeling my ribs pulse in pain.

She grins triumphantly, flicking her long auburn hair over her shoulder. "I win."

My mouth falls open in mock surprise. "Princess I think—thought—you don't play games."

Ensley sniggers, shifting her position on top of me, so both her legs are positioned on either side of me. Holy shit, Ensley Steed is straddling me. "Oh, baby, I've been raised not to play by the rules. In fact, I've even been encouraged to brake them." She leaves a trail of hot kisses down my jawline, her wet tongue flicking at my neck. I'm suddenly aware of the tightness of my jeans and how hot my skin feels against my clothes

"Jeez, babe." I lift my head, taking my hands out from underneath her clothes and wrapping them around her neck. Yanking her down on me, her breasts pressing heavily against my chest. I suck on her neck, my eyes closed, my heart throbbing and she lets out a whimper.

"Unbutton me shite—shirt," I command, grinning as her cheeks turn pink.

"Give me a minute," Ensley says and before I can do anything her hand slips away beneath the waistband of my jeans.

"Shit!" My body quivers with excitement at her cold touch. Sliding my hands underneath her shirt, I trace the outline of her bra before quickly sneaking underneath it. Making small circles with my thumbs over her nipples, I lift one leg and push it between her two thighs.

I feel like my dads been holding my head underwater for my whole life and today, right now, I've risen to the surface and taken my first breath of fresh air. I dissolve into her and for a moment there, I am whole, unbroken. For a moment my past hasn't wounded me.

"Kiss me, Beckett," she begs, her voice cracking, her hand moving faster underneath my pants, back arching slightly.

Her hands still on me, my hands still on her, our lips meet in the middle. Ensley moans into my mouth and taking the opportunity I slide my  tongue into her mouth.

"Shit," I groan. "Ya makin' me fucking crazy, Princess."

She laughs. "Good."

* * * *

Ensley

Callan has an arm draped over my shoulder and my head is tucked underneath his chin. I grin to myself, recalling all my fantasies about Callan Beckett. How we'd sit together on a sandy beach and hook up underneath the moonlight and he'd feed me sandwiches with his fingers and I would brush his hair from his face and tell him how I loved him. For the first time ever, reality is so much better than my fantasies.

I snuggle closer, wondering when he wakes up if he'll be mad and assume I 'took advantage' of him. I doubt it. I'm sure his had more than one heavy make out session crazy drunk. My chest aches at the thought.

"No!" Callan suddenly cries out, his body trembling against mine. "No! Stop it! Please! It hurts! Mom, help me!" Howling and sounding close to tears, he thrashes around wildly, as though fighting an invisible monster.

"Callan! Wake up!" I shake his shoulder, trying to get him to come back into the present. "It's just a nightmare. Callan!"

Callan lurches to his feet, a frantic, wild look in his normal cocky, calm and confident eyes. I scramble to my feet, trying to swallow my fear as those same eyes narrow on mine. Heat creeps into my cheeks.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he barks, stepping right into my face.

"Excuse me?" For a second I think I must have heard him wrong. "What do you mean? Last night..."

He laughs. Taunting. "What? You think you can stay with me? You think just because we had a little make out session I am suddenly yours? You don't own me, sweetheart. Nobody owns me."

"I-I don't understand," I say in a broken whisper.

He lifts his middle finger up to me, leering  into my face. "Fuck off."

"Fuck you!" I scream, feeling the sting of tears rising in the backs of my eyes.

He smirks, face set in stone. Cold. Cruel. I've never seen this side of Callan before. "You're plain, honey. You're a boring nobody and to be honest if that psycho chucked you over that bridge, I doubt anyone would notice." His mouth spews out words so hateful, I barely know how to comprehend them.

Tears coursing down my cheeks, I collect my purse from the floor. "Oh, Callan, stop pretending you're such a big boy. I heard you whimpering, I heard you crying out for Mommy. You're a fucking baby."

Emerald eyes on fire, the sneering tone gone, I try not to cower from his furious gaze and intimidating figure. "Get. The. Fuck. Out."

I smirk at him and say in a mock baby voice, "Naw, did that strike a nerve, sweetheart?"

Towering over me now, I sense the impending violence. Grabbing both my shoulders, he whirls me around and marches towards the door.

"Open it!" he yells.

"No. You can't tell me what to do."

"Thought I just did. Now open the damn door or I'll make you."

I hiss with anger at the implied threat.  "What were your nightmares about, Callan? Was it about Mommy and Daddy; the perfect family? Or was it when you got mugged? When that guy dragged the knife down your face?"

"Don't you fucking—!" he begins but I wrench the door open and immediately he slams the palms of his hands against my back, shoving me out onto the wide corridor and sending me sprawling.

"I hate you, Callan!" I shout, twisting around to face him.

He rolls his eyes and says, "Ta ta, sweetheart." Then slams the door right in my face.

It takes a few minutes for me to gather the shit-storm inside my mind. Thankfully the house is big and nobody walks past to see my shame.

Eventually I rise to my feet, tears flowing faster than before as the reality of it all crashes down on me.

I will never be able to un-hear those angry words he hurled at me. He wanted me to hurt. He wanted to degrade me and see my tears. And I gave him exactly what he wanted. He got to toy and play with me last night and he got to see me cry and loose my shit this morning. Well, I'm not letting him take anything else from me.

I'm done with Callan Beckett.

"Ta ta, Callan," I whisper underneath my breath before rushing through the house and downstairs.

Maddox catches my eye when I speed through the doorway and he blinks, frozen in shock, as though I've gone crazy.

I don't blame him. I am crazy. Crazy to fall into the Callan Beckett trap that so many other girls have been caught in. Crazy to think that just because he did one decent thing to me it meant he was never going to be a complete asshole. Crazy to think that he would change for me—an unpopular weird freak.

I'm late to school and I'm an emotional wreck; I should just go home and calm down. But then I remember what's due today and I decide against it. I'm not going to let Callan Beckett hold me down any longer.

Ta ta, sweetheart.