The Redemption of Callie and Kayden Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Jessica Sorensen
flinging to the side of him.
I stifle a laugh, moving my feet inward and outward, going
backward to get away from him. “I thought football players were
supposed to be coordinated.”
His lips curve into a grin and he winks at me. “On grass,
Callie. Football player don’t spend much time on ice.”
“How about a ballet studio,” I tease. “I’ve heard you guys
sometimes like to twirl around and point your toes for”—I make air
quotes and smile—“athletic purposes.”
He shakes his head, rolling his tongue into his mouth to
force back a grin. “You know, Kayden’s right about you. You can
get kind of cocky when you want to.”
My heart sinks to my stomach and Luke’s face falls. We both
stand there, immobile, and my thoughts drift to Kayden.
I stumble to the gate to sit down on a bench. “I think I need
a break. I’m not very good at this,” I say, changing the subject.
“Me neither.” Luke skates to the exit and his toe clips against
the rubber threshold as he follows me off the rink. He takes a seat
beside me on the bench and stretches his legs out in front of
himself.
For a while we just stare out at the other skaters, watching
them laugh, smile, fall, and have fun. They look like they’re having
a great time, and I envy them. I want to have fun too, but with
Kayden. I want him here with me.
“So have you heard from him?” Luke asks casually, gazing
across the ice rink.
I look at him, creasing my forehead. “Who? Kayden?”
He nods his head once without making eye contact. “Yeah.”
I blow out a breath and it puffs out in front of my face in a
cloud of grayish smoke. Even though it’s an indoor rink, it’s still as chilly as it is outside. I have my jacket and gloves on, along with
my hood over my head, and I’m still frozen to the bone. Or maybe
the cold’s from the direction the conversation’s heading.
“No,” I mutter, fastening my gaze on a young couple skating
hand in hand. They look happy and if I stare for long enough I can
change their faces into Kayden’s and mine’s. “I haven’t heard
anything except for the latest gossip from my mother.”
Luke hunches over as he reaches for the laces on one of his
skates. “And what’s the latest gossip?”
I swallow the massive lump in my throat. “That Kayden’s in a
facility under surveillance.”
He cocks his head to the side and glances up at me.
“Because they think he did it to himself?” There’s insinuation in his tone. He knows what I know: that Kayden’s dad is an evil monster
who could have stabbed his son.
I tried to talk to my mother about it, but she told me it was
none of our business. She’s angry with the Owens because Kayden
beat up Caleb. I should have told her why… I wanted to, but
sometimes wanting to isn’t enough.
When I’d finally worked the courage to go tell her, it was
right after Kayden’s mom had told me he’d cut himself. My mom
had been sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal as she
read the newspaper.
“Mom, I have to tell you something,” I said, shaking from
head to toe. I’d just walked in from outside, so I pretended it was
from that, but really it had been my nerves.
She glanced up from her cereal, holding the spoon inside the
bowl. “If it’s about Kayden, I already know.”
I sat down at the table across from her. “I know what you’ve
probably heard, but I don’t think he did it to himself.”
She stirred her cereal with the spoon and lines crinkled
around her eyes. “What are you talking about, Callie?”
“I’m talking about… I’m talking about what happened to
Kayden.” I crossed my arms on the table and balled my hands into
fists. “And why he’s in the hospital.”
The lines disappeared from around her eyes as she frowned.
“Oh, I don’t care about that. I’m talking about what he did to
Caleb.”
My heart compressed at the sound of Caleb’s name and
I stifle a laugh, moving my feet inward and outward, going
backward to get away from him. “I thought football players were
supposed to be coordinated.”
His lips curve into a grin and he winks at me. “On grass,
Callie. Football player don’t spend much time on ice.”
“How about a ballet studio,” I tease. “I’ve heard you guys
sometimes like to twirl around and point your toes for”—I make air
quotes and smile—“athletic purposes.”
He shakes his head, rolling his tongue into his mouth to
force back a grin. “You know, Kayden’s right about you. You can
get kind of cocky when you want to.”
My heart sinks to my stomach and Luke’s face falls. We both
stand there, immobile, and my thoughts drift to Kayden.
I stumble to the gate to sit down on a bench. “I think I need
a break. I’m not very good at this,” I say, changing the subject.
“Me neither.” Luke skates to the exit and his toe clips against
the rubber threshold as he follows me off the rink. He takes a seat
beside me on the bench and stretches his legs out in front of
himself.
For a while we just stare out at the other skaters, watching
them laugh, smile, fall, and have fun. They look like they’re having
a great time, and I envy them. I want to have fun too, but with
Kayden. I want him here with me.
“So have you heard from him?” Luke asks casually, gazing
across the ice rink.
I look at him, creasing my forehead. “Who? Kayden?”
He nods his head once without making eye contact. “Yeah.”
I blow out a breath and it puffs out in front of my face in a
cloud of grayish smoke. Even though it’s an indoor rink, it’s still as chilly as it is outside. I have my jacket and gloves on, along with
my hood over my head, and I’m still frozen to the bone. Or maybe
the cold’s from the direction the conversation’s heading.
“No,” I mutter, fastening my gaze on a young couple skating
hand in hand. They look happy and if I stare for long enough I can
change their faces into Kayden’s and mine’s. “I haven’t heard
anything except for the latest gossip from my mother.”
Luke hunches over as he reaches for the laces on one of his
skates. “And what’s the latest gossip?”
I swallow the massive lump in my throat. “That Kayden’s in a
facility under surveillance.”
He cocks his head to the side and glances up at me.
“Because they think he did it to himself?” There’s insinuation in his tone. He knows what I know: that Kayden’s dad is an evil monster
who could have stabbed his son.
I tried to talk to my mother about it, but she told me it was
none of our business. She’s angry with the Owens because Kayden
beat up Caleb. I should have told her why… I wanted to, but
sometimes wanting to isn’t enough.
When I’d finally worked the courage to go tell her, it was
right after Kayden’s mom had told me he’d cut himself. My mom
had been sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal as she
read the newspaper.
“Mom, I have to tell you something,” I said, shaking from
head to toe. I’d just walked in from outside, so I pretended it was
from that, but really it had been my nerves.
She glanced up from her cereal, holding the spoon inside the
bowl. “If it’s about Kayden, I already know.”
I sat down at the table across from her. “I know what you’ve
probably heard, but I don’t think he did it to himself.”
She stirred her cereal with the spoon and lines crinkled
around her eyes. “What are you talking about, Callie?”
“I’m talking about… I’m talking about what happened to
Kayden.” I crossed my arms on the table and balled my hands into
fists. “And why he’s in the hospital.”
The lines disappeared from around her eyes as she frowned.
“Oh, I don’t care about that. I’m talking about what he did to
Caleb.”
My heart compressed at the sound of Caleb’s name and