From the New York Times bestselling author of The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden comes an emotional new story about two troubled souls sharing one all-encompassing love . . .
THE REDEMPTION OF CALLIE & KAYDEN
The dark secret Kayden has kept hidden for years is finally out. Worse, he's facing charges for battery. The only way to clear his name is for Callie to speak up-something he'll never ask her to do. Instead, he'll do whatever he must to protect her . . . even if it means letting go of the only girl he's ever loved.
Callie knows Kayden is going back to his dark place and desperately wants to save him. But that means facing her greatest fear and admitting her own painful secrets aloud. The thought of breaking her silence terrifies her-but not as much as the thought of losing Kayden forever.
Deep in her heart, Callie knows the time has come for her and Kayden to forget the pain of the past. With the help of her friends Seth and Luke she makes a plan to show Kayden the life they could have. But can she convince him they can make a fresh start together-or is she already too late?
TEASER
“I think you’re going back a little too far,” Luke argues as he reaches over me and flips open the glove box. It’s early in the morning, the sun is kissing the iced land, and the highway is a hazard from last night’s storm so we have to drive slowly. “Back to the 8-track era.”
Seth slaps his hand away from the glove box and Luke looks at me in disbelief, but I just laugh. “No, 8-tracks were still in play in the eighties.”
“Early eighties,” Luke corrects. “They faded out by mid-decade.”
I laugh because their fighting over something so ridiculous and I’m tired and nervous and my head’s in a very strange place. “You guys are fighting like an old married couple.” As soon as I say it, I want to take it back, because I’m not sure how Luke will take it.
When I look at Luke, he seems perfectly fine. He shrugs and then sticks his hand into the glove box and pulls out a tape labeled Let’s Get High. “Whatever,” he says and then feeds the tape player the tape. “As long as I’m the guy in the relationship it’s all good.”
Seth rolls his eyes. “Whatever, you’d totally be my bitch and you know it.”
That’s it. I can’t hold it in any longer. My body falls forward as I cover my mouth and my shoulders shake as I laugh into my hand. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Yes, you can,” Seth says as he pats my back. “I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t say the first thing that pops into my head.”
He’s right. Seth is blunt and funny and totally says whatever the hell he wants. And I love him for it. I sit up, wiping the tears from my eyes and then give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for making me smile,” I say.
He grins. “Anytime sweetheart.”
Luke shakes his head, but there’s a grin on his face so I know he’s not offend. I like Luke. He’s not judgmental and he seems accepting. I almost lean over to hug him and then realize how weird it is because it doesn’t freak me out. What does that mean? Crap. What does that mean?
“Come On Eilleen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners blast out from the speakers.
“This is so eighties,” Seth says as he begins snapping his fingers and bobbing his head. He really starts to get into it, shaking his hips and shimmying frontward and backward. “Come one, Callie, you know you want to dance. It’ll make you smile even more.”
I shake my head, but grin from ear-to-ear. “No way.”
Cold air fills the cab and seconds later the smell of cigarette smoke overlaps it. Seth keeps dancing as he reaches into the pocket of his hoodie and takes out is pack of cigarettes. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Luke bobbing his head as he sucks on the end of his cigarette and takes a long drag, then puffs it out. Seth starts shaking his hips crazily as he flicks the end of his lighter and puts it up to the tip of the cigarette. The paper curls in and turns black as he takes a long drag. The car starts rocking as the chorus comes on and both the guys really start getting into it. My lungs burn against the smoke and the cold air chills my skin. I experience almost every single detail of the moment and I decide to experience it all.
“Oh fine, what the hell.” I start lifting my shoulders up and down to the rhythm and Seth grins at me.
“That’s my girl,” he says and blows out a breath of smoke.
We both start doing this funny jiving thing with our hands and Luke laughs as he cranks up the music. When the chorus hits again we all take a deep breath and belt out the lyrics at the top of our lungs. I raise my hands up in the air above my head and shut my eyes. It’ll be all right. It’ll be all right. Kayden will be alright.
Because I’m here, dancing, smiling, and sitting between two guys. And if that can happen then anything’s possible.
