The Redemption of Callie & Kayden

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 wanted to scream at her for saying that. “That wasn’t his fault.”
    She shook her head and grabbed her bowl as she stood up. “Look, I know you care about him, Callie, but he’s obviously got a temper on him.” She walked over to the sink and put the bowl in it. “You need to stay away from him.”
    I pushed back from the table and my knees shook. “No.”
    She turned around and the iciness in her eyes reminded me of why I couldn’t tell her stuff—because she only ever looked at stuff from her own point of view. “Callie Lawrence, you will not talk to me that way.”
    I shook my head, backing toward the door. “I’ll talk to you like this when you’re wrong.”
    Her eyes widened, shocked. I’d never talked to her like that before. “What is wrong with you? Is it because you’ve been hanging around Kayden? I bet it is.”
    “A few weeks ago you were so happy we were together,” I said, gripping the doorknob.
    “That’s before I knew what he was capable of,” she said. “I don’t want you hanging out with him. And besides, you should be on Caleb’s side in all of this. He’s been part of this family for longer.”
    A cold, yet hot wave of anger ripped from my toes and rushed to my mouth. “You don’t even know the whole story! And you don’t care enough to ask!” I wasn’t sure what I was referring to anymore but I didn’t stay long enough to find out. I jerked the back door open and ran outside into the snow.
    She didn’t follow me and I wasn’t surprised. I’d never expect anything more from her.
    “Earth to Callie.” Luke waves a hand in front of my face and I flinch. “Did you hear what I asked? About Kayden?”
    “Yeah.” I press my