CALLIE Everything felt… weird.It was the last day before winter break, and you’d think that would be the main thing on my mind—no school for a while, Christmas coming up, maybe even sleeping in for once. But there was this strange undercurrent to the day, like everyone knew something I didn’t.Bella and Sammy had been glued to me from the moment I stepped onto campus, shadowing me like personal bodyguards.Not that I didn’t love my friends, but I usually had breathing space.“I told you I’m saving up for something,” I said when they invited me before our last class. “I can’t come with you after school.”Sammy gave her a look. “You’ve been saying that for a month.”“Yeah, because I have been saving,” I said. “It’s for a gift. For Andy. Christmas is comming, and I want to give him something.”“Of course,” Sammy muttered. “Hey, I thought you approve of him now?” I chuckled. “Well,” she shrugged. “I do. Since he started bringing you food, picking you up, and somehow not breaking your
ANDY The antiseptic smell of the hospital stung the back of my nose. The hallway was quiet except for the occasional squeak of shoes against the floor. I leaned against the wall just outside the waiting area, watching Callie pace back and forth. Her mom sat a few chairs away, hands folded in her lap, expression nervous yet trying to keep herself calm. Beside her was Millie, swinging her legs and humming softly to herself, seemingly untouched by the tension. “I can feel Emil’s going to be okay,” Millie said suddenly, her little voice carrying across the space.Callie paused mid-step, looking at her sister. “You can feel it?” she asked softly.Millie nodded. “Mm-hm. I just know my twin is okay."I saw Callie’s throat bob as she swallowed. I pushed off the wall and walked toward her, catching her hands before she could start pacing again.“Hey,” I said quietly.She looked up at me, and there I saw the fear she’d been trying to hide all morning.I squeezed her hands. “He’s going to be
CALLIE Emilio was in line for the surgery.The hospital had finally set the date—this Saturday. He was on antibiotics already, his body preparing for it, and I was nervous yet thankful at the same time. I kept bouncing between thinking of all the things that could go wrong and clinging desperately to the hope that everything would go right. But that wasn’t the only thing consuming my brain.Andy… well, Andy had a switch. I don’t know how else to explain it.He likes kissing too much.He likes me too much.And it’s only been days.Days since we made it official, well, not really. He hadn’t asked me officially, but it sure felt like it. However, he acted like he has been waiting years to do everything he was doing now. The lingering glances, the texts in the middle of the day, the way he’ll find some excuse to brush his fingers against mine even if we’re standing in a crowded hallway.I can’t believe it.I keep catching myself smiling for no reason and then realizing, oh, it’s becaus
ANDY“Looks like you have a lot of explaining to do, son,” Dad said with amusement.I sighed and massaged the bridge of my nose, ignoring his comment. “Ooh, reconciliation arc!” Isla gasped, clasping her hands together.I shot her my deadliest glare. She only grinned wider.“Come on,” I muttered to Callie, ignoring both of them and grabbing her wrist gently before she could bolt.Her eyes darted to my hand, but she didn’t pull away, and I took that as my one small mercy.We stepped out into the garden. It was just after noon, so it was warmer than usual. My mom’s flowers were in full bloom—peonies, roses, foxgloves. Callie looked like she belonged here.She stood a few steps away, brushing her fingertips against the petals of a rose, her hair catching the sunlight. And all I could think was that she looked… beautiful. Too beautiful for me to mess this up again.I took a breath. “So, was it right? What I heard in there?”Her brows pulled together. “Which part?”“When did I… not come?”
CALLIE I was in the same room as Julia Johnson.Alone.I didn’t know what to do with my hands. My brain wasn’t functioning. My feet were planted, but my heart was doing laps. My mouth may or may not have been hanging open. “I’m sorry for talking to you like this,” she said gently, reaching for my hand.And just like that, I forgot how to breathe.Her fingers wrapped around mine. I stared at her, and for a second, all I could think was, This is the hand that painted dozens of iconic art pieces in the past years. Oh my god.“I didn’t just want you to stay for dessert,” she said. “I wanted to talk to you.”I pursed my lips and turned serious. “I want to tell you a little bit about Andy,” she said.My heart jumped. “Okay.”She leaned back in her chair, still holding my hand, her thumb tracing idle circles on my knuckles.“He didn’t have the greatest childhood,” she began. “Evan and I… we weren’t in a good place for a long time. And children notice these things, Callie.” I pursed my li
ANDYBeing home on a school day was unusual. It was so unusual, in fact, that both my parents kept giving me double-takes over their mugs of coffee. Isla, on the other hand, saw it as a golden opportunity to wreak havoc.“I didn’t go to school today,” she declared once I woke up at noon. “What do you mean, you didn’t go to school?” I asked, leaning over the marble kitchen island.“We need to bond,” she said, eyes sparkling with mock sincerity. “I feel neglected.”I raised a brow. “You missed me, huh?”“Oh, hell no,” she said immediately, cringing. “I just want to eavesdrop on your drama with that girl. You came home at dawn, and you wouldn’t do that just for nothing.” I ignored that part and reached for my coffee.Our conversation was cut short when I received a textI didn’t expect it to be her.“I’m outside your house.”I stood up immediately, so fast I almost knocked my chair over.Isla’s eyes brightened. “Who is it?”I didn’t answer. I was already on my way out.“Andy!” my mom