Read Online The Redemption of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen - Free Book Online

the conversation with
    caution. “Has he ever hit anyone in your family?”

    It is the perfect opportunity to tell him everything: about my
    life, about the pain, about the unworthiness. But it feels like
    betrayal and I realize that I’m basically my father’s puppet. It’s a
    terrifying and confusing conclusion, like the strings that attach me
    to him have wound into knots. “I-I don’t know.”

    “You don’t know?” He’s skeptical. “Are you sure?”

    I nod my head as I stare at the floor in front of me. There’s a
    pink stain on it and a lot of the linoleum is cracked and chipped. “I really don’t know.”

    He evaluates me, then takes a card out of his front pocket
    and extends his hand toward me with it between his fingers. “I
    want to see you first thing Monday. My office address is on the
    back.” He flips over the card and shows me where the address is
    written in his handwriting. “My number’s also on the front. If you
    ever need to talk about anything, you can call me anytime.”

    I take the card, realizing that committing to his request
    means committing to more than just a visit. It means opening up
    doors I nailed shut a long time ago and facing all the demons I
    locked inside. It means telling him everything, even about my dad.
    And then what? What if I actually do? Then what happens to my
    family? My mother? My father? Do I care? I don’t know. I don’t
    know anything. I think I’m the most fucked-up, confused person
    who’s ever lived.

    Doug drags the chair back to the corner and then tucks his
    notebook underneath his arm as he heads for the door. “I want
    you to see you a few times over Christmas break, and then we’ll
    find you a therapist to talk to in Laramie when you go back to
    college.”

    A measured breath eases from my lips as I clench my hand
    around his card and bend it in half. I get a paper cut and it
    momentarily stills the stirring inside me. “What if I don’t want to?”

    He offers me a positive smile. “You do, otherwise you would
    have just said no.”

    I don’t say anything and it’s a silent agreement. I’ll see a
    shrink in Laramie. That is if I make it back to school.

    Shit. I’m suddenly reminded of the bigger picture. I have
    more problems than just dealing with my father. How the hell am I
    going to get out of that mess? Let my father buy Caleb off? Then
    what? I owe my father for life? And carry his secrets—our family’s
    secrets forever.

    Doug exits the room and I let my head fall into my hands. I
    drag my fingers through my hair roughly and pull hard on the
    roots. For once, I wish that things were easy. That I could relax.
    Breathe.

    Really, what I wish for is Callie.
    Callie

    I wake up early the next morning, before the sun has
    completely risen over the curves of the mountains. I slept terribly
    last night, tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable. I kept
    having this dream where I’d run into Kayden’s house and find
    blood on the floor and knives, but he wasn’t there. I searched the
    whole house but all I kept finding were piles and piles of leaves. I
    woke up dripping in sweat and ended up throwing up in the
    bathroom.

    I lie awake in bed, and Seth is snoring next to me, content in
    his sleep. I listen to him breathe until I can’t sit still any longer and then get up and grab my notebook from my bag. I take a seat in
    the makeshift windowsill that looks out at the snowy driveway. My
    mom’s car is buried in a foot of snow and my dad’s truck has
    chains on the tires.

    I pull my knees up and station the notebook on them before
    pressing the tip of the pen to the paper.

    I dream that I get to have cake before Caleb takes me into
    my room. When I blow out the candles and make a wish, I wish to
    have the happiest and best birthday in the world and the wish
    comes true. Caleb never shows up that day to hang out with my
    brother, and I get to play hide-and-go seek outside with the other
    kids. I rip open paper and