The Redemption of Callie and Kayden

you’re friends with Luke and you’re going to find out.”

A lump starts to form in my throat and I swallow hard to

force it down. “What’s wrong?”

He takes a loud breath and blows it out. “Well, after the

police searched Caleb’s house they found a few things… notes and

journals and stuff… and, well… do you remember Amy Price?

Luke’s sister? She was only a couple of years older than you and

she committed suicide when she was sixteen.”

“I didn’t know she… I didn’t know that.” My chest starts to

compress as I remember the one time Luke mentioned his sister.

“Well, she did and no one really knew why,” he says. “I

remember some of the kids in my grade saying she was a slut and

super weird and a pothead, but no one really knew her outside of

that.”

Change a few words and Amy’s story matches mine.

“Jackson, what was in those journals they found?”

He keeps puffing out breaths and I wonder if he’s smoking

or something. “Notes about people, you, her… and the stuff he did

to you… her… other girls.”

I sit there, frozen in time, like a statue made of cracked and

chipped stone. “How do you know this?”

“Dad’s friend, De

night and told dad, even though he’s not supposed to talk about it

yet until further investigation. He thought dad should know since

there was stuff in the journals about… you.”

He keeps talking, but I barely hear him. I barely hear

anything over the sound of my heart. I’m not even sure what’s

striking the nerve. Whether it’s the feelings manifesting inside me,

that Caleb actually wrote about me, that he did stuff to others, or

that Luke’s sister killed herself… and that maybe… and that maybe

she did it because of her internal suffering. Maybe she just couldn’t hold on any longer.

I cut the conversation short and head back to the stadium. I

walk back to the bench and my eyes instantly go to Luke. He looks

at me and cocks on eyebrow with interest and I feel my heart

transfer to him. I don’t know how I think or how I feel. Because

even though I got my redemption, Luke’s sister wasn’t so lucky.

I grab at the clover hanging around my neck and hold onto

to it with every single speck of hope I have in me and I tell myself

just how lucky I am. Yes, I went through a lot of pain, heartache,

breaking. But I’m here breathing and my heart is beating. I’m

thriving. I’m not alone. And I’m loved.

THE END

About the Author

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

Jessica Sorensen lives with her husband and three kids in the

snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she’s not writing, she spends

her time reading and hanging out with her family.

Learn more at:

jessicasorensensblog.blogspot.com

Twitter, @jessFallenStar

https://www.facebook.com/JessicaSorensensAdultContemporaryNovels