Daughter of the Devil - r. peters // 2

𝟿. 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝

It had been a week since the band played at the Orpheum again. Since Callie has broken the one rule to go see them, to go talk to Luke.

A week since she's just accepted that she was trapped.

She's performed. Hidden. Performed. Hidden. An endless cycle.

And Willie was done.

When the boy poofed into her room, surprising her, she didn't even get a word in.

"You can't do this, Cal." Willie says quickly.

Callie shakes her head. "Can't- what?"

"You're giving up, Callie. That's not right. That's what he wants, Cal! Can't you see that? Open your eyes!"

"I don't care if it's what he wants anymore, Willie!" She shakes her head, standing up to meet his eyes. "I don't have the energy to-to stand up anymore, to even dance anymore, and it gives him more reason to punish me! I can't. Win!"

The words are filled with hurt and anger that brewed under the surface. Anger at Willie for not understanding, anger at Caleb for being the bastard he is, anger at, at-

Anger at herself.

"Callie, come on, you can't give up now. Not now, please."

"Will-"

"No." He says firmly, stepping forward. "I'm not letting you. You're my best friend, my sister. I'm not letting you just... Stop."

Callie sinks back into the bed. "I'm so tired, Will. He's just... Everywhere." Her hands go to her head, burying themselves in her hair, similar to the way his hand would bury itself when he punished her. "It's like he's in my head somehow, always poking and prodding at my thoughts." She swallows. "I'm sick and tired of being his 'puppet'. I just want some freedom for once in my life."

Willie takes a breath, noting the hopeless look on her face, his jaw tightening.

"Then I'm going back to him."

Seeing her head snap up like someone yanked on a string hurt him, her eyes wide with fear and panic. "No. No, you can't. I won't let you."

He shushes her, his hands going to her face, thumbs brushing just under her eyes, feeling the stickiness that was there from tears that were long dried. "Hey, shh... It's okay." He smiles weakly. "You did it for me, right?"

"William, I swear, if you do this, I will never speak to you again." She croaks hoarsely, her hands coming up to grasp his hands tightly.

He winces at the use of his full name, having never heard it from her like that, but he shakes his head. "If it meant you stopped doing this, it'd be worth it."

She huffs, shaking her head. "Willie, please-"

"Enough, Callie." He says firmly, his grip on her face tightening slightly, before loosening just as fast. "I'm going to meet the guys, alright? The sooner we stop him, the better. Okay? Trust me."

And, before she can even utter another word, he was gone, leaving her alone.

///

Reggie sits on the beach, back in the dark with his bass in his hand, strumming idly again.

That damn grin...

Woken up by nightmares again, he found himself back on the sand, feeling the grains make their way into his shoes and pants, but he didn't care. He just needed to escape. And being here was an escape.

Or another way to remember certain things he'd never usually remember.

"I've never told anyone that before. Not even the guys."

She had looked at him, shaking her head softly. "Then... Why'd you tell me?" Her voice had been so soft, so sweet. Her body was leaned against his comfortably, as if they had done it thousands of times before.

"Cause... I trust you." He had shrugged, looking down at her, the striking blue eyes meeting his own. "And... I want you to trust me."

Those damn blue eyes...

The same eyes that haunted him in his nightmares. The ones that held so much... Hope in them. Even when she sat with a harsh purple mark on her neck.

Even when she stood in front of him, pleading-

"Hey."

There's a discordant note, as Reggie eyes snap open, his gaze shooting up, his shoulders tensing, then relaxing when he sees the familiar brown eyes lined with dark eyeliner. "Charlie... Hey."

"Hello." The man says softly, smiling, groaning softly as he sits beside the bassist. "You're tense."

Reggie sighs, looking down at the white-knuckled grip on his bass. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Hey." There's a soft nudge on his shoulder, and he glanced at the man beside him, watching Charlie's hand move to the one on his bass, the skin to skin contact almost jarring. "Talk to me."

Reggie sighs, shaking his head, but his gaze is drawn to something on the man's wrist.

His brows furrow, and he removed his hand from under Charlie's, lightly grabbing onto the sleeve of his jacket, and pulling.

Revealing the familiar purple emblem, reading HGC in fancy letters.

It's as if all the air in his chest is sucked out with a vacuum, as his chest tightens, yanking his hand back as if it was burned. The man looks at him, eyes filled with concern and a slight bit of fear.

"Reggie-"

"You're a member?" Something's ringing in his ears, and he shakes it, trying to make it go away, along with the painful memories that flooded his brain.

"A member of- of what?" The confusion in his voice was almost as hurtful as the memories.

Reggie shakes his head, his bass falling with a soft thunk into the sand, as he continues to shake his head.

"Reggie, hey, hey-"

"Did Callie put you up to this?" He asks quickly, his voice sharp. He could see the flicker of recognition in the man's eyes, the way they widen in slight shock.

"Callie? Calypso? You know her?"

"Know her-" he shakes his head. "Or, Caleb, did he, he..." Reggie takes another shaking breath.

"Reggie..." The man reaches for him, gently placing a hand on his face. "What hap- hey, hey, look at me." Brown meets blue as Reggie opens his eyes. "Breathe."

Reggie lets out a short, shuddering breath, before trying to bring another one in, only to fail miserably. It was like he was dying all over again.

"Reg, breathe. Alright? I'm right here, I'm not going to let anything hurt you." Charlie's voice is soft, worried, his hand cupping the side of his face gently, his eyes never once leaving his face.

Reggie takes a deep breath, blowing it out slowly, hearing the slight ringing in his ears dying down, feeling the hand on his face, rough against his pale, slightly freckled skin.

"There you go, there you go..." He murmurs softly, dragging his thumb lightly across the boys face, letting out a soft smile. "See? You're alright."

Reggie swallows, looking down a bit, slightly embarrassed by his freakout. Damn it, all it is is a stupid mark. "Sorry, I-"

"Hey, no need to apologize, alright? Just... Talk to me." Charlie says softly, reaching for his other hand. "Tell me..." He takes a breath, before tilting Reggie's head up to face him.

"Tell me about Callie." He says softly, but firmly. "What did she do to you?"

---

Heyyyy guys.... It's been... What, two months since I last posted? Lol writers block is a bitch 😭 anyways I'll try to be more consistent with writing and posting love youuu!!