After I left

XXI

Callie's P.O.V.

It's different now. 

His house doesn't feel as lonely as it used to. 

"Babe, go set the table before your mom has a cow," I mumbled, gently pushing him toward the kitchen. 

We got in late last night, crashing as soon as we got here. We both slept in his bed, it was fairly large anyways. 

When I woke up this morning he had his arm draped over my side, pulling me back into his chest. 

"Fine," He huffed, pushing himself off of the couch. 

I laughed as he stumbled into the kitchen. He says he didn't sleep well last night because he was worried I'd have nightmares or something. 

"I'm fine." I told him, lying through my teeth. 

The truth is that I did have a few nightmares. It would shake me to my core to see his face only inches from mine as I closed my eyes, yanking them back open only made it worse to see that he was in the room, on top of me, screaming at me that I'm his. 

Most of the night I spent inching my way close to Nathan, hoping that he wouldn't wake up. The closer I was to him the further I was from Colton, and right now it feels like I'm alone. 

The goosebumps forming on my skin weren't from the chill in the air, they rose because of the loneliness in my soul, the fact that I'm alone in this room. 

"You okay?" 

I looked up, my thoughts finding peace at Nathan's face. 

"I'm fine, I promise."

He smiled at me, a weak smile is still a smile, right?

"You don't have to lie to me, I understand if you want me to take you home," He said, sitting next to me. 

I jumped up from my seat, momentarily forgetting that the man sitting who fell into the couch isn't Colton, he loves me. 

My hands were shaking, my heart racing for no reason. 

There was a tight hold on my throat suddenly, all oxygen being cut off. 

It's like I'm back in that room, back under Colton's control. 

"Nate!" I shrieked, my knees buckling from the lack of air. 

His arms were around me in a second, his eyes filling with pain. I can't imagine what is hurting him so much. 

I can't imagine anything right now, all of my thoughts are jumbled. 

My chest ached for air, my eyes overflowing with tears, Nathan is whispering in my ear as he carries me to his bed and holds me as I curl into a ball. 

The only thing I can hear is the thud of my heartbeat against my skull, Nathan's whispers just get mixed in with everything else. 

His voice mixes with Colton's, panic coursing through my body as I try to push his image away, that image away. 

I'm here with Nathan. 

Nathan is holding me, he won't hurt me.

"Baby, come back to me!" Nathan cried, wrapping both arms around me tightly.

It felt secure, it felt like home, it reminded me of why I came back to him in the beginning.

I closed my eyes, breathing in Nathan's scent.

I could hear his mom's voice now, calming Nathan down as I sat up.

"She'll be fine, honey. Just give her time to work through it," She whispered.