Long Way Down (Calloway Sisters 4)

It’s not like I’m stoic. I’m crying right now, on the phone with my therapist, but it’s better to let it out. I know that. Keeping it in hurts a thousand times more.

“I just don’t like how…”

“How what?” he asks.

I rinse my eyes for a second and shut off the water. Ryke and Price act like they’re not listening, for my benefit. “I just want to be treated like a person,” I whisper. “Everyone was grabbing me…”

Ryke has his back turned to me, but his hands rest on his head.

Price stares far off at the ground, haunted and guilt-stricken.

“It’s not anyone’s fault,” I add to Frederick. “I think everyone’s so conditioned to see me as a thing and not a person. It’s no one’s fault.”

Ryke shakes his head but never turns around.

“You can be angry, Daisy. You can want to be treated like a human being. You should be, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” I breathe. “I know.”

“Okay. Don’t forget that.”

I nod to myself and take another controlled, deep breath. “I need to go find my sisters.”

“Can you call me again when you get home?” Frederick asks.

“Yeah, that’d be good.” We hang up at the same time, and I crawl on top of the sink counter and then stand, towering in my heels.

“What are you doing?” Price asks, causing Ryke to spin around and see me.

I set my hands on my hips, and I say tearfully, “Will you scream with me?”

Without hesitation, Ryke easily climbs onto the counter. He has to lower his head to avoid hitting the ceiling. He stares down at me, his hands sliding against my cheeks.

My chest rises in a livelier inhale, thankful for Ryke. My pillar. My wolf.

My world. My life.

Strongly, he says, “You ready, Calloway?”

“Yes,” I breathe.

And we both scream. All the darkness rippling out of me.

* * *

The minute we push through the bathroom door, I see a long red vinyl booth, filled with all of my sisters and their husbands. Chatting loudly. The diner is packed, and people are recording them with cellphones and snapping photos. But they’re in their own bubble, uncaring about the onlookers.

I smile, so glad they’re here, and when I approach, they quiet, scanning me from head to toe.

Lo is the first to speak, chewing on a straw. “I just lost fifty bucks.”

“Why?” Ryke asks.

Rose and Poppy stand, letting me slide into the middle of the booth next to Lily. Connor and Sam do the same for Ryke on their side while Price sits at the nearest table with the other bodyguards.

“I thought you two were being murdered in the bathroom.” Oh. They could hear us screaming. I started laughing with Ryke at the end, but maybe that wasn’t as audible. “And I bet Lily that you weren’t ever coming out.”

Ryke’s dark brows rise at his brother. “Thanks for betting on my fucking life.”

Lo touches his chest. “I wanted to go retrieve you. Everyone else said no.”

Rose sips water through a straw. “That’s untrue, Loren. I also voted to go get them.”

“Huh,” Lo says, “I forgot about you.”

Rose shoots him an icy glare, but the booth falls into silence once more now that I’ve arrived with Ryke. Plates clatter in the noisy kitchen, the cooks screaming out orders, and most of the customers at the bar drink milkshakes.

Lily pushes the glass of water closer to me, as though to say this is yours.

“Thanks.” I give her a smile, and she hugs my side. I unravel my silverware set, folding the napkin into an intricate flower.

Everyone is watching me.

“I’m alright,” I let them know. “So hey, I haven’t died yet.” It’s a lame joke, one that does not go over well with anyone.

They all let out a collective groan that actually makes my lips rise. I realize that no one ordered any sodas, just a couple coffees, black for Ryke and one with cream for Connor.

“Did you not get a Fizz Life?” I ask Lily, who would’ve definitely ordered one over water.

Her face is a little red, maybe from the cold. “They only have Coke.”

“Oh…” I wince. Our dad wouldn’t be pleased that a New York establishment doesn’t carry Fizzle products, and there’s no way we can support another brand in public.

Sam taps the table with his knife. “I’m working on it.” As the Chief Marketing Officer, he’s more involved and passionate about Fizzle than any of us will ever be. I think we all know that in our hearts.

I face Ryke just as he lifts his coffee mug up to his busted lip. His raw knuckles are in view again. “What happened?” I ask out in the open, where I know someone will spill the secret.

His gaze hardens and then he flips me off with his free hand.

I smile, and I flip him off with both of my middle fingers. The flashes are insane around us.

After he drinks his coffee, he pushes the mug towards me. I take a sip, my lips upturned while I stare at him.

Since probably my sweet sixteen, maybe even before, Ryke has always shared his food and drink with me. At first, just to urge me to eat something (modeling woes), but now it’s such a habit between us.

“He beat up your shitty ex-boyfriend,” Lo unleashes the secret all of a sudden.

My eyes widen.

“And he won’t say it, but I will,” Lo continues, “You’re welcome.” He sports a half-smile. “And you have the shittiest taste in guys. Besides this one.” He gestures with his head to his brother.

“I definitely agree,” I say with a pit in my stomach because I keep imagining Julian saying gross things and Ryke defending me. “…did Julian say something to you?” I ask Ryke.

His jaw hardens and after a long moment, he gets the words out. “He mentioned that you fucking talked to him.”

“Briefly. Before I could use the bathroom at the party.”

“I can’t fucking believe he confronted you.”

“I think he just wants me to send out a tweet to clear his name.”

“Don’t,” Ryke forces.

“I never said I would.” I push his mug back to him and then continue shaping my napkin flower. “Should I make a rose or a tulip?”

“This shouldn’t be a real question,” Rose snaps.

“Of course a rose,” I say with sincerity. “Always a rose.”

They all must sense my distraction off the topic of Julian, but no one reroutes it back to him, thankfully.

It’s silent again.

“Can someone say something?” I ask. “You all don’t have to watch me. I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

Lily flings her gangly arms around my waist, and I just see the tears in her eyes. I hug her back, and Rose uses my rose-shaped napkin to dab beneath her eyes. I think it’s Rose’s way of saying she was scared, and she’s mighty glad I’m doing well.

Poppy reaches an arm out, holding my shoulder in a maternal, loving gesture.

That’s when two waitresses arrive with plates of pancakes, waffles, eggs and toast, an omelet, and fruit parfait. They must’ve ordered while Ryke and I were in the bathroom.

I laugh when a bowl of cereal is placed in front of Ryke.

He gives his brother a look.

“You can’t complain. This is what you always eat, bro.”

“I eat fucking eggs too…” And just as he says it, a plate of eggs sets beside his bowl.

“You were saying?”

Years ago, Lo couldn’t say one good thing about Ryke. Not out loud at least. Now he loves him enough to order his favorite breakfast foods. He knows him well enough to get it right.

This means so much to Ryke. I can see it in his eyes, and he just nods at Lo, unable to speak.

I’m waiting for what I guess will be chocolate chip waffles. The last plate drops in front of Lo, a breakfast burrito with hash browns, his hunger apparent as he immediately takes a

bite.

They forgot to order for me, I guess. I’m about to flag down the waitress, but they both hurry off before I can call one of them over.

Ryke slides his plate of eggs over to me.

I push it back. “I’ll order something.” I do steal another tiny sip of his coffee, mostly preferring energy drinks, but Dr. Yoshida said to decrease my intake of caffeine. It’ll help strengthen my chances of being fertile.

Rose cranes her neck over her shoulder, motioning to the waitress. My sister’s piercing stare is shriveling the meek girl.

“It’s okay,” I tell Rose. “I’ll just wait.”

No one says anything, and only Lo is eating.

“You all can eat. It might take a while…” I trail off as a waiter appears, a plate in his hand. The minute it rests in front of me, I start crying.

It’s a slice of chocolate cake.