Sell Your Soul

Maria avoided Cali's eyes, and Cali took a seat at the bar. Maria tended to a couple other people that sat down, but she eventually made her way back to Cali.

"What did you wanna talk about?" she asked.

"Not too long ago, I told you I'd never want to do anything to hurt you," Cali began. "And you said the same thing to me. So...why did you?"

"You want the truth?" asked Maria.

"Yeah," Cali replied.

"Honestly, I have no idea what the fuck was going through my head," Maria explained. "I got sick of hearing Matt talk about you, and I wanted to make him pissed off. Not you. I didn't really think it through, I know, but I was jealous."

"Jealous? Of me?"

"Yeah. Not only did you have the Charlie Scene, but my boyfriend was starting to like you as well. And maybe seeing you and Matt reminded me of the time I found you with Paul." Cali cringed, but Maria continued. "We got over that, didn't we?"

"This is different," Cali mumbled.

"Calista, we're all bullshitting each other here. No one person is at fault- it's everybody's."

Cali couldn't disagree, and she sighed, "I just don't want to be there anymore."

"Well, if you want, I still have the apartment rented out," Maria suggested.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you want to stay there while things mull over?"

"Sure..." She narrowed her eyes inquisitively at Maria, but Maria dug in her pockets and handed Cali her keys.

"Cali, if I could go back and change it, I would," she said. "I'm such an idiot sometimes, and you don't deserve it. I just want you to know, I'm not with Charlie. Nor do I want to be. He's yours."

Cali glanced down at the keys before picking them up. She said, "Things won't be the same, Maria. I'm sorry."

She stood up and walked back to the table. She ran into Kyle on the way there, carrying the plates of food. She stopped him.

"Just put mine in a bag," she said. "I'm leaving."

He didn't question her. He just nodded. She didn't say anything to the guys as she walked past the table. They all looked after her as she left. Dillon looked around, and he stood up to follow her out the door.

"Caliente, where you going?" he called.

"Home," Cali said. She hopped in the front seat of Maria's car, and she looked back to the backseat. She was reminded of that night she and Charlie were tangled up in their own little world, having a bit more fun than Maria would have liked. She grimaced and turned back to the parking lot.
---------------------------------------------------
Cali opened the door of the apartment. It was eerily silent as she flicked on the lights. A thin layer of dust coated the furniture and appliances that hadn't been touched in a couple months. The message machine beeped with fourteen new messages, but she didn't listen to any of them as she slowly walked to the back of the apartment.

Her room was empty, as well as her bed. She had forgotten what it was like to sleep alone, but tonight she would find out.

She flopped down on her bed and inhaled the familiar scent of home. It was comforting, to a certain degree, but she missed having the smell of alcohol surrounding her. More specifically, the scent of Charlie.

She turned toward the wall and began to cry softly.