Big Fat Liar 3 (Big Fat Liar #3) (5 page)

“Chris,” Chris told the other man.  “And you are…?”

“Greg!” Callie said, “My….um….Sarah’s fiancé.”

“Sarah?” Chris looked thoughtfully before his eyes widened with realization. “Oh! Sarah! That girl who dumped-“

“That wedding invitation on me,” Callie jumped in, completely cutting him off. “Yup, that’s Sarah.  Greg was here to probably remind me about the wedding. Nice right? But now he’s going.”

Leave, Callie wanted to scream. Go Greg! Go! This was not how she wanted to tell Chris the truth. This wasn’t how she wanted him to find out about her lies.

“So you’re the man Sarah told me about,” Greg said, eyeing Chris. “Who are you to Callie?”

“Callie?” Chris’s brows furrowed with confusion. “Who’s that?”

Damn it! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!

“Greg, I think you better leave.” Callie went around him and desperately began to push his back. “I promise I’ll call Sarah later. Just go.”

Greg frowned, brushing pass Chris as Callie pushed him outside. “Cal-“

“Talk to you later!” Callie grabbed Chris and tugged him inside her apartment. “Congrats by the way!” She slammed the door close and locked it for good measure.

“What the hell was that about?” Chris lifted a brow when she faced him.

“Um…it’s not important.”

“Looked important to me.”

“Well it wasn’t!” Callie snapped.

Chris fell silent and Callie found herself flushing. Even to her ears she sounded rude and defensive. “Chris…sorry.”

“No,” he said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. He gave her a tiny smile. “It’s none of my business. My bad.”

Callie’s heart tightened at the sight of him. She was jumpy and nervous just seconds ago because of Greg but now that the other man was gone, Chris’s presence filled her senses. Just looking at his handsome face gave her butterflies.

“You look tired.” She hesitated before stepping closer. “Is your mom…?”

“She’s fine. For now.”

“Chris.” Callie fell silent. ‘I’m sorry’ just didn’t seem enough to cut it. How she wished that she could heal Mrs. Walker but even with all the money she inherited…money won’t be enough. But she can help get Mrs. Walker the best doctors with it. It’s the least she could do.

“Look, Cal,” Chris began, “about last night.” He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry. Abel told me what happened.”

“Oh.”
He’s not here to tell me that he’s marrying Brenda
. Callie wanted to jump for joy. “It’s okay. I probably shouldn’t have it her.”

“No, you probably shouldn’t have.” He sent her a disapproving look. “You’re a guy. You could have really done some damage.”

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for
, Callie told herself.
This is the perfect time to tell him the truth. The perfect-

All thoughts flew out her head when Chris suddenly grabbed her and his lips covered hers. Caught off guard, she froze for a few seconds before softening and leaning into him…into the kiss.

The feel of his mouth devouring hers had her heart drumming like crazy against her ears and had her body on fire. When he broke the kiss they were both breathing heavily. Chris kissed her forehead and grinned at her.

“Sorry, I’ve been wanting to do that since I saw you. You look adorable.”

“I do?” She squeaked, cheeks flushed red. “But I’m just wearing my regular clothes. Nothing special.”

“You’re special,” he said and his words melted her heart.

Oh Chris
…he was making it harder for her to tell him the truth.

“And I’m not marrying Brenda.” Chris continued. “She’s not the one that I…I love.”

Oh lord
. “Chris-“

“No.” He shook his head. “Let me finish, Cal. I…I love you.” Chris laughed, blue eyes twinkling. “I love you! Damn, feels good saying it out loud.” It was like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulder.

Chris looked down at Cal with a wide grin. He expected to find Cal smiling back at him, what he didn’t expect was for those lovely brown to fill with tears and for Cal to burst into heart-wrenching sobs.

“Cal?” He panicked. “Buddy, what’s wrong?”

Callie shook her head and stepped away from him. She couldn’t even speak, that’s how disgusted she was of herself. Chris was just too good for her.

“Cal?” Chris said her name with concern. “What’s the matter? Aren’t you happy? I told you the truth. I love you.”

Callie’s sobs turned more tortured. She was practically choking on her tears. Good. Maybe she can die. She’d deserve it. For lying to Chris. For earning his love with lies upon lies. She didn’t deserve this beautiful man’s love. No matter how much she craved it…she wasn’t good enough for him.

“I love you,” Chris repeated, thinking the reason why Cal was crying was because he didn’t believe him. “I do! I never loved anyone like this in my life.”

“N-no,” Cal begged, “no.”

Chris frowned. “No?”

Cal sobbed. “Please, Chris…I….you…you can’t love me. It’s not right. Oh god.”

“Is this because you’re insecure?” Chris asked. “Because it doesn’t matter to me that you’re a guy. I can live with that. Or if it’s about your weight…I don’t care about that either. As long as you're healthy, I don’t care what you look like. You’re perfect.”

“Stop!” Callie held up a hand, tears madly streaming down her face. “Chris, please stop! D-don’t s-say anymore. D-don’t!” Feeling weak, she bent down on her knees and covered her face. The face of a liar.

“I love you.” Chris knelt down before her and took her hands into his. “Nothing will change that.”

Callie looked up at him. “Not when you find out.”

“Find out what?” Chris smoothed her hair away from her face. “Stop crying. I don’t like to see you cry.”

Callie brushed his hands away. “When I tell you the truth, you won’t like seeing my face at all.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “So sorry.”

“Cal,” Chris’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell is wrong with you? What happened?”

Tell him
, she told herself.
Tell him!

“Chris…I’m not who-what you think I am.”

Chris’s forehead furrowed with confusion. “What are you talking about?”

This is it
. Callie stared into his beautiful blue eyes.
This is where I lose him. I know it
. She reached both hands up and caressed his cheeks, memorizing the feel of his skin against her fingertips because after this…she probably will never be able to touch him again.

“I love you,” she told him. “I love you so so much. So much that it hurts.”

Chris placed his hands on hers. “I feel the same way.”

Fresh tears rolled from her lashes and down her cheeks. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to hear you say that. But…but I don’t deserve it.”

“Cal…buddy, you’re confusing me and frankly it’s starting to scare me.” What the hell was bothering Cal?

Callie leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. She was sure that it would be their last.

“Cal?”

Callie stood up and slowly backed away. Chris still knelt on the floor, staring up at her with confusion. “What’s going on?”

Callie hugged herself. “I have to tell you something.”

Chris stood. “What?”

“Chris…I’ve been misleading you.”

“About what?”

“About everything.”

Chris laughed. “Okay, Cal, can you be any more vague?”

“Chris, I’m not…I’m not a guy.”

Chris frowned. “What?”

“I said,” she took a deep breath. “I’m not a man.”

“Okay.” Chris laughed nervously. “So what are you? A Transvestite?” Chris laughed again at his own joke but when he didn’t see Cal laughing with him, he stopped. “You are?”

“No!” Callie shook her head. “No.”

“Okay,” Chris said slowly. “Then what is this about?”

“Chris, I’m a girl.”

He blinked. “A what?”

“A girl.” Callie tried to smile but failed. “Tada. S-surprise!”

Chris stared at her and her heart felt like it was being stabbed by a needle.

“I’m a girl,” she said softly. “Always have been.”

Chris continued to silently stare at her.

“It hadn’t been my intention to mislead you for so long but…but I…I just couldn’t tell you the truth because I was so afraid. I’m still afraid but I knew that I had to tell you. I couldn’t keep lying to you.”

Chris didn’t say a word. He couldn’t. He felt dead inside.

“C-Chris? Say something. Please.” Callie wanted to throw herself at his feet and beg for forgiveness. He was looking at her…but she had a feeling that he couldn’t see her. Not anymore.

“You’re not joking,” he finally said through the silence. His voice sounded empty, devoid of any emotion.

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not.”

He took his eyes off her and instead stared at the ground. “That day I mistook you for a man…”

“I was going to tell you the mistake but one thing lead to another…” Callie shrugged helplessly. “It was stupid.”
I was stupid
. “I just wanted to be by your side so desperately. Desperate enough to keep pretending to be a guy. I never thought…I never thought that a guy like you can actually love me. Chris, I’m so sorry. So so so sorry.”

“Abel knew, didn’t he?” Chris looked up at her. “He knew.”

“Yes.”

“You both were probably laughing behind my back.”

“No! Never!” Callie’s eyes went wide. “We never did that. We never would.” She walked up to him and tried to place her hand on his arm but he stepped away from her touch. That stung. Callie stared up at him and she could sense it.

She lost him.

“Chris?” He looked so calm that it scared her. Her eyes searched his face, trying to catch any hint of emotion but there was nothing. Not even anger. “Chris?”

He turned away from her and started for the door. “Chris! Wait!” She grabbed his hand. “Chris!” Callie’s voice turned pleading.

When he turned to look at her, what she saw made her breath catch. And it broke her heart. Chris stared down at her, his own eyes filled with unshed tears. She released him and covered her sobs with her hands.

“I want to hate you right now,” he said hoarsely. “God I want to…but you know what? I still love you and that’s fucked up. I can’t even make myself hate you. I love you too much but who are you? I don’t even know, do I?”

Chris searched her face. “I fell for a lie.”

When he turned and walked out her life she didn’t stop him. She couldn’t. Callie knew that she had to let him go but it hurt all the same.

And what hurt more was knowing the fact that she had hurt him. Hurt him so badly.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered through her sobs, staring at the door Chris had left open after his departure. “I’m sorry.”

Chapter Eighteen

"Christopher, where's Cal?"

Chris stiffened at his mother's softly spoken question but didn't turn around to answer. Jaw clenched, he continued to empty the water from the small plastic cup into the dark blue vase filled with wildflowers; his mother's favorites.

"Chris?"

"I don't know, Mom," he finally said and added with dark irritation: "I'm not his keeper."

He heard his mother sigh wistfully. "I haven't seen him in ages. I miss seeing him. He's such a wonderful...boy."

Boy my ass
, Chris thought darkly.

"It isn't really like him to not come and see how I'm doing," Eliza continued on. "Especially since my surgery is the day after tomorrow."

Chris tossed the empty cup into the trash but didn't face his mother. If she saw his expression now, she'd see the anger he's been carefully suppressing around her delicate state. Instead he stared out the window, watching the cars below moving like ants.

"I wish he would call me," Eliza said with another sad sigh. "I called his home phone but he never answers. You have his cell phone number don't you Chris? Can't you call-"

"No," Chris snapped quickly, then softened his tone. "Mom...he's probably busy with...stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Yeah."

"Chris, look at me."

Steeling his expression, Chris turned and finally faced his mother. Laying on the hospital bed in a pink gown, Eliza studied her son carefully before sitting up. She still felt under the weather these days because of her condition but at least she hasn't lost the ability to move.

"Mom," Chris said in warning. "Don't move around so much." He pushed away from the window and went to his mother who waved a hand at him with a laugh.

"Oh Chris," Eliza chuckled, "I'm perfectly fine."

Chris knelt down beside the bed and took her fragile hand with a frown. "Still...you shouldn't be pushing yourself."

"I'm fine," she assured him again. "Now, tell me what happened between you and Cal."

Ah hell
. "Nothing," Chris replied smoothly but not smooth enough because Eliza clearly wasn't convinced. She raised a brow at him and he ignored it.

"You're telling me that this," she poked his furrowed brows, "isn't caused by whatever happened between you two? Christopher, I may be sick but I'm not blind."

Chris stood and released his hold on her hand. "Let it go, Ma."

She stared up worriedly at him. "Chris, what happened?"

"I said let it go."

"How can I let it go when my baby is hurting so much?"

Chris looked away from her soul-searching eyes and stared out the window. The sky was endlessly blue but he didn't see it. He felt so damn empty inside that he let his anger linger just to fill in that void.

"Christopher. Why are you hurting?"

"Mom, I'm fine." He started for the door. "I'll ask the nurse to get you your pain meds."

"Hold it right there Christopher Walker." Eliza's eyes narrowed at his back. "Don't walk away from me."

Cursing under his breath, Chris half turned and looked at his mother. She stared back at him for several seconds before her eyes softened. "Chris, you can be all scowly-faced at me but I know when one of my boys is hurting inside."

"What do you want from me, Mom?"

"I want the truth."

He chuckled darkly. "You and me both."

Eliza sighed. "You found out, didn't you?" When Chris didn't reply, she tried again. "You found out about Cal's...secret."

Chris stared at her for several seconds before chuckling darkly. "You know, it doesn't surprise me at all that you knew before I did, Mom. Hell, did Dad know too? Were any of you planning on telling me?"

"What are you mad about, Christopher?" Eliza asked, getting straight to the point. "That Cal is a girl or that she tricked you?"

"What the hell is the damn difference?" He snapped. "Cal lied. Period. He's...she's been lying to me all this time."

"And I'm sure she's sorry about that."

"Right Mom, that makes me feel a lot better."

"Holding onto that silly anger certainly won't."

"It's all I've got."

Eliza shook her head. "Because you don't want to forgive her."

"Why!?" Chris glared at her. "Why the hell should I forgive him? I mean her...I mean...shit!" He turned around angrily and closed his eyes.
God damn it
, he mentally cursed. Taking a deep breath, he let it out and waited a minute before speaking. "It's not that simple, Mom."

"Of course it's not," Eliza said softly. "Love is never simple, Chris. If you love her...and you do, don't you, Chris? That's why it's so hard for you to forgive her. You love Cal."

"I don't know who I love," he whispered hoarsely. "I don't even know the person I fell in love with."

"Nonsense! Cal is Cal. She may have lied to you about her gender but she's always been herself with you. She loves you Chris."

"Not enough to tell me the truth."

"She told you the truth."

"After lying for so long! She could have been honest with me from the start!"

Eliza's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Who are you really angry with, Chris? Cal or yourself?"

Startled, Chris looked sharply at her. "What?"

"I know you son, I know that you're a fair man so I'm sure you would have tried to put yourself in Cal's shoes. You've thought about it right? How Cal must have felt all these months, pretending to be a guy all because she was afraid to lose you."

That was true but damn it, Chris clenched his hands into tight fists. Why couldn't she have been honest with him!?

"I trusted Cal," Chris told his mother. "Yeah, I'm a jerk for mistaking her for a guy but I gave my trust. Hell," he laughed without humor, "I was turning gay for her! I would have given up everything for Cal...everything."

"Oh Chris," Eliza began sympathetically.

"No," Chris held up a hand. "Listen. When I thought that Cal was a guy, it drove me crazy!"

He began to pace as he talked, hands on his hips and eyes glaring at the floor. "I kept thinking that something must be wrong with me because I've never liked men romantically! Never...until Cal. I should have known...I should have known that "he" was actually a she but hell, Mom!" Chris threw up his hands with frustration and faced his mother. "I thought that Cal was just one of those feminine looking guys like Abel!"

He raked his hair back with his fingers and sighed. "God...what a mess."

"And you're the only one who can fix up this mess," Eliza said. "Get Cal back, Chris."

"I don't think I can ever forgive him." Chris winched. "Her. Forgive her."

"Then don't." EIiza sighed. Really, her son was just too stubborn. "Don't forgive her but for goodness sakes, Chris, get her back! She's such a special girl and I like her."

"Brenda-"

"Ha!" Eliza waved a hand. "Forget Brenda. I know she's not the one for you. You need someone like Callie. Chris, if Callie can make you think that she's a guy and you still managed to fall for her than that means that she has an inner beauty that most women don't have."

She held out her hand. "Chris, come here."

Chris solemnly stared at her outstretched hand before taking it. Kneeling beside the bed, he stared up into his mother's eyes as she smiled down tenderly at him. "Oh, honey," she whispered and patted his cheek with her free hand. "Don't you see? Callie is your soulmate and if you let her slip away...you'll feel hollow for the rest of your life. You'll never feel complete."

She lowered her head and bumped her forehead against his. "Chris, love isn't easy. It comes with a lot ups...and a lot of downs but at the end of the day you never want to be separated from your beloved's side. Your father and I drove each other mad back when we were young and we still do but look at us. We're still together because we can't ever see each other with someone else. Being away from your father for too long hurts. That's true love."

Eliza sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh Chris, I just want you to have what your father and I do...and I'm so afraid that you're going to let it get away."

"Mama don't cry." Chris cursed softly and helped wipe the tears from her cheeks with the brush of his thumbs. "Mom, don't cry. I'm sorry."

His mother grabbed his hands and held on tight. "Promise me, Chris," she demanded with a shaky voice. "Promise me that you won't let her get away."

"Yes, Chris," Abel's voice said from behind him. "Don't let Callie get away."

Startled, Chris looked back and found Abel leaning against the wall beside the closed door. He and his mother must have been too distracted to notice Abel enter.

"When did you get here?" Chris asked with a frown.

"I just got here." Abel shrugged. "But that's not the question you should be asking me."

"What?"

Abel straightened away from the wall and crossed his arms. "Baby brother, you should be asking me where Cal is."

For some odd reason Chris's heart skipped a beat and he felt himself stiffen with attention. His eyes narrowed at Abel. "What are you talking about?"

"If you're going to beg Callie to return to you, you won't be doing it at her apartment. She's not there."

Chris stood and stalked over to his brother. "What the hell are you talking about Abel? Where's Cal? Why wouldn't he...she be at her apartment?"

"Because she's gone," Abel replied simply, unintimidated by Chris.

Chris looked confused. "Where is she then?"

"Well wouldn't you like to know?" Abel taunted.

"Abel!" Chris growled.

"Abel," Eliza called from her position on the bed. "Stop teasing your brother and tell him where Callie is."

"Are you going to make things right with her?" Abel asked Chris. "Cause I'm not telling you squat if you're just going to torment the poor girl. She left just to get away from you."

"Where the hell is she!?"

"Are you going to make things right!?" Abel snapped back, eyes blazing. He really didn't feel sympathetic to his brother at the moment. When Callie left, she had left a crying mess.

"Please," Chris finally said with solemn eyes. "Tell me where she is." Because he just had to know...he just had to.

"She went back to her hometown," Abel informed him. "And I suggest you go after her before she gets back together with her ex-fiance."

Chris paled. "Fiance?"

Abel nodded. "That's right. I won't blame her if she just falls right into his arms to get over you." He sighed dramatically. "Tragic. Just tragic."

"Chris!" Eliza cried, "don't let some other guy take her away from us! Go after her!"

Chris glanced back at his mother, feeling tormented. Inside his feelings were conflicting with one another. One half wants to forget Cal ever existed and the other wants to go after her...

"So what's it going to be Chris?" Abel asked, drawing his attention. "Are you going to let Callie go or are you going to stop wallowing and go after her? The choice is yours, brother. The choice is yours."

"And Chris," Eliza called his name out and waited until her youngest son looked at her. She stared back at him, gaze tender yet unwavering. "I hope you make the right choice."