AN: This story was originally just going to be a oneshot, but my mind wandered off and decided to add more to the story. There will be another chapter or two at least. I'm not setting any limits on it right now. I'll just see how it goes and see what you guys think of the story. This chapter is written in Callie's POV, but there is a small section written in third person. I know it's a little confusing, but I wanted to add some extra information from Brandon's perspective.

Chapter 1:

Callie's POV

I sat on my bed alone in the room Mariana and I shared, writing about my day in my semi-secret journal.

Dear Journal,

Today has been a long day to say the least. Mariana's Quinceanera has been one their family and friends will never forget. The day was filled with drama. Mariana found out about Jesus and Lexi hooking up, Brandon dumped Talya because he found out about her reading my journal. The fact that she is a complete bitch probably didn't help.

I don't really know what happened after all of that because I wandered off to the beach after things with Brandon had become too personal for me. Brandon said he knew everything he needed to know about me already and it didn't matter what was written in my journal. He said he didn't need to know about it. What does that even mean? How can he say he knows everything he needs to know about me? Does Brandon have feelings for me? Do I have feelings for him?

Journal, this is all so confusing. Jude and I just got here, I don't want to do anything to mess that up. I can't risk getting us kicked out of here. Jude is safe here and that's all that matters. Whatever is going on between Brandon and I needs to stop. We cannot be anything more than friends. Stef and Lena have made it perfectly clear that it's against the rules for us to be together. I'm not going to go against their rules and jeopardize what Jude and I have here over a crush. I can't be that selfish. I have Jude to think about. I'm all he has. I have to be strong for him and I have to put a stop to these feelings.

I sighed and closed the journal, storing it away under my mattress. I had become extra cautious since Talya had read it. I didn't even want to think about how horrible it would be if Stef or Lena read it. The consequences would be catastrophic.

I climbed back onto my bed and laid down, staring up at the ceiling. I had to come up with a plan to get over this crush I had on Brandon. I didn't know how I was going to do that with us living under the same roof. It's not like I could avoid him, nor would I want to. He was the best friend I had. I wasn't sure I'd be able to get over Brandon, but I had to try. At the very least I had to ensure that I didn't let anything happen between us. No hooking up. No stolen kisses. No romantic evenings together. Nothing.

I felt tears prickling my eyes. How could life be so cruel? I finally find the perfect guy, a guy who likes me and treats me right, and I'm not allowed to be with him. Where's the justice in that? Weren't Lena and Stef supposed to be "Cool Moms"? Ha.

As much as I disagreed with them on this issue, because it's not like we were actually brother and sister, and my stay here was only temporary, I had to admit they were the best foster parents I'd had. I was grateful to them for taking Jude and I under their wing.

I had to backtrack my thought once a light bulb clicked on in my mind, 'Wait a minute, if Jude and I are only here temporarily, I can just wait it out with Brandon. There's no stopping us from being together after I leave. Unless we're no longer in the same city…'

This time I let the tears fall from my eyes. I felt as though the situation were hopeless. I didn't see any way for me to end up happy. I didn't see a way for Brandon and I to be together.

I wiped my eyes roughly and sat up, my resolve growing firm. 'Where there is a will, there's a way,' I reasoned. I just needed to think of a way. There was still a minor problem beyond this that I chose to ignore for the time being, I didn't know for sure that Brandon thought of me as anything more than a friend, or god forbid, sister.

As I sat on my bed thinking of a plan Brandon walked in, unbeknownst to me. He stood in the doorway, unnoticed, watching me. A smile on his face.

Callie always had a way of making him smile. He didn't know how he hadn't seen it before today. It had taken him all of this time to realize how perfect she was. He couldn't believe he had been dating a girl like Talya. She was so wrong for him. He knew that now. Brandon knew who he was meant to be with and he was looking at her right now.

I looked up a few minutes later and let out a startled gasp when I spotted Brandon standing in the doorway staring at me. I felt my heartbeat begin to race and my palms grow sweaty. He was looking at me with the most intense gaze I had ever seen in my life and it was doing nothing to alleviate my anxiety.

I couldn't deny that he had that whole smolderingly sexy thing going on. He had a great body, from what I could see. Not too lean, yet not too built. And his curly brown hair. Oh don't get me started on that. The things I'd like to do with this man.

The sexiest thing about Brandon was that he didn't know he was sexy. He didn't flaunt his looks. He was a genuine person who cared about more than how a person looked. I loved that about him. There was more to Brandon than just good looks.

What surprised me the most about him standing there was that I hadn't known he was there. I usually knew he was there the moment he walked into the room. Usually the energy he emitted and the intoxicating smell of his cologne was enough to give away his presence. This was another reason I couldn't see myself getting over Brandon anytime soon. My body responded to him. The fact that I hadn't noticed him must mean that I was deeper in thought than I had realized.

I quickly composed myself and gave him a weak smile. He returned my smile and walked further into the room, glancing around at the various pictures and figurines Mariana had collected over the years.

"I'm surprised you haven't added your own touch to the room, or asked Mariana to take some of this ridiculous stuff down," he said easily.

I looked at him quizzically, assuming the reason why was obvious to us both. Brandon chuckled when he turned his attention back to me, seeing the look on my face. "I guess you're right," he said. "Not much anyone can do to change Mariana's mind."

I nodded and watched him walk around the room, not mentioning the other more obvious reason for my not mentioning anything to Mariana. No one knew how long Jude and I were going to be staying here. There was no sense putting my own personal touch, not that I had anything to put. I didn't want to let myself get too attached. It was already going to be hard enough having to leave Brandon.

"So," he said, voice trembling slightly with nerves, something that did not go unnoticed by me. "I was hoping we could talk about earlier…"

I looked down at the floor, not wanting to have this conversation. "Brandon… We can't," I stammered helplessly. "I know what you're going to say and we just… We can't go there. And like I said, there are things you don't know about me. Things that would change your mind about me."

Brandon approached the bed slowly and sat beside me, turning my face gently with his hand under my chin so that I was looking at him. He moved his hand so it was cupping my now sensitive cheek and looked deeply into my eyes, sending tingles down my spine.

"Callie, nothing could change my mind about you. The past is the past. You're a good person Callie."

There was something about his voice that got to me. It didn't even matter what he was saying, I could get lost in that voice. It was like music, tacky as that may sound. Brandon made me want to be tacky. I wanted to be that cliché couple you see on TV, but there was no chance of that happening.

We stared into each other's eyes for several long seconds before Brandon leaned in slowly. He brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. I trembled from his touch.

"You're so beautiful," he mumbled.

I felt my face heat up at the compliment. I wasn't used to being complimented, or noticed for that matter. Brandon smiled and closed the distance between us, brushing his lips against mine gently. I felt sparks ignite inside my body. I knew the kiss was coming, but I hadn't expected it to feel so electric. All he did was brush his lips against mine, but the passion between us was undeniable.

I returned the kiss, deepening it. Gentle brushing of the lips just wasn't enough. I had plenty of experience kissing and I planned to use that to my advantage. I wanted to wow Brandon, make this kiss something he would never forget.

I was in too deep to stop things now, consequences be damned. The bedroom door was shut and we were home alone, we would have time to stop before anyone spotted us. Who knows if we'd ever get a chance like this again. We had to make the most of it.

I pulled myself onto his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him passionately, running my tongue across his lips, begging for permission. He encircled my waist with his strong arms and opened his mouth slightly, granting me the permission I so desperately sought. My tongue ghosted over his, exploring his mouth slowly. I felt his arms tense up and pull me flush against him as he reciprocated my actions.

I felt a low moan escape my lips as we kissed. He smiled against my lips, kissing me one last time before pulling back slightly for air.

My lungs were on fire, burning for oxygen. My skin felt sensitive and raw, like every touch would send me over the edge. I could feel a warmth pooling in my core. I felt my panties growing moist. We had barely done anything and already I felt like I was at my breaking point. Brandon was just so amazing. The chemistry between us was unbelievable. My fantasies were finally coming true.

I sighed and rested my head against his chest, letting the emotions flow through me. I didn't want this moment to end.

I felt Brandon press his lips to my head gently.

"Mmm, your hair smells nice," he whispered in my ear, his hot breath raising goose bumps on my skin.

I smiled and looked up at him. He looked down at me with that dazzling smile of his and ran his fingers through my hair soothingly. I leaned into his touch, soaking in the moment.

"Callie," he whispered breathlessly.

"Yeah," I replied, my tone matching his.

"We should try that again," he said with a grin.

I chuckled and pressed my lips to his. I pulled back after a few minutes of lazy kissing and said, "You're really something, you know."

He smiled. "I could say the same about you, babe."

He kissed me again, with more intensity than the last time. Our tongues dueling for dominance. I finally gave in and let him lead. He ran his hands along my back, snaking them under my shirt when he reached the bottom of it. He placed his large hands against the small of my now naked back. I sighed contentedly.

I buried my hands in his hair, pulling him as close to me as humanly possible. He responded by grinding his hips against mine. I whimpered helplessly. He was making me lose all control and I was loving every minute of it.

He slowly slid my shirt up my body, caressing my warm skin as he went. I raised my arms above my head to let him take it off completely. He let out a low moan once he had removed my t-shirt, tossing it onto the ground half-hazardly.

I felt self-conscious under his gaze. It's not like this was the first time a guy had seen me in a bra, but this was the first time there were genuine feelings involved. This was the first time it truly mattered what the other person thought of me. Brandon mattered and I was terrified he wouldn't like what he saw.

My fears were dissolved when I heard him grunt and felt his erection press against my thigh. He ground his hips against me involuntarily, overcome with desire. I could see the lust in his eyes. I was sure that same look was being mirrored in my own eyes.

"Callie," he murmured as he leaned in to take my lips between his, moving his hands up to cup my breasts.

"Brandon," I moaned in response, leaning my head back.

There was more to this moment than any I'd had before. This wasn't about getting laid. There was something deeper. There was love. I never thought I'd be saying , or rather thinking, that. Was I really in love with Brandon Foster? Oh boy, I really am in too deep.

Brandon must have noticed my distraction because he stopped what he was doing to watch me questioningly.

"Sorry," I said sweetly. "I guess I got a little lost in thought…"

"What were you thinking about?" he asked politely, not seeming to care too much that I had ruined the moment.

"You… Us…" I said honestly.

It was then that I realized I was still topless, sitting there in only my bra and a pair of shorts. I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling self-conscious again. I didn't feel comfortable about my body, not after what my last foster father had done to me. That was yet another thing to add to the list of things Brandon didn't know about me. Maybe I should tell him now before we go too far.

Brandon's intuition was really spot on because he noticed right away that something was bothering me. He reached out and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me to him. He started to stroke my hair and whisper to me soothingly. I tried to hold back my tears, but I just couldn't do it. Brandon was being so sweet and caring that I was finally able to just let out the tears I had been holding back for so long.

I sat there curled up in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably for what felt like hours. Brandon sat there and comforted me, never asking me for an explanation. He gave me time to grieve over my past and finally let it all out.

Eventually I was finally able to stop bawling. I slowly got my crying under control and was able to just sit there in Brandon's arms in silence. Brandon sat there and waited until I was ready to talk, he didn't push me to say anything.

I took a deep breath preparing to explain myself, ready to confess my past to someone.

"There's something I need to tell you," I said, voice shaky.

Brandon looked me in the eyes and continued to stroke my hair as he said, "Okay, take your time Callie. There's no rush. I'm here for you baby. I'm not going anywhere."

He smiled at me reassuringly and I returned the smile weakly. I dropped my gaze, unable to look at him when I spoke. I wouldn't be able to bear the look of disgust that was likely to cross his face when I told him.

"It's about my last foster father… There's more to the story. The abuse wasn't only physical," I said, voice cracking at the end.

Brandon pulled me closer, hugging me tightly. He knew what I was going to say without me having to say it, something I was grateful for. I don't know if I would have been able to actually get the words out.

"Oh Callie," he whispered softly. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," I said weakly. "I understand if you want to walk away. I wouldn't blame you…"

I was interrupted by Brandon's lips crashing into mine. "Nothing you could say would make me want to leave Callie," he said firmly.

I rested my forehead against his and felt a tear roll down my cheek. He brushed it away with the pad of his thumb.

"I'm sorry for ruining the moment," I said with a weak smile.

Brandon chuckled lightly and kissed my cheek.