Page 34 of Taylor
“ButMum—”
“You were doing what you thought was best. Everyone would have done the same thing in yourposition.”
I look up at himsadly.
“Caleb?”
“Yeah?”
“I think I’ve fallen in love withyou.”
It’s clear from the look on his face he wasn’t expectingthat.
“I—” he starts but I cut him off. I’m notfinished.
“But if you don’t want me and everything that comes with me,” I say, gesturing to the devastation around us, “then you need to tell me now, because if this goes on any longer, I won’t be able to walk away from you.” The final part of my statement comes out muffled because Caleb gently places his hand over mymouth.
“Shut up, you idiot,” he says, dropping forward on to his knees and replacing his hand with hislips.
When he pulls back, his eyes are dark and his chest is heaving up and down with his increased breaths. He opens his mouth to say something but we getinterrupted.
“Ah, you’re back. We were just popping in to check on theplace.”
When I look up, I see two policemen looking down onus.
They stay for about an hour, questioning us and going through everything. I tell them all about my suspicions that it was my stepdad and they say they’ll try to pick himup.
Once they’ve gone, we phone a locksmith and attempt to sort through the flat and write an inventory of what is damaged and completely fucked for the insurancecompany.
It’s well after midnight before we call it a day. Caleb orders us Thai takeout, and we sit and eat it out of the tubs on our living room floor, seeing as the sofa cushions have been shredded and had all the stuffing pulled out ofthem.
We may be surrounded by chaos but there’s something so calming in this moment. I look up to Caleb to find him already looking over at me. He has a small smile on his face and a glint in hiseye.
“I got interrupted earlier,” he says, placing his now empty tub down on the floor and turning to look at me. “But what I was going to say was that I think I’ve been falling in love with you for a long time now. I was just to pig headed and stubborn to admitit.”
My heart thuds in my chest, threatening to escape. “Please say that again. I just need to make sure I heardcorrectly.”
Caleb’s smile widens as he throws his leg over mine so he’s straddling me. “I,” he says, leaning forward and placing a simple kiss to my lips. “Love.” He kisses me again. “You.” I don’t give him a chance to kiss me this time, because I grab onto him and flip him on his back. I settle myself between his legs, lean forward and kiss him. Here, surrounded by this disaster, I kiss him like it’s the first and last time I’ll ever get the chance. Smashed up flats, fucked up family, hell, the fucking world is forgotten in those minutes as I try to show him just how much I meant those words earlier. Because I do, more than anything. I may not have much to offer him, but love is something I definitely do have. And right there, on our living room floor, I set about showing himproperly.
“I’ve never made love to anyone before,” I admit, running my fingertips over his chest andstomach.
“Me either; it wasnice.”
“It was nice?” I ask, totally affronted by hiscomment.
“Yeah, nice.” He rolls over onto his side and looks at me, he can’t contain his smile and bursts out laughing. “Your face! It was incredible, Tay.” He stretches up and gives me a kiss. “Stop pouting, I said it was incredible. Give me yourlips.”
He pulls back after a few seconds, his eyebrows drawn together, deep in thought. “I’ve been thinking…how about we find somewhere new tolive?”
“But you love thisplace.”
“Yeah, but it’s mine. I want something we choose together. Plus, it’s never going to be the same now.” I instantly go to apologise again but he won’t haveit.
* * *
Icall workfirst thing the next morning, explain what’s happened, and tell them I’ll be back in a few days. Thankfully, Simon tells me to take as much time as I need. I don’t intend on taking the piss, but there are a few things I need to sort out—Mum being one ofthem.
I discover that the hotel key card that I’d left on my bedside table for her room has disappeared, even more evidence that it was mystepdad.
