Page 22 of The Curse of Eternity
When he stopped a few feet from me, I looked up to meet his gaze.
“I’m glad you’re alive, Maria,” Caleb said, “but are you okay?”
I shrugged, stifling a wince when my ribs stung. “A bit bruised, but I’ve suffered worse from Andrew while practicing fighting techniques.”
“Nothing worse than an older relative you can’t beat.” Caleb smiled, and I returned the sentiment as he moved closer. His hand took mine, pressing a soft squeeze into my palm before letting go, but his attention was on the dusky horizon the whole time he touched me. Under the moonlight, I thought I glimpsed his cheekbones darken.
“I’m exhausted,” I admitted, recapturing his gaze. “I’m sorry for calling you out here so late. You’re a godsend.”
“I was already up, actually, gaming with Jim and Cody.”
“You don’t see enough of each other working at the garage?” I teased, but I’d met his coworkers. They were cool. Caleb smirked, his arms folded across his broad chest.
“Nah, but itwasa long week. You should have seen the old Chevy I worked on. It would be better off as scrap metal.” A yawn brought his palm up to cover his mouth, and guilt squirmed in my chest.
“About tonight—”
“I won’t tell anyone,” he promised, lifting one side of his mouth in a lopsided smirk. “You can trust me.”
“You’re the best.” I straightened up to give him a hug, throwing my arms around his wide shoulders. Warm hands held my waist in return, lightly and not nearly as wholeheartedly as I’d squeezed. Awkwardly clearing my throat, I let go and stepped back. “I’ll let you get home, okay?”
“Don’t be a stranger.” He winked, grinning despite the dark circles beneath his eyes.
Once he returned to his car, I hopped into mine. When we reached the highway, Caleb beeped his horn as we pulled out in opposite directions. The night’s events replayed in my head. Between kicking myself at my dumb replies and questioning the trust I’d felt for avampire, what made me flush was neither of those thoughts.
It was the last thing he’d said to me, before all hell broke loose. The way he’d leaned in, his impossibly dark eyes gazing at my lips—high above where my jugular pulsed with anticipation. What would have happened, if the woman hadn’t been attacked? If we hadn’t been interrupted…
Glad I was alone in the car, I swallowed hard. Nothing good could have come from kissing Drake.So why did my chest ache so damn bad?
Groggy and sore, the first thing I did when I cracked my eyes open was reach for my phone. Only to be let down when the screen illuminated to reveal several new messages, but none fromhim. A sigh escaped me, and my eyes closed in acceptance. I’d told Drake that he wouldn’t have to see me after last night, and that was that.
‘How disappointing…’
His accented voice replayed in my head, renewing the throb in my chest from my ride home. In all my panic, I never thanked him for saving my life. Conflicted, but determined to focus on the people I already knew and trusted, I chewed on my lower lip and checked my unread notifications.
When I got home last night—early morning, whatever—my immediate priority was to sneakily jump in the shower. After that, before passing out in bed from the spent adrenaline, I managed to text Everly with a brief update. The words I used exactly were,‘Tonight sucked, vamp attacked, (not Drake), I’m going to bed.’
I probably should have guessed such a vague explanation wouldn’t cut it. Her response was several paragraphs long, andI read through each message while the seconds ticked by on my alarm clock. At the end of it, she elected to mention—yet again—her hot date tonight at the club.
Then I checked Caleb’s text, and my heart sank. Not because it was bad, just the opposite. Worry laced every word of his message, sent around nine this morning,‘I know last night was rough, but I’m here for you if you need anything. We all are.’It was typical, the same things I’d been told for almost a year by everybody in my life.
Before the addiction, the incident, and the rehab, nobody talked to me this way. It was only after my most vulnerable moments were laid bare, when everyone got to take a good look at my struggles and whispered behind my back about my treatment and diagnoses. That’s when they all started tocareso much.
Maybe I was being selfish, wishing that they wouldn’t spend that energy worrying about me. Anyone should be so lucky to have family and friends so willing to help, accepting and unbiased. Except what nobody seemed to realize was that I wasn’t a fragile little thing—not before, during, or after.
The things I’d gone through, the choices I made, they weremymistakes that I needed to learn to live with. Nobody could have saved me from the fallout, and it bothered me every day that they all seemed to think I still teetered on that edge. That if one bad thing happened, then I’d fall off the wagon and need to be rescued from myself and anyone in my vicinity.
Tired of their condescending opinions, I decided to stop lettingtheirfears control me. Because my instincts weren’t permanently impaired, and I’d proven that to myself last night. Even if I never saw him again, keeping Drake safe from my family had been the right call. Emboldened and sure, I flipped back to Everly’s contact and dialed.
Her high voice squeaked through the receiver after only one ring. “Gods, Maria! I’ve been waiting for you to reply all morning. Are you okay?”
“I feel great,” I lied, smiling brightly until my cheeks hurt. “I was wondering if that invitation was still open for tonight? Unless you and the new boo want some alone time.” Sitting up, I carefully ran my fingers through my tangled hair.
“Y-Yeah, I’m sure Courtney won’t mind!” Everly’s hesitancy strengthened my resolve. “We’re meeting up around opening time. Eight o’clock?”
“Sounds great,” I replied, and my thoughts turned to Caleb as Olivia’s singing filtered in from the hall. “Is it okay if I extend the invite?”
Under the concrete canopy of the parking block on Copper Avenue, my car petered out with a puff when I turned the key. Opening my door, I breathed in the chill night air while my passengers clambered out of their seats. Despite Ethan’s griping about not riding shotgun, he managed just fine on the short drive.
