Page 64 of Moonstruck at Midnight
Of course, Caleb observed the strange exchange between me and William, which caused him to raise an eyebrow while he bobbed his head up and down slowly with a smirk to go with it. It was an I-saw-that-what’s-up-with-that kind of smirk.
What did he expect? An explanation? He knew better than that. But he had to let me know, in the only way he could, that he was always on to me.
Luckily the elevator arrived, and Thomas took me away to my apartment, where he delivered on every single thing he whispered to my ear.
July 5, 2009
THOMAS AND Ihad a great week together, but we kicked the dirt under the rug. We never discussed the things I wanted to, which I think was his plan since the beginning. His presence was intoxicating to me. His kisses, the way he looked at me, and how he tried so hard to show that he cared made me want to do nothing else but be with him all day and savor every moment.
I didn’t want to ruin our last few days together with another discussion.
Thomas left for D.C. and planned to return three weeks later on the 25th. My photography course started the next day, and my father called to meet up for dinner. He traveled a lot for work, but we tried to keep in touch and see each other at least once a week. Thomas had joined us for dinner a few times already, and my father enjoyed his company.
My father arrived at my apartment for dinner with a long face, seemingly upset.
“Hey, kiddo, how’s everything?” I tried to reassure him with a hug and told him that everything was okay. I made sure to carefully conceal the bruise on my face for his peace of mind. It was practically gone, anyway, just a few greenish spots here and there.
We ordered Italian, and as soon as we sat in the living room waiting for the food to arrive, my father voiced his concerns to me.
“Look, sweetheart, Aaron sent me the report from last weekend,” he said, looking straight at me. He meant Michael’s party, where Thomas got into a fight with Nicholas. “I’m uncomfortable with what I read. First of all, I want to know if you’re okay.”
“Of course, I’m okay. It was just a silly argument between friends.” I didn’t want him to worry about that or think less of Thomas because of it.
“Well, it doesn’t seem silly to me when Thomas walks out with a split lip and a bloody shirt,” he replied with a stern voice. I didn’t know what else to say because he was right. It was not silly at all.
“Caleb has mentioned on several occasions that he’s seen you, well, distraught, and arguing with Thomas. He mentioned how Thomas seemed violent on your way back from the party—he struck the car’s window.” He sighed. “Caleb doesn’t trust him. Is this something you’ve often been experiencing with him?”
Caleb!
“Absolutely not. You know Thomas. He’s just been stressed about some family issues. He left today for D.C., but I’m sure he’ll resolve them once he’s there. He’ll be back in three weeks. That means there’s plenty of time for him to figure things out.” I mean, that’s what I wanted to believe, and although I wasn’t sure if that would happen, I hoped it helped soothe my father’s apprehension.
“Okay, well, it makes me feel more at ease that you’re taking some time apart,” he said, but his face remained unchanged—gloomy. “It’ll give you some perspective. Besides, your photography course starts tomorrow. Thomas being away will do you good. You’ll be more focused.” He seemed relieved to see Thomas gone, and that saddened me. Caleb’s opinion on the matter hadn’t helped one bit.
My father needed to understand that Thomas leaving for three weeks didn’t mean we weren’t still together or planning to talk every day. It’s not like we were on a break or something.
Thomas checking on his mother had to help resolve the issues he was having with his family. I wished he would tell me what the problem was! I didn’t know if I could fix things for him, but having someone to talk to about things is always helpful. Maybe together, we could figure out a solution to whatever the problem was.
My father urged me not to take any offense to Caleb for dutifully reporting to him. He reminded me it was their job to do so and that it was all for my safety and protection.
I insisted on how Thomas would never hurt me. I told him all about his obnoxious friend, Nicholas, and how if Thomas didn’t hit him, I was afraid I would anyway. One way or another, Nicholas was meant to get punched that night. And I don’t doubt for a second that the thought went through Caleb’s mind more than a couple of times, too.
We laughed, and the mood felt lighter.
“How’s your face doing? I can’t see the bruise anymore.”
“Much better.” I smiled.
“I can’t tell you how worried I was when I found out a camera struck you. I’ve already given them the instruction to reinforce security when you hang out with them. I’m sorry, kiddo. It’s for your safety.”
I sighed. For some reason, I couldn’t seem to make any progress in that area. My father would never back down. Sometimes I felt like he would give me small windows to breathe and feel free, only to have security get tighter afterward.
I’d daydreamed plenty of times about walking out of the building alone and see what happened. But the truth is, I was a coward. I was terrified of breaking the rules. And it was unlikely I wouldn’t get caught.
I still couldn’t brush off the feeling of Caleb betraying me. We were supposed to be friends, and it was enough to hear him telling me over and over again how he thought Thomas wasn’t right for me, but to say that straight out to my father? What the hell?
On the other hand, I hoped Thomas would gain full clarity regarding his mother’s concerns. I feared his burden would only get heavier to deal with if he didn’t. There was nothing I wanted more than for him to be happy.
The doorbell rang. I rushed to open the door and saw Caleb holding our food.
