Page 12 of Moonstruck at Midnight
“I mean, you’re all grown-up. You’re not a child anymore. It’s time you put the past behind you. You owe it to yourself. I’m glad we can come with you and keep you safe, but you’re probably going to want to kick us away like the nuisance we are.” He snorted, pulling the edges of his lips upward.
“Ugh. I know. I can’t wait to throw you out.” I nudged Caleb’s shoulder with my hand. He probably thought there was some truth in that statement, but honestly, I wanted him close to me.
“Jokes aside, I think you’re underestimating my father. You know how he is. Sometimes his overprotectiveness worries me. It makes me wonder if there’s anything about the investigation they aren’t telling me. I feel like I’m not being informed, and I deserve to be,” I said firmly. “Is there anything else you know about—what happened that day?”
“You know I can’t talk about it. Besides, we are regularly filled in with certain information, butyouare my job, and very well cared for. There’s nothing to worry about.” He tried to reassure me, but his gaze turned to the water once again.
“I wish I could feel normal, someday, you know?” I admitted. My life was different from most people I knew, making it difficult for me to connect with others sometimes. All I wanted was for people to see me as their equal. But the average person doesn’t move around with bodyguards in armored vehicles.
“Normal? What’snormal? Who makes the rules, and why would you want to live by them? Make your own rules,” he said. “Never wish otherwise.”
Caleb’s olive skin glistened in the morning light. There was something about him not wearing a suit, but shorts and a hoodie instead made our exchange a bit more intimate—sincere. It made me feel like I was truly his friend and not just part of his job responsibilities.
“How’s Noelle?” I asked, unable to hold in a laugh.
Caleb looked at me with areally? face and rested his forearms over his knees. “Back with her boyfriend,” he replied dryly, leveling his gaze with mine—challenging me. Shoot me with your questions.Is that all you’ve got?
“Oh,” I replied innocently, coaxing him to expand. My friends told me Noelle was in an on-again-off-again relationship with her boyfriend. Caleb turned out to be merely a distraction. He knew it, too.
“You know, it can get lonely,” he said softly, “and you can’t always get what you want.” We both went back to staring at the water after that confession. But he was right, though, about how it can get lonely. He was always right, see?
“Any word from tall, dark, and handsome?” He dared ask. Caleb wet his lips and rubbed his overnight stubble, looking at me as he waited for my answer.
He knew I was not speaking to Thomas. He could smell it like a hound. But what if I was? I wondered if the idea bothered him or not. My all too revealing face would’ve let Caleb know otherwise, but I have to admit it disappointed me that Thomas hadn’t attempted any contact. He seemed so genuine the day we met, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Abouthim.
Anyway, I opened the conversation door for Caleb, and I had to let him in.
“You find him handsome?” I teased, attempting to dodge his question. He squinted down at me, demanding compliance on the silent agreement we made to talkfreely.
I surrendered.
“He’s gone—dark.” I chuckled at the irony, knowing better than to expect any different.
“Well, I guess that just makes him an asshole,” he snapped. I snorted, acknowledging his effort to make me feel better about the situation. “But I could tell you liked him, and I wish I could say the same. However, there’s something about him … I’d prefer he doesn’t contact you again.”
Hmm.
He was trained to doubt and suspect everyone around me. But was it just that?
“Did it—bother you?” I asked bluntly. His eyes went wide for a heartbeat, somewhat surprised by the candor.
“Well, you know how I—worry.”Worry. What an interesting choice of a word. “What bothered me was how you had to see me with Noelle, but I thought it was enough punishment to see you with Thomas later that night.”
What? I thought he was only embarrassed about being caught, not that he’d be bothered by it in any other way.Seeing him kiss Noelle mademefeel jealous, but I wasn’t thinking about punishing him. I just wanted to stop thinking about it.
But now I was beginning to think that my interactions with Thomas might’ve triggered a bit of jealousy in him too. But I didn’t have a clue of what that meant, and I wasn’t going to start asking him about it. No.
Ultimately, he was part of the few good things I had going on for me. Caleb was a presence that, even in the loneliest of days, never faltered. His friendship was more important than any stupid feeling of jealousy. I couldn’t let that jeopardize our special bond.
On the other hand, Thomas had been a surprise. One Ididnotsee coming. He caught me off guard, and I clung to the possibility of seeing him again.
Caleb sensed that, too.
I just wanted to make sure he knew his friendship meant a lot to me and that I valued it above my immaturity.
“You know you’re not just—work, right?” He stood up and moved his water-facing chair at me. He was making a statement that I had his complete attention.
“Of course, I mean, I like to think you consider me a friend,” I replied. “Your most boring friend, that is.” He grimaced in response, making his disagreement clear.
