Page 61 of Caleb
Me:You don’t smoke, Miss Murphy.
Red:I know. I meant you could smoke, and I could come with you.
Me:I don’t think that’s a good idea.
Red:Nothing ever is. Follow me.
Before I can reply, she stands up, throws her coat over her shoulders, and walks out of the room toward the main entrance. Aaron’s looking at me like he wants me to tell him what’s happening while I act clueless, so we follow her out.
Red starts walking down the steps toward the parking lot, and that’s when Aaron speaks out.
“Miss Murphy?”
“Yes, Aaron?” She stops mid-stairway, looking over her shoulder.
“Are you going somewhere, Miss?”
“Just needed some fresh air,” she says casually, resuming her walk. She makes a right and stops beside the staircase. “Caleb, could you please join me for a second?”
“Of course, Miss Murphy.”
As always, glancing at Aaron is my way of silently asking permission to join her. He presses his lips lightly and shoots a slow blink my way with a nod.Go ahead. But he’s not an idiot. Aaron knows we planned this, but he’s not a stranger to turning a blind eye every now and then. He knows we’re friends and that these stolen moments are the only thing keeping our friendship together.
When I reach her, Aaron gives his back to us while standing next to the staircase leading to the main entrance. So I pull out my cigarette box and light one up.
“Hey,” I say, taking a drag of my cigarette. “You look like you’re ready to hit the sack.” Her eyes look tired, but that doesn’t take away from her beauty.
“Ugh, I know.” She leans against the wall behind her, closing the flaps of her coat, and crossing her arms at her chest. The night is chilly, but her coat seems thick enough to keep her warm for a while. It sets me at ease. She yawns and covers her mouth. “I can’t wait to be back in NY and be done with all these events for good.”
She looks away as if analyzing her own words.
“Do you know anything?” Red asks a few seconds later, her voice almost a whisper. The question is open-ended, but I know what she means.
Am I coming to New York? With her?
Shaking my head, I take my cigarette to my mouth and give it a long drag. “We don’t have any information yet. But we should probably start saying our goodbyes,” I say as a joke. A very bad joke.
Red’s jaw tenses, and her brows furrow.
“Like my dad would let me walk around New York without security,” she says sadly. I can’t tell if she’s sad about her dad wanting her to continue having security or about the idea of me not coming to New York. Knowing her, I’d say it’s a little bit of both.
I hope so.
I hope she wants me to come along as much as I want to go. And a part of me thinks it’s a sure thing, but then a tiny voice inside my head keeps telling me how I shouldn’t keep my hopes up because it isnota sure thing.
“We’ll see.” My attention drifts to how her hair blows against her face, reminding me of all the hair touching back at the party. “I saw that woman reaching out to touch your hair,” I tease.
“I don’t want to be mean, and I know they mean well and that they’re trying to be nice and all, but I just can’t stand it,” she says with a shrug. “I feel like that’s how pregnant women feel when everyone’s touching their bellies. I know I would hate that too. But some people don’t know boundaries.”
“You’ve got pretty hair, though.” I drop my cigarette on the ground and crush it. “What are you gonna do?” I flick one of her locks playfully, and it brushes against her cheek.
“Bold move.” She beams at me, and it almost brings me to my knees.
“I’m trying to make you hate me just in case my services are not required in New York.” I smirk. “That way, you won’t miss me.”
She bites her lower lip, and I can see her cheeks turning pink.
“You’re the one who’s going to miss me because it’sso excitingto follow me around.” She tucks her hair behind her ear and rolls her eyes, stretching the joke.
