Page 75 of Caleb
Fuck this.
Advancing a few steps toward her, I completely disregard the “giving her a bit of a breathing space” part of the plan because she’s already gotten plenty of that tonight.
All I want is visual confirmation from Red that she’s okay talking to that guy. One weird look from her, and I can make him disappear from her sight.
And she’s now turned her back on me. Fantastic.
Whiskey Guy offers more wine to her. Wine she can’t possibly drink without being officially drunk. He just took her wineglass from her grasp and gestured to the server for a refill.
“That’s her fourth glass of wine,” I say to Aaron, who’s finally decided to join me. “She’s never drank that much.”
“She looks fine,” he barks back, “and we’re standing a few steps away from her. Relax.”
I snort. “This is your idea of taking care of her?” I’m offended. Worried. “I need to know you’ll be taking care of her when I’m gone.”
“She’s not fifteen anymore, Caleb,” he reminds me. “Do you remember yourself at twenty?”
His words sting. Not only are they true, but they are also a blatant reminder that she’s all grown up and capable of going out with her friends and having a few drinks. She’s even entitled to make a mistake or two and learn from it, even if I want to be the one who makes sure that never happens. It’s just part of life and learning. She needs to live, and I’ll just bear witness. For the short amount of time I’ve got left with her, at least. I’m sure I can manage that.
Swallowing hard, I’m determined to keep my mouth shut. I do remember myself at twenty, and I wish I didn’t. I wasn’t the most responsible person on this planet. But, I mean, who is, really? We’re all just doing the best we can with the cards we’re dealt with. And that means this argument should apply to her too. I shouldn’t want to keep her inside a safety bubble.
I shouldn’t want to be like her father.
As I repeat this last thought to myself like a mantra, Aaron and I observe Red’s interaction with the young man. I wish I knew his name or had access to any form of ID.
He’s got his hand on her waist and pulls her against him. I curse under my breath.
They’re fucking dancing and twirling. She’s smiling, and I feel dead inside. But at the same time, my soul is burning up with jealousy. The type I’ve never felt before in my entire life. Raw. Unhinged. Feral.
Unjustified.
I’m bursting at the seams with this heavy, unchecked emotion.
Looking away for a second to collect myself, I take a slow, deep, calm-the-fuck-down breath.
“Whoa,” Aaron says, making my attention shoot back to her.
A drunk man seems to have bumped against her. Aaron confirms it. Whiskey Guy looks angry and pushes the intoxicated man away. We’re moving in their direction, but Red stops us cold with a subtle shake of her head and a panicked look on her face.
Knowing her, I bet she doesn’t want Whiskey Guy to know she’s got security. But he’s tangled in a heated argument with the intoxicated man, and shit can escalate quickly into a drunken quarrel, and I don’t want her in the middle of it.
I don’t feel comfortable not handling this myself. Besides, the man almost knocked her down. So I wouldn’t mind channeling some of the misdirected energy curling inside me toward that man. Toward anything.
I need an outlet, and that drunk guy’s got a target on his forehead. Whiskey Guy does too.
Aaron places a hand on my chest, stopping me.
“Are you fucking serious right now?” My irritation is reaching a new level of unhealthy.
“Stay the fuck put,” he says roughly. “The drunk man left. It’s handled. Don’t make this bigger than it has to be.”
“Look at her, Aaron.” I shake my head with disbelief. This relaxed and overly detached version of Aaron regarding Red’s security does not give me the peace I need to accept that I’m not going to New York. That I won’t be there to oversee situations like these. “She looks startled, and the guy she’s with seems like he’s a second away from getting violent. I don’t like that either.”
“Let them be, Caleb.” He sounds resolute. “We’re right here beside her. She’s safe. The boy seems harmless.”
Them. I roll my eyes at that.
Whiskey Guy grabs Red’s hand and leads her away from the table.
