Page 37 of Caleb
The girls say goodbye to Noelle and start whispering in French, so I can’t catch a thing of what they’re saying.
“Ready to go, Miss Murphy?” Aaron asks in a crisp tone. He seems irritated. Toss in his personal issues to the mix, and it will not end well. It’s best to leave as soon as possible.
“Yes, please,” Red replies, looking exhausted, folding the paper invitation in half. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow?” She lifts the invitation and fans it a few times. Her friends nod, hug her, and say their goodbyes before walking away.
After taking Red’s backpack, Aaron and I follow her down the hall toward the exit. We’re about to step out of the main building when Noelle appears next to me again.
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” she whispers, placing a small piece of paper in my hand before walking away and disappearing into the crowd of students.
Shaking my head, I force myself not to smile since Aaron is looking at me and well aware of what just happened. I tuck the piece of paper (which I assume has her number written on it) inside my pants pocket and keep moving toward the parking lot.
Aaron’s walking around the car to get in the driver’s seat, and Red elbows me playfully in the ribs before I open the door for her.
“Most popular guy in school,” she whispers in a teasing tone.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Miss.” I frown, but a smile escapes me as I see the playful look on her face.
“Right.” She presses the invitation against my chest. “This one’s practically got your name on it.” She snorts and gets in the car as I grab the piece of paper in midair.
I get in the car wondering if she’s … jealous? Or does it amuse her to taunt me with this subject? It’s not the first time something like this has happened, and it’s not the first time she said something about it afterward, either. It’s always a playful remark, and honestly, I freaking love it when she says something. I think it’s fun, and I like to think there’s a bit of jealousy scrambled in there, too, with the banter.
I know I’d be …uncomfortableif any guy got near her with intentions other than asking her for the time. I don’t think she’s ready to date. An asshole breaking her heart would only make her already fragile emotional state worse. But that’s not something I can control, so it’s best to be mentally prepared for the day when guys start asking her out and shit.
It’s reasonable to dismiss the thought because there’s no use in stressing about something like that right now. The girl’s got social anxiety and other stuff to work out first, so I don’t see her having a boyfriend anytime soon. She turned seventeen just a couple of months ago and is slowly starting to feel comfortable doing more things with her friends. So yeah, worrying about some douchebag sweet-talking her into becoming his girlfriend is not something I need to prioritize right now.
I hope.
As we’re driving back to the Residence in silence, I stealthily pull the piece of paper out from my pocket and see that it is, in fact, a phone number. Noelle’s phone number, I’m sure.
Fuck. This girl is hot, and I know the right thing to do is toss that piece of paper away, but I don’t want to do that just yet. I’m … curious, but even if she’s one academic year ahead of Red, I’m not sure if she’s eighteen yet, and if she’s not, then that’s where I draw the line.
This is ridiculous. I shouldn’t be contemplating the possibility of getting involved with a student from Red’s school. Aaron’s right. I should go out more on my days off.
But I don’t.
I choose to stay home and get drunk on my own most nights. Free or not. Or secretly drink with Annette in her room or mine when she’s fighting with the bastard. But all we do is talk, talk, talk, which is fine. She’s fun to be around, and I like and respect her, so I wouldn’t want to make things more complicated for her relationship than they already are by sleeping with her. Again. That night was fun, but I think we both know it’s best to keep that in the past.
Aaron’s about to click the gate open, and I’m lost in my thoughts, thinking how Noelle is technically a college student now and she’s not in Red’s high school anymore, when a man comes out of nowhere and starts frantically banging on Red’s window.
She lets out a panicked yelp, unbuckles her seatbelt, and crawls backward until her back is pressed against the other door. She’s now sitting behind me. Instinctively, I pull out my arm and cover her while my other hand reaches for my gun.
“Please, help me!” the man shouts, seemingly desperate. For all I know it could all be an act. He’s got a long messy beard, and his face and clothes look dirty.
Before anyone can blink, Aaron shoots out of the car and twists the man’s arm behind his back, launching him face-first against the asphalt. The man keeps begging for help in between sobs.
I’m about to step out of the car to get her out when Red says, “Caleb, no! Please don’t leave me.” Her hand reaches out for my arm. “Stay with me.” Her eyes are locked with mine and filled with terror.
“It’s okay, Red,” I say in a soothing voice. “I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere.” I press my hand over hers and nod. She nods back in understanding. “But I need to get you inside, okay?”
“But—how, what are you gonna do?”
Three DSS agents rush out and help Aaron with keeping the man, who won’t stop crying, pinned to the floor while he goes around the car talking to me on the earpiece. “Let’s get Miss Murphy inside through the pedestrian access. It’s best not to open the gate right now. We don’t know if this man is here alone or not.”
I step out of the car, and Aaron opens Miss Murphy’s door. We’re escorting her as quickly as we can when the man shouts, “Please! My son! They still have my son!”
Red’s looking over her shoulder at the shouting man with narrowed eyes as if wanting to stop to take a closer look at him. “He needs help,” she says with raw apprehension. “Don’t hurt him, what—”
“Nothing to worry, Miss. We’ll handle it,” Aaron says, rushing her through the gate. I follow close behind, gun drawn. Red could be in danger, and she still has the energy to worry about the man. Meanwhile, all I can think about is how this man might be creating a diversion, and I need to get her as far away from here as possible.
