Page 86 of Caleb
But just in case it’s not clear yet …
“You know you’re not just—work, right?” I stand and move my chair so it faces her. I want her to know this conversation is important.
“Of course, I mean, I like to think you consider me a friend,” she says. “Your most boring friend, that is.”
I grimace.
“You are anything but boring, and you are one of the few people I can talk to about—things,” I explain. “And after all you’ve been through, yes, I believe you are mature for your age but never boring.” I reach out for her hand, and I can see how the gesture makes her nervous by the way it makes her breathe a little faster.
“I just want you to be happy.” I take a deep breath.
“Believe me. I do, too.” She squeezes my hand.
“Taking care of you makes me happy, and I wouldn’t risk losing the opportunity to keep doing it.” Maybe after saying this, she’ll know why I had to leave. She’ll know I lost the opportunity to keep looking out for her and why. But she’s a smart girl. I’m sure she can put two and two together.
Pressing on my earpiece, I let Aaron know we’ll be heading back to his location. I can’t risk saying anything more than I already have. Besides, we have a schedule to keep up with. Ambassador Murphy is taking Red for an impromptu outing to the Louvre so the staff can start putting everything together for her surprise party.
It’s best to start moving out.
Standing up, I offer my hand to help Red from her seat. “Come on, Aaron’s bringing the car around. You must have a lot of things to do.”
“You know I’ll always be there for you.” She smiles a warm, hopeful smile, and it’s killing me to know she might think differently once I talk to her tonight.
“These arrived for you, Miss Murphy,” Annette says the moment Red opens the door to step inside the Residence. There’s a huge flower arrangement sitting on the foyer table. She looks stunned. And this is where I usually turn around and leave, but I’m curious to know who sent her those.
“They’re beautiful,” Annette says excitedly, handing an envelope over to Red.Traitor. She quickly opens it to read the note inside. “That is one lucky guy.”
Lucky guy?
What kind of game does Annette think she’s playing when she knows how I feel about Red? And as much as I’m trying to catch her attention, she’s acting like I’m invisible and excuses herself after someone comes looking for her.
“Who’s the lucky guy, Miss Murphy?”
She flinches and turns around, still holding the note. I startled her, and I didn’t mean to. I’m sure she thought I had left.
“Thomas sent them.”
Fuck me.
“Is there anything else you need, Miss Murphy?” It’s best if I remove myself from this scene. I need to calm down before we go to the Louvre. Her father is going to be there, and I need to seem like myself, and right now, I want to punch a hole through the wall. Annette’s provocation was a low blow I didn’t see coming.
“Come on.” She lifts the note and waves it once in front of her. “It’s just flowers.” It only makes me feel worse. Embarrassed. There’s no need for her to explain herself to me about anything. I’m the one who’s not being able to keep my head straight.
“I need to talk to Aaron,” I say as an excuse to leave, forcing a smile. “I’ll see you later, Red.”
Me:I need to talk to you when we return from the Louvre.
Annette:I don’t know if I have the time. I’m busy with Miss Murphy’s surprise party.
Me:Then find the time.
Annette:Text me when you get back. I’ll see what I can do.
I don’t bother with a reply. I’ll drag her to my room to talk if necessary. Knowing what the note that came with the flowers said is important to discovering Thomas’s intentions, not that he hasn’t made it clear with the size of the flower arrangement. And I know Annette read the note beforehand.
As I walk to my room to take a quick shower and change into my suit, I contemplate my sanity. Why am I so obsessed with this Thomas guy coming into Red’s orbit? God, I can’t explain what it is. All I know is I can’t brush off the feeling that he’s a douchebag who doesn’t have the best intentions in mind. The way he met her and how things went down that night felt too orchestrated. And the fact that I won’t be around to ensure she’s safe around him is fueling this sense of uncertainty even further.
I fear I might be losing my mind over this.
