Because whenever he thought about Maddie, she was inevitable. That scared the shit out of him. How could one woman, who'd crashed into his life a week ago, have this much hold over him? They barely knew each other. Every exchange between them had ended in insult or hurt. Yet, something about her was magnetic. She wasn't the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, but there was something honest and open about her that Caleb craved. Something naive that he wanted to corrupt. Something innocent that he wanted to seize.
If she was smart, she'd run and never look back.
He had to remind himself more and more often that she didn't need him in her life. She had a good future. She was a student with bright ambition. Caleb imagined that she came from a loving family, despite the tragedy of her father's sudden death. She probably had a handful of good, close friends. She probably had a cat or a goldfish or read before she went to bed or cooked a homemade meal each night. She didn't need someone like him. He'd fuck everything up.
So why couldn't he keep his eyes off her? He didn't know why he continued to allow her to work in the same office as him, since he got nothing fucking done when she was here. There was a perfectly good office downstairs for when customers came in. Why didn't he set her up there?
You know why, he thought, as his treacherous gaze sought her across the office.
Maddie's eyes were focused on the screen of the laptop. A stack of papers, receipts, and invoices sat next to her. She would nibble on her lip every few moments, looking so damned adorable that Caleb clutched at the edge of his desk so he wouldn't get up and do something he would regret later.
For a brief moment, their eyes met and Caleb immediately looked away, swallowing hard. He wondered what prick was taking her out on Saturday and wondered why he loathed the faceless, nameless man as much as he did.
He stared at the screen of his computer. And then opened up his email, telling himself that he needed to do something and he had hundreds of emails to sort through. He resolved not to look in Maddie's direction for the rest of the night.
Twenty minutes later, when he couldn't concentrate on emails any longer, his eyes strayed to his desk phone and realized he hadn't checked the voicemail today. He dialed it up and sat for five minutes, listening to client requests for restorations and making notes. But the last voicemail made his blood run cold.
"Mr. Montgomery, my name is Carl Riggs. I'm sorry to inform you that Stella Montgomery has passed away. You're listed as a beneficiary in her last will and testament and the reading will take place next week. Please call me at your earliest convenience. I'm so sorry for your loss."
The lawyer left his phone number and a few other details, but Caleb wasn't listening. Stella Montgomery, his uncle's ex-wife, Caleb's aunt, the woman he hated most in the world, was dead.
Before Caleb could fully process that fact, he was shaking. With relief, fury, and dark memories.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Not now. God, not now.
He pressed his trembling palms into his jeans, clenching the tight material between his fingers. Frantically, his eyes sought Maddie, needing something to ground him.
He felt like he was sixteen again and helpless. He felt like he was in his dark bedroom and he watched, heart pounding, as the door slowly swung open.
* * *
"Caleb?" Maddie asked before she realized it, slowly rising from her chair. She'd happened to glance up at him and what she saw frightened her. Caleb was pale, a sheen of sweat on his forehead despite the coolness of the office. His lips were pressed tight, his eyes glazed. He shook his head, but then let it collapse into his palms until his face was shielded.
"Fuck," she heard him whisper. "Fuck."
"Caleb, what is it?" she asked with a little more urgency. "Are you sick?"
"No," he said, his voice raspy. "It'll pass. I-"
But then he cut himself off, shooting up from his desk with an angry, pained curse, and heading towards the office door. Baffled and more than a little concerned, Maddie watched as he escaped, his footsteps falling hard and unsteady on the metal staircase outside the door. After a brief moment of deliberation, she abandoned her work and went after him.
The garage downstairs was quiet. Brian and Peter had already left; the doors were already closed for the night. But Maddie spotted Caleb slip out of a door on the far left side of the garage. She followed.
The door led to a small concrete patio outside and it appeared to be a break area for the employees. It was pitch black out and the light that should've illuminated the small space was broken, cobwebs weaving up the sides.