I was half convinced Caleb was about to dump me. I’d styled my hair for the first time in months. I wore an old pair of jeans, but went shopping earlier this week for a new blue sweater. I thought it was cute, but now that I was here, I worried it was boring. There was another girl around my age wearing a red dress I would’ve thought too sexy for a prison visit. Her matching lipstick was a lot bolder than the pink lip gloss I’d applied to my own mouth.
I’d come clean with Gage about what happened with Josh. Before driving me here, he’d wanted to know what my boyfriend and Ian had done to wind up in juvie. I’d have liked to introduce Caleb to Gage. I didn’t want Caleb to think there was more than friendship between me and my new guy friend.
Then again, Caleb could end up dumping me today and it would no longer be an issue.
Getting through the security checkpoints had been more involved than I would’ve thought. A guard had rifled through my purse and jacket pockets, even searching the box of chocolates I’d brought for Caleb, before patting me down. It’d been a female guard, so it didn’t seem too intrusive.
From what I’d seen of the facility, the place was a little dismal. Everything seemed so cold and orderly. I hated that Caleb was stuck in here. The visitation room was filled with small tables scattered in the center and benches lining one side of the room. The motivational posters covering one wall had mountains, a kitten and a rocky beach on them.
The one titled Courage with a picture of a penguin jumping off an iceberg cliff fitted my cowardly feelings. If a penguin could jump off a cliff into freezing water, surely I could face the guy I loved.
Some moments were so important they burned into a girl’s memory forever. After so long apart, meeting Caleb’s hazel eyes across the visitation room instantly became one of those.
CALEB
The kid behind me nudged my shoulder as I stood still in the doorway. It had taken only a heartbeat for me to recognize her, despite the darker hair. She looked incredibly beautiful.
She also looked scared.
With a deep breath ending on a whoosh, I approached the table she sat at. The expression in those pretty blue eyes was a mixture of nervous and cautious. The pink staining her cheeks charmed me, but I didn’t like her discomfort. Even in our changed circumstances, we were still us.
She got to her feet as I rounded the table, pulling her up for a brief hug. We were only allowed a hug at the beginning and end of a visitation. I wouldn’t miss either of my chances. Fuck, she smelled like perfection. With her face tucked into my chest and my eyes squeezed shut, I could pretend for those short seconds nothing bad had happened to my girl.
Reaching for her hand, I took the seat across from her. I wanted her right next to me, but it was against the rules. Normally, breaking the rules wouldn’t bother me but I couldn’t risk them banning Gianna from visiting again. Besides, they had her down as my stepsister. The things I’d be tempted to do with her next to me would raise eyebrows.
Her palm was so soft as it trembled in my larger one. Covering it with my other hand, I gave her a reassuring squeeze.
“How are you, Caleb?” she asked, looking shyly at the tabletop.
“Good, now that you’re here,” I answered while handing her the gift bag. “Happy Valentine’s Day, princess.”
Her smile was small as she took the bag. Reaching in, she began pulling out the painting. “Oh!” Her smile grew and her eyes lit up. “I remember this! It’s really good, Caleb. Thank you.”
“Next year I’ll take you somewhere special for Valentine’s Day.”
Her lashes dropped, shielding her thoughts from me. Placing the painting carefully onto the table, she pushed a giant, heart-shaped box of chocolates toward me. “I got you something, too.”
Pulling off the lid, I popped one into my mouth. “Almost as delicious as your-”
“Shh!” she interrupted, blue eyes bugging out of her head.
I glanced down at her chest and mustered an innocent expression. “What? I was gonna say...lips.”
“Caleb,” she began hesitantly.
From her face, I guessed I wouldn’t like what she would say next. Changing the subject, I said, “Ian is going to be so jealous and I’m not sharing.”
Her dark blond brows drew closer. “I thought you two were friends now.” Her gaze darted to where Ian sat with a girl wearing a skintight red dress that showcased long legs I thankfully didn’t ever remember having wrapped around me.
“Ugh, maybe.” I devoured two chocolates at once. “But he’s still a prick.”
Catching Ian’s eyes, Gianna waved at him. He winked in response. Definitely a prick. “Is that girl related to him?” she asked, knowing the visitation guidelines.