“So?” I yelled. “That’s all you have to say for yourself?”
“I’ll do anything to get you back. I’m not going to apologize for it. And Hailey totally screwed me over.”
“Hailey? Were you trying to give him a STD?” The girl was nasty. Caleb was lucky she hadn’t given him anything when they messed around years ago. “And you sound a heck of a lot like Josh when you say crap like that.”
Caleb circled around the counter to stand in front of me. “Don’t compare me to that psychopath. I love you, Gianna. How many times do I have to tell you that I’d never hurt you?”
“And having Hailey sleep with my boyfriend wouldn’t hurt me?”
His dark brows drew closer. “You don’t love him.”
“Yes, I do!” I lied, pissed at his selfish attitude. “We are not getting back together, Caleb. And the answer you’ve been dying to know is yes, I’ve had sex with Gage!”
His face twisted in pain and I instantly regretted my lies.
His arm swung toward the front door. “Get the fuck out!” I flinched at the rage contorting his face. He looked so hurt and angry, for a second I actually worried that he really would hit me.
I ran out of there, still mad at Caleb, but now even madder at myself. I knew he’d had sex with someone else since getting released, so what right did he have to be so upset with me? It took him only hours after I’d broken up with him to move on. I’d cried myself to sleep that night and the next.
So why did I feel so guilty?
The house was empty when I got home, my dad at work. Good thing, since my face was a wreck from crying.
Feeling horrible despite everything he’d done, I sent a text to Caleb around noon. I’m sorry I hurt you.
He never replied.
I cleaned the house for the next few hours, stopping only to answer the phone when Cece called. She was bummed about having to turn down the invitation to the Colorado Ballet Academy, but starting to be happy about the baby. Dante seemed to be taking it well, but neither one had told their families yet.
At four o’clock there was nothing left to clean, so I grabbed my keys and walked to the corner to check the mail. It was all for my dad except a blue envelope that greeting cards came in. Addressed to me, there was no sender listed. My grandparents had sent Chance a present last week and I figured they may have sent me a gift card. My dad’s parents were loaded and sometimes sent gifts for no reason.
I dropped my dad’s mail on the kitchen counter for him to find later and ripped open my letter. It was a Get Well Soon card, which was odd since my injuries had healed months ago. Opening it, my eyes went straight to the handwritten note at the bottom.
Because I’m going to cut you up, whore.
I dropped the card and envelope, rushing to the front door to double check that I’d locked it.
*****
CALEB
I’d forgotten all about Norah. With everything that happened since last night, it had slipped my mind. She’d called earlier in the day, but I’d turned off my phone. Gianna had ripped my heart out once again with her admissions this morning and I was finally forced to face the truth.
I wasn’t getting my girl back.
I turned my phone back on at dinnertime, planning to ask my dad if we could eat out. After spending the day alone, feeling like shit, I needed company and to get out of the house.
Before I called my dad, I saw a text from Norah sent about an hour ago. We on for tonight?
Hell yeah.
I dialed her number instead of texting back. I’d forget Gianna and if Norah was willing to help me out, all the better.
She answered sounding breathless, like she’d ran to her phone. “Hello?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“How about you pick me up and we see where the night takes us?” Her voice was slightly raspy, something I hadn’t noticed before. It made me think of sex. Lots and lots of sex.
“Text me your address and I’ll be there in an hour,” I told her, making a mental note to take condoms.
“Okay, see you then, Caleb.”
I was so getting laid tonight.
A little over an hour later I knocked on the door of an apartment not far from the University of Denver campus. A chick who wasn’t Norah answered. She was short and round, but cute, like a chubby version of Cece. Heck, Cece would probably look like this girl’s twin in a few months.
Norah came out from a bedroom, wearing another of those short, skintight dresses I’d found a new appreciation for. This one white, it was a perfect contrast to her olive skin. I pictured the same dress on Gianna and found the image even better.
Fuck Gianna!
No, fuck Norah tonight, Caleb!
Pushing away thoughts of my lying, cheating ex-girlfriend, I forced a smile for Norah and her friend who glanced back and forth at us. “You look, uh, beautiful.”