My phone rings. It’s Dexter. You’d think with someone as much money as he has would find more to do than call me all the damn time.
“What’s up Dexter?”
“Gwen has called me about a thousand and one times this week”
“That’s nothing new.”
“I’m unsure as to why you won’t speak with her from what you’ve disclosed to me I see no r—”
“I’ll talk to her when I have something to say to her. Right now there’s nothing,” I say plainly, waiting to hear his disapproving huff.
“Helen will be back in town this week. Will you be able to see her?” he asks and I roll my eyes.
“I have the meeting with the Luxe brothers,”
“Well, this is even more important wouldn’t you say?”
“Sure, whatever. I’ll give you a call back. I’m on date right now, I think it’s rude to stay on the phone during it.”
“You’re on a date?” he asks skeptically. “Since when do you date?”
I laugh. “Since I felt like it.”
“Since when do you feel like it?” he asks wryly.
“Funny. I’ll talk to you later Dexter. Always a pleasure,” I say, hanging up just as Lauren has been pulled up.
“You survived, feisty. I’m a little sad you won’t be haunting me tonight,” Jake flirts.
“Hey watch it,” I say, warning him. He throws his hands up in mock surrender.
“Oh, my God! That was insane!” she says excitedly as Jake starts to help her remove her safety gear.
“I’ve got it,” I tell him. He frowns but wisely backs off.
“Good insane or…?” I ask her hesitantly but, from the excitement in her face, I already know the answer.
“Amazingly insane. I can’t believe I did that! I’ve never done anything like that before. I just jumped off a bridge and survived!”
“And you jumped without stalling. Not a lot of people do that,” I admit as I free her from her harness.
“Did you stall? Your first time, that is?”
“What do you think?” I ask her curiously and she takes a moment as if she’s really thinking. “No. You seem to do things without thinking first,” she says and I chuckle.
“Is that a good or bad thing?” I ask skeptically, and for the first time since she’s jumped, she looks away shyly before meeting my eyes.
“It can be both,” she says quietly.
I want to kiss her. Right here right now. Usually, I would but I’m the one stalling now. Which is strange because I’m not a staller. I don’t think; I just do. But something about her makes me stop and think and I’m not sure what to do with her. I’m not used to being in this territory. The reason why I’m even here is foreign to me. I don’t do this. I don’t rescue girls from assholes. I am the asshole—well, not as big as some of them are. I don’t think back on the damage I’ve done. I definitely don’t think about fixing it. I don’t even date; yet, here I am. Smack dab in the middle of a date with a girl who is too beautiful to not want to sleep with, with eyes that make you not want to look away but dare you to stare, gives you a conscience—one I’m not used to having, one that I prefer to block out. A bridge I don’t want to cross. She’s more than tempting, she’s dangerous.
And fuck if danger isn’t my thing.
Lauren
When Cal finally decides to waltz back in, it’s with a bag of groceries. He glances over at me sitting on the couch, the TV on only as a distraction. I want to bombard him with questions as soon as he walks through the door but of course that would be the dumbest thing to do and the very thing that will get me no answers. He brought me here for a reason. I know he loves me; he has to. I have to give him time, but how much time?
“Are you going to put some of those cooking skills to use?” he asks, setting the bag on the table before disappearing into the bedroom. How much does Cal know, what does he see? Does he know everything that happens with Chris? I head to the counter and see that there is a carton of apple juice, eggs, bacon, two steaks, three potatoes and a bag of spinach. If he was Chris, this definitely wouldn’t be enough food.
I start to wonder how long we’re going to be here. For a day? Several? I trust that Caylen is fine with the Scotts but she should be with us…shouldn’t she? When she is with us, how does this work? Is he going to tell her he’s Cal and what will happen if Chris comes back? What happens as she gets older? Does she live with two dads? Do I become the woman with two husbands?
“You’re thinking too much,” his voice interrupts me from my trance. I try to read him. What’s his mood?