Chapter 25 #2
But this wasn’t the same thing at all. It felt the same, but I had never been safe with Marcus. I was safe with Caleb, though. Caleb wasn’t trying to control me but keep me safe. Safe.
And safety was on the island.
“I know you do, but I can’t promise your life will ever be the way it was before, at least not for a while.”
“Caleb, I can’t?—”
“What? You’re saying you can’t be with me now?” The look he gave me ripped into my heart.
I took a shuddering breath. “Not publicly, Caleb. I can’t go back to Boston right now. I’m staying here. I’ll work from the cottage this week.” I knew I was babbling senselessly, but I couldn’t still the panic building inside my chest.
“Brooke, there is no way I am leaving you here unprotected, or letting you out of my sight right now. No fuckin’ way, so you can just forget that idea, baby, and let it go right on out of your pretty head.
” He glared at me in a way I had never seen from him before.
“You’re coming back to Boston with me until I can get your security situated,” he insisted, reaching for me.
“But I didn’t choose this,” I snapped, pulling back from his hands. “I didn’t choose this.” This time the words came out as a faint whisper.
He froze, his eyes widening as he stared me down.
“I know you didn’t choose this, and neither did I, but I’m trying to make it livable for us both.
” His scowl was replaced by a softer grimace as he reached for me again—more slowly this time, but not taking no for an answer, either—pulling me to his chest.
I allowed him to hold me and listened to him telling me the many reasons why I had to swallow my fear and go back to Boston for now.
He said it would take time to make a secured home for me on the island—and it broke my heart.
I didn’t know how to tell him what I knew would hurt him.
I was scared and feeling like a selfish bitch, but that didn’t stop me from complaining.
“But, Caleb, you said you would come and be in my world with me. You told me,” I reminded him, knowing it would change nothing about this situation.
“I know I did, and I will, Brooke, but I need some time to make that happen, and right now there’s a nest of pit vipers trying to dig out a story about you, and the only way I can shield you is to take you back to the city, where I have the resources in place to keep them the fuck out.”
“It’s not permanent, Caleb, you have to understand that I will go for the short term, and only because of safety reasons.
I won’t live with you in Boston permanently.
I wish I could, for your sake, because your home is there, and your work.
But I know that I can’t. It’s very h-hard for m-me to explain, but I n-n-need to live here on the island.
” I shuddered and gasped for air that seemed in very short supply.
“I understand, baby,” he said quietly.
“You do?”
“I do. I understand that’s what you need, and because I love you, I want to give you everything that you need.
We can live on the island if the city is a deal breaker for you.
It doesn’t even affect me that much because I can come and go via chopper in mere minutes, but—and this is one huge-ass but—I can’t do it overnight.
It is going to take some time to get a suitable place for us here, with security that is acceptable, and especially to limit the access of every fool who thinks they can approach us. ”
I nodded into his chest, breathing in his scent to help stabilize my overtaxed emotions.
“Thank you. I’m sorry for all of this trouble.
I wish I could feel differently, but it doesn’t change how much I love you.
” It didn’t change how much I loved him, but his words just made me love him more.
He wasn’t trying to make me yield to his demands, but make our new life livable according to safety and my needs.
I understand that’s what you need, and because I love you, I want to give you everything that you need.
My mother never got that from my father.
He sighed, and it felt as though it was a sigh of relief.
I recognized his body language loud and clear.
“You will probably never know how much I needed to hear those words from you right now, baby.” Yep.
I was right. “And I don’t want you to be a different person—ever.
You are just how you should be, and there is nothing to be sorry for. ”
“None of this mess changes the fact you are a remarkable man. I cannot even begin to understand why you aren’t running away from me at a fast clip, but you aren’t.
You stay with me and tell me you love me and say you will make your home here—with me—and it feels like I’m in a waking dream. This couldn’t possibly be real?—”
“It’s real, Brooke. It’s real.”
After a few more minutes of silence he asked, “Ready to go?”
“I’m ready,” I lied.
As I drove us to the helipad, I ruminated over everything.
I knew it would be hard for me to see stories and pictures of me in the gossip magazines, and I made a vow not to read them.
The thought of things being written about my personal life made me physically ill.
This paparazzi issue would be a tough nut for me to crack.
I would do my best and I didn’t want to let Caleb down, but I couldn’t deny the worry now settled in my heart.
I didn’t know if I was strong enough to make it through unscathed—and I guess I was about to find out.
The closer we got to the helipad at Lucas’s place, the more I realized the many concessions Caleb had made in order to spend his weekends with me on the island.
He was doing his best to accommodate my wishes, except for where the ferry was concerned.
He told me Blackstone Island Ferry wasn’t going to cut it for his commute, and he didn’t want me taking it, either.
He cited the time delay was unacceptable for him when his helicopter could make the trip in a quarter of the time.
I didn’t complain. I’d miss seeing Will, but it was wonderful to make the journey to the mainland in mere minutes, instead of an hour or more depending on the sea conditions.
Caleb’s pilot was a huge ex-soldier named Spence.
He didn’t say much, but Spence was reliable.
He was always waiting for us when we pulled up to the helipad, just as he was now.
The helicopter was fired up and ready to go when I parked and locked up Woody.
Caleb helped me navigate through the extreme wind blasting down off the rotors, and got me settled into my seat and our bags securely stowed.
As he buckled me in, I watched his hands working determinedly in securing the straps, which would make this journey a safe one for me. A kind of a metaphor for what he was trying to do for me in his life. I trusted him completely.
He gave me a quick kiss before strapping himself into his own seat. Caleb didn’t seem to have any doubts, and I liked that he was so confident about having me in his life. His confidence would have to do for the both of us right now, because I didn’t have mine down yet.
The time to face my new life in the spotlight had come, no matter how much I despised the idea. I was with Caleb now. Everything else could be sorted out with time and patience.
The time to ponder my new situation was very brief.
Because just a short fifteen minutes later, Spence set us down on top of the Blackstone Global Enterprises building in the middle of downtown, corporate Boston.