13. Thirteen Freya
Thirteen: Freya
T he party was chaotic, and I didn’t feel much better being here. It was a distraction, sure, but after an hour, I was about ready to leave. There was no sign of Zach, but I found myself paranoid. Any tall, brunette man that moved past me caused me to jump, and they looked at me as if I was crazy as I smiled awkwardly and shuffled aside.
I wondered if Kaleb and Brent were about ready to go, too.
Turning around, I caught sight of Kaleb in the far corner of the room. He was leaning against a wall talking to a beautiful blonde, her wavy hair cascading down her back and her slim figure standing closer to him than necessary. He ground his teeth together as she spoke, his arms crossed.
I couldn't help the pang of displeasure that rocketed through me, especially since she was absolutely stunning. It was stupid of me, though. Kaleb and I barely even tolerated each other.
I stood in the middle of the crowd, watching them both, my eyebrows raising when she took a step towards him, reaching out and placing her hand on his arm. He noticeably stiffened, his jaw tense as he looked past the blonde, scanning the crowd again.
I couldn't help myself as my legs moved on their own accord towards the pair, and I cleared my throat awkwardly to catch their attention. Kaleb glanced down at me with questionable brows, and the blonde looked pissed off—rightfully so—but I paid her no mind as I stared into Kaleb's concerned eyes.
“Freya?” he questioned, cocking his head, waiting for me to speak. “You okay?”
“Umm, yeah, I’ve lost Hannah.”
Big. Fat. Lie.
“Right, excuse me.” Kaleb brushed past the beauty, her eyebrows scrunching together in irritation as she watched him and me move away from her. “Freya, she’s right there. At the table. Where you were.” Kaleb pointed over to the drinks table where I’d just come from, gesturing to Hannah, who had her arms wrapped around Josh’s neck.
I nodded, swallowing, and he dipped his chin, flashing his straight teeth as he chuckled to himself.
“If you wanted to get me away from her, all you had to do was say that, Freya.”
My face turned as red as a tomato, and I gazed up at Kaleb with round eyes, my heart feeling as if it was going to fall out of my ass. “I didn’t…” There was no point in me even finishing the sentence. We both knew it.
Kaleb didn't speak. Instead, he allowed me to wallow in my embarrassment, and it was clear he found it entertaining. “If you'd rather I stay and talk to you instead, I'm happy to keep you company.”
“No,” I replied, my voice quiet. “No, I can see Hannah now, so don’t let me cockblock you.” Regret flooded my system.
Kaleb shrugged, taking a backwards glance at the blonde. “She's not really my type.”
Oh, I mouthed, twiddling my fingers, resisting the urge to chew my nails off. “So, then, what is your type?”
Kaleb hummed, his eyes travelling up and down my body briefly before he clicked his tongue. “I prefer brunettes. I like women who can stand their own ground. Some call them bossy, but I prefer the word self-assured. Or fiery. I like when they can keep me on my toes, and I could tell after just one minute of talking to that girl that she was none of those things.”
A chill ran down my spine at his confession, and I nodded casually as he smirked down at me.
“I would ask you your type, but I have a feeling I already know.” He continued to scan the room, glaring at a couple next to us who almost bumped into me as they danced. One look from Kaleb had them backing up immediately.
“What do you mean?” I questioned. “You don’t know my type.” Zach hadn’t been a good representation.
“Judging by how you're always staring at me, I do.”
My breath hitched.
What on earth was I supposed to respond to that? Was denying it the best route to take? Or was laughing and shrugging it off going to come across as more believable? Frankly, I wasn’t about to admit to Kaleb that he'd hit the nail on the head. He was exactly my type, but then again, I didn’t see how he couldn’t be. He was drop-dead gorgeous.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” I said before I even had time to think. Denying it, it was.
“Freya, I didn't say I minded.”
My stomach suddenly decided it wanted to take up gymnastics as a new hobby, flipping and tumbling, and I awkwardly cleared my throat. I was usually a pretty confident person, but there was something about Kaleb that made me flounder.
“If it makes you feel any better,” Kaleb continued, “I feel like I'm going to need to punch about ten different guys right now for looking at you like you're a meal. You’re the most attractive woman here by far, and they’re not being subtle about it."
I craned my neck, spotting a few men gazing at me suggestively, some just outwardly staring at my breasts with no shame. Creeps.
The guys weren't the only ones, though. It looked like the majority of the women in here were eyeing up Kaleb, and I couldn't blame them. He stuck out like a sore thumb with his impressive height and large muscles, oozing an intimidating and unbothered aura. Many women were drawn to that kind of personality—including me.
I hadn’t noticed how hot it was until I felt perspiration collect on the nape of my neck, and I fanned myself with my hand, which earned me a concerned look from Kaleb.
“Let's go outside,” he said, turning, and I furrowed my brows at the way the crowd parted for him—as if he were Moses and they were the Red Sea.
The cool air calmed me immediately, and Kaleb and I leaned up against the side of the house. A few people were lingering around outside—some smoking and some chatting and laughing—but they took no notice of us.
He took a deep breath, tilting his head back and gazing up at the stars, looking fed up. He dragged his phone from his pocket, and his lock screen caught my attention. He, with a young Brie, sat on his lap—his little sister mid-giggle as she pinched his cheeks, attempting to get him to smile for the camera. A sigh left his lips once he noticed my interest, gazing down at the photo before locking the device.
“Your mom told me what happened,” I said quietly, kicking at the ground. I wanted to apologise for sleeping in her room. I understood how much it upset Kaleb; it seemed to be the elephant in the room whenever I’d head to bed. His eyebrows would knit together, and his mouth would turn downwards every evening, and I often waited for him to call it a night before me so I could avoid his reaction.
Kaleb hummed in response, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed, refusing to look at me.
“I just wanted to say how sorry I am for staying in her room. If I’d known about it when I first arrived, I would have offered to stay on the couch. I still can if—“
“It doesn’t matter,” Kaleb responded, running his tongue along the front of his teeth. Jackie was right when she said he refused to talk about it and acted as if everything was fine. He was bottling it all up, and it was clearly affecting him.
“It does,” I muttered. “I know how hard it is for you.”
Something inside Kaleb snapped, and he turned to me with a scowl. His anger wasn’t directed at me, but I could see the hurt lingering in his coal-like eyes. “I don’t think you know what it feels like to have somebody die because of you, Freya.”
“Brie didn't die because of you, Kaleb. Your mom said—“
“She doesn't know the full story,” he interrupted me, taking a deep breath.
My mouth parted slightly, and I knitted my brows together. An awkward silence filled the air between us—thick and uncomfortable. I felt like I was choking on it, and after a few minutes, Kaleb gazed at my conflicted expression and cursed to himself.
“The people who shot Brie were really aiming for me,” he mumbled, running his hands through his hair. “I pissed them off, and they followed me. Three people died that night—one of them being my little sister, who was completely innocent.”
My face blanched.
“My mom thinks I got into this line of work because that incident made me realise I wanted to protect people. She doesn’t know it actually stems from a place of guilt.”
“You never told her?”
“Brent is the only person who knows.”
“You didn't pull the trigger, Kaleb.” I took a step closer to him. “It isn't your fault that Brie isn't here anymore.”
Kaleb scowled, his mouth down-turned. “Yes, Freya, it is. Just because I didn't actively shoot her doesn't mean it isn't my fault. If it weren't for me fucking with them, those guys wouldn't have had a reason to try to kill me. I knew they hated me, and I pushed, thinking it was funny. It should have been me that night. Not Brie.”
I gulped, chewing on the inside of my cheek.
“I shouldn’t be telling you this.” Kaleb ground his teeth together, leaning his head against the house and shutting his eyes. “I’m going to the shooting range, so I’ll take you home.”
“Is it open at this time?”
“It's always open.”
“Right,” I said. “I'll go with you.”
He arched a brow, dragging his bottom lip into his mouth as he deliberated. “I don't think—“
“Zach could have hurt me earlier. I think we could both benefit from a way to release some pent-up anger, don't you think?”
The innuendo left my mouth before I realised its double meaning, and Kaleb raised his chin, humour sparking in his eyes.
“Will never stays later than eight, but don’t speak to anybody inside. I'll message Brent to let him know we'll be back soon.”
I nodded. Hopefully, my shooting skills had magically improved since the last time, but I had little hope.
By the time we reached the shooting range, adrenaline was soaring through my veins, making me feel buzzed with anxiety and excitement.
Hearing that Kaleb tortured himself on the daily regarding Brie’s death caused my heart to ache. He’d messed with some guys, but I knew if he'd known that there was even the slightest chance that Brie would get hurt because of it, he wouldn’t have taunted them.
His hands were tight on the wheel, the metal groaning underneath the force, his veins pulsating. Once stopped, he gripped his gun, beckoning me to follow him inside with his head.
The shooting range looked eerie at night, the few smashed windows at the front reflecting the moonlight, the wind whistling through them. So that was the reason it was so cold inside.
“You're sure Will won't be here?” I asked, cocking my head. I wasn't going to suggest turning back if he was, but I did want to prepare myself to be creeped out. He emitted strange energy, and it was clear I wasn’t the only one who thought so, judging by how Kaleb didn’t want me speaking to him.
“He doesn’t like spending his evenings here.”
The scent of cigarettes and sweat wafted up my nostrils as we entered the building, causing them to burn. I scrunched up my face, and Kaleb twisted his head from side to side as he scanned the room. “It’s practically empty.”
He was right. I’d expected it to be busy late at night, but it seemed the shiftiest of people preferred to do their shooting at midday. There were two men in the far corner, but they didn't pay us any mind as they continued to shoot and laugh, the sound of their guns firing bouncing off the metal walls and making my ears ring.
Kaleb claimed the furthest spot away from them, the side of his lip curling upward. “Ladies first.” He chuckled as he passed me his gun, leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed.
“Right.” I sighed, clasping the weapon between tentative fingers, the memory of how to grasp it having fizzled from my mind. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes momentarily before opening them and pressing down on the trigger. The bullet went flying, hitting the corner of the target and bouncing off in another direction, making me yelp, afraid it was going to hit us.
Kaleb hummed, taking the gun from me, his tall form towering over me intimidatingly. “Well, that was significantly better than last time.”
He wasn't lying. I’d actually hit the target this time.
Kaleb shot with ease—not even looking for the last one, his curious gaze settling on me. I couldn't stop thinking about what he’d said back at the party, though. It was clear I’d been trying to get him away from the blonde, and he felt no shame in letting me know he was aware of the fact. Not only that, but he’d admitted that he found me attractive.
The feeling was mutual.
But he already knew that.
It had been about forty-five minutes, and my eyes were beginning to droop. I’d shot a few more times—all of them even more terrible than the last—and eventually, I left Kaleb to it while I watched. The young lady working the bar had brought over two shots for us before she left, and after a bit of reluctance, I managed to make Kaleb cheers to having a shitty day before we swallowed the fiery liquid.
The two men on the other side of the room had also called it a night, leaving Kaleb and me alone, the quiet folk music playing in the background suddenly sounding overly loud as it filled the silence. My head was thumping with every guitar string, a headache having set in. However, even with my skull pulsating, there was one thing on my mind that, for some stupid reason, I couldn’t let go.
“What you said at the party…” I began, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them.
“What?” Kaleb asked, taking another shot at the target. “About you being the most attractive woman at the party?” A low chuckle sounded from his chest. “I'm not blind, Freya.”
I had to refrain from blushing, feeling my face become hotter and hotter, and I could tell that the tip of my ears had tinged pink.
Kaleb Evans said I was attractive. So what? Not a big deal.
“Does that surprise you?”
“What?” I picked at my cuticles—a nervous habit I’d possessed since childhood.
“That I find you attractive? Does that surprise you?”
“I guess I've never thought about it before.”
I was full of fibs today.
This caused Kaleb to nod. “I'm sure you haven't,” he said sarcastically, and I heatedly took a step closer to him, shaking my head.
“Enough with the teasing,” I ordered him. “I don't like it.”
He took notice of our proximity, his eyes darting to my lips briefly before he nodded, smiling. “Noted. Would you prefer it if I were to follow through with my flirting?”
I froze. I was dizzy. So very dizzy. “I… I don't know,” I muttered, unsure how to respond.
“That's not a no,” Kaleb commented, taking a step closer to me, his jaw flexing as he swallowed, his eyes intense.
“No,” I said breathlessly. “It's not.” My mouth suddenly felt as dry as the Sahara desert as I glanced at Kaleb's lips. His eyes followed my own actions.
I hadn’t realised my back had touched the wall behind me until I felt the icy metal sting my skin, and I gasped as Kaleb shuffled closer.
“Just tell me if you want me to stop, Freya.”
There wasn’t a cell in me that wanted him to stop. I was glued to the ground, my heart slamming against my ribcage forcefully, causing them to ache. An ache I adored, though. An ache I never wanted to come to an end.
Hooking his finger under my chin, Kaleb studied me for a few seconds, releasing a pent-up breath. “Fuck it.” Suddenly, he crushed his lips to mine. I immediately responded, wrapping my arms around his neck and digging my nails into his skin. As we kissed, our flaming bodies pressed against one another—Kaleb tasting like mint and sarcasm—my new favourite flavour.
He released a throaty groan, and the sound caused me to tighten my grip on him, sliding my hands from his neck to his chest. I fisted his leather jacket, shrugging it off him and pressing my palms to his toned chest. I’d imagined myself doing this a hundred times, and it was even better than I’d expected.
My peaked nipples grazed against him, and the friction caused me to moan, tilting my head back so Kaleb could press harsh kisses down the column of my throat, ending up at the base. The warmth of his body radiated onto my own, making me sweat, and he greedily brought his lips back to mine, smothering me in one thousand tonnes of bliss and tranquillity.
But the sound of Kaleb’s gun dropping from its holster and clattering to the floor caused me to jump, and he stepped away from me with dark eyes. His nostrils flared, and he breathed heavily, taking in my lust-filled state before he frowned. “Shit,” he muttered, running his hand through his hair.
We'd just made out, and it was the single best feeling I’d ever had the pleasure of experiencing. However, I knew that the bubble of ignorance we were surrounded with was soon to burst.
“Shit,” he repeated, turning away from me. “We shouldn't have done that.”
I furrowed my brows at him, my stomach twisting painfully.
Kaleb sighed, running his hand down his face. “We shouldn't have done that, Freya.”
“Really?” My blood turned hot, and a glower etched itself onto my face as I tilted my head questionably, silently asking Kaleb if he was serious. His face told me all I needed to know, though, and I grabbed my coat and rushed past him toward the exit. Embarrassment coursed through my veins, spilling over and taking hold of my body, sending my brain into a frantic mess.
Kaleb called after me, but I couldn’t hear anything other than my inner monologue cackling at me for giving in to the temptation.