Chapter Six
Reckless
I ’VE BEEN SLOWLY dying inside for the last week.
Kreed and I have been staying at Cali’s house with her and the kids.
Tiffany is still there during the day, but she has family at home she helps while her mom works.
The girl is constantly being responsible for Bryce and Rory during the day and then her younger brother and grandma at night.
There’s nothing wrong with her grandma, but it’s getting harder for her to get around the house and do the things she used to do.
That’s just what I learned in the few days about the girl who’s been caring for Cali’s kids while she works.
The only time Tiffany doesn’t watch them is when Cali works overnight.
Kreed and I step up for those shifts and stay with them.
It’s not a chore to be with them because they’re our niece and nephew.
Not by blood but by choice. I love spending time with them and have seriously missed listening to Bryce ask a million questions and all of his innocent observations about the world around him.
It’s refreshing after being cloaked in all the memories of each mission I was on during my eight years in the military.
Cali’s been ignoring me when she leaves her room.
She doesn’t look in my direction or answer any question I ask her.
Instead, she talks to Kreed and Tiffany.
Sometimes when I look over at Caliana, it appears as if she’s looking right through me.
Like I’m not even in the same room as her and I don’t know what I can do to change the situation between us.
I can’t stand Cali being upset with me or pissed off about something I’ve done.
Unfortunately, I know exactly what has her mad at me this time.
The day we picked her up from the hospital, I smelled like sex and still had the skank’s lipstick all over me.
It was a horrible thing to do, but I wasn’t thinking clearly.
My only thought was getting to her and helping her home where she could truly be comfortable.
I thought of getting her back to her children who missed her terribly.
Now, she won’t talk to me and I can’t blame her because I’d be pissed if I showed up and caught her just after she got done fucking someone.
“What are you doin’ today?” Kreed asks me, his voice almost a whisper as he rocks Rory in his arms. She’s fighting sleep and crying nonstop right now.
Rory is usually a really good baby. She rarely cries and loves one of us holding her.
Right now, she knows her mom isn’t good or something because she’s been extremely fussy and has been crying more often than anything else.
Cali believes she also might be teething and that’s making her cry as much as she is.
Kreed and I try everything to soothe her so Cali can rest. It’s not like she can truly take care of her because she only has one hand.
The hand she had surgery on is in a hard cast now and she’s been in a lot of pain.
She tries to hide it, but Cali has the lowest pain tolerance I’ve ever seen and has had no choice but to take her pain medicine.
It allows her to get the sleep she doesn’t get otherwise.
She’s really struggling and I know why. Kreed knows why.
With the anniversary fast approaching, we’re all on edge and having a hard time getting through each day.
“I don’t know what I’m doin’. The same thing I’ve been doin’ I guess. Sittin’ here with the kids and you while Cali continues to ignore me,” I answer him as we hear the first sob from Cali’s room. She needs her next dose of pain medicine and is trying so hard not to take it.
Standing from the couch, I start to walk toward Cali’s room until Kreed stops me.
“Don’t. She doesn’t want to see you, Caleb.
Cali’s havin’ a hard time right now and doesn’t need you addin’ to it.
Take Rory and Bryce out for lunch and I’ll take care of Cali.
You can check out the haunted house while you’re out, too.
You’re the only one who hasn’t been there yet.
For now, give Cali the space she needs. You really hurt her and I don’t know how long it will take her to get over this latest shit from you.
Caleb, you really need to think about what you’re puttin’ her through and fix this shit.
She needs you and feels like she’s already lost you.
That you’re slippin’ further away from her every single time you don’t come visit or just take care of somethin’ outside and then leave without sayin’ a word to her.
This shit is on you, Caleb, and you can’t fix things with how you’re actin’ now,” Kreed states, his voice harder than normal as I look at my best friend and see the resolve in him about this.
I know he’s right. This entire situation with Cali is my fault.
I’m the one who can’t get past my feelings for her and refuse to cross that line.
I’ve been drinking myself into oblivion every damn day and fucking my way through the Feral girls just to stay away from her.
When I do come over to mow the yard or fix something Kreed and I noticed was broken, I literally leave the second I’m done working and head back to the clubhouse to drown the need to be with Cali.
Needing her fills my veins and makes me want to forget all about her past relationship with Darren.
Cali is the only girl who has ever made me feel the way I do when I even think about her.
It’s been this way for as long as I can remember and I haven’t been able to find a way to stop loving her or finding the smallest gestures from her to make me fall deeper in love with her on a daily basis.
“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll get Rory ready and take off. Let Cali know what I’m doin’ so she doesn’t worry. I mean, does she even want me to be alone with the kids now?” I ask Kreed seriously wondering if she wants me around them since she’s so pissed off at me.
“Cali wants you with Bryce and Rory. She sees how much you love them and how much Bryce looks up to you. You’re his favorite if we’re bein’ honest and I understand why.
You’ve been there for him since the day he was born and have helped him when Darren was still alive and ignorin’ him,” Kreed informs me with a small smile on his face as I take Rory from his arms and let him head to Cali’s room so he can take care of her.
I get the kids ready to head out. I’ve been bringing my truck over every day in case we have to go somewhere.
Kreed usually rides with me unless he has other shit to do.
Then, he’ll drive his SUV over here. We’re both always prepared to take care of the kids and Cali.
If an emergency happens, we’ll have a vehicle to take them somewhere in.
I don’t even miss riding my bike right now because I know this is what I need to do for the ones I love.
If I truly want to ride my bike, I can leave during the day while Kreed and Tiffany are here to go for a ride.
Instead, I choose to stay here with my family.
The ones I’ve chosen as mine because they’ll always be the most important people in my world.
B ryce and I have eaten and I managed to get Rory to eat some baby food while we were at the diner.
I had fun with the kids listening to Bryce go on and on about football.
He’s been watching games with Kreed and I for as long as I can remember.
Darren was never big on letting Bryce watch TV with him as he got older.
I saw him lose his patience one time because of his son’s questions.
Kreed and I encourage him to ask us as many questions as he wants and we answer each and every single one of them.
We’ll always encourage Cali’s kids to do whatever they want in their life the same way our parents did with us.
My parents are there on a regular basis for Bryce and Rory as well.
Every single time they come to visit me, they spend half the time with Cali and the kids.
Laura does too. Even if she doesn’t make the trip as often because of her health.
Kreed and I tend to go to her at least twice a month.
“Where we going?” Bryce asks when I get him back in his seat in my truck.
“We’re gonna head over to see the haunted house. Some of the guys are there. You wanna go there with me?” I ask him in return as I stand from buckling him in and get ready to close the door.
“Yeah,” he practically shouts, his little voice full of excitement as his face lights up and I savor this moment because I know he’s about to see something his dad would’ve loved.
It’s our junior year of high school and Halloween has come again.
Darren wants to go all out again this year and it’s no surprise because he does every single year.
Halloween is his favorite time of the year and he always does everything possible he can to outdo whatever he did the previous year.
This year, he’s truly excited because his parents are letting him have a haunted house built in the front yard.
Well, his mom is. His father is once again deployed on a mission and won’t be home.
“What are we dressin’ up as this year?” Kreed asks because Darren is usually in charge of this stuff.