Chapter Seven
Caliana
I ’VE HAD ANOTHER check -up with Doc. He took X-rays of my hand and the cast won’t be coming off anytime soon.
Doc told me the bone is slowly healing and I’ll be in the cast longer than we anticipated.
This also means I’ll be out of work longer than we thought I’d be on medical leave.
I’m unhappy with this situation because I’m quickly running out of my savings.
Yeah, I get money every month from Darren giving his life while he was enlisted, but it only goes so far.
My bills are going to eat up that money before it ever hits my bank account.
I know I could ask Caleb and Kreed for help.
Hell, I could ask any of the guys in the club who served with Darren for help, but I refuse to be that girl.
I hate asking for the help they’re currently giving me with the kids and around the house.
Kreed spends all of his time with me and it’s the first time I’m not with him while Caleb hides out in a different room of my house.
He knows I don’t want to see him so he remains invisible whenever I’m out of my room.
“Cali, while you were in with Doc, I got a call from the school. My brother’s sick and I have to go pick him up. Mom’s at work and she can’t take any more time off,” Tiffany tells me as she pulls up to my house.
Looking over at her, I can see the internal debate going on with her.
She knows the guys don’t want me left alone for any reason.
However, she also needs to pick her little brother up from school.
Tiffany’s biting her lip as she taps her fingers on the steering wheel of my SUV.
My heart goes out to her because I’d be no better than she is right now.
I’d be completely torn about what to do in this situation.
“It’s okay, Tiffany. I know how much your mom relies on you to help her out while she’s at work.
Go pick Dean up and take care of him. If you need anything, let me know and I’ll send it right over.
Kreed will more than likely buy some food for you to have in the house for Dean and the rest of you.
You know how he is. He won’t be long. He was gonna check in at the garage and then meet us back here.
The kids and I will be okay until he shows up.
Don’t even bother getting out of the SUV.
Take it home with you. I’ve got your car here if I need it and Kreed will have his SUV,” I say, trying to assure one of my friends that I’m not mad and she’ll be okay by leaving me alone.
“I won’t let the guys say anything to you when you come back.
If you can’t be here tomorrow, let me know and I’ll take care of it. ”
“Are you sure, Caliana?” she questions me, still debating what to do and if she should really leave me alone or wait until Kreed and Caleb get here. “Can’t Caleb come over sooner than Kreed? He hasn’t really left the house since you got out of the hospital.”
“I’m sure Caleb is busy with other things today. It’s been way too long since he got some,” I tell her, looking over my shoulder to find Bryce wearing the headphones Manic got him for his birthday with my phone in his hand. He’s listening to music.
Tiffany looks at me because she knows how I feel about Caleb and the way he’s acting is upsetting me more than anything else has since she’s known me.
Yeah, I was upset about Darren’s death and I still mourn the loss of him.
However, anyone who truly knows me realized very quickly I wasn’t mourning him the way a wife in love with her husband does.
I was grieving him as a best friend while thinking of how it would feel if Caleb had been the one to lose his life over there.
“Caleb is a damn idiot! He’s got the best thing to ever happen right in front of him and he keeps pushing you away in the worst ways possible.
Screw him, Cali. When you finish recovering from the attack, we’ll go out and find a man who truly treasures you like the queen you are,” Tiffany promises me as she finally relaxes and looks at me with a smile on her face.
“You’ll have a man who loves and supports you in ways you’ve only dreamed of.
Caleb will be nothing more than a distant memory who your kids love. ”
“I wish it were that simple, Tiff. Caleb is the one who stole my heart before my fourteenth birthday and I don’t ever see him giving it back to me.
He’ll be the only one who ever truly owns it and I wish it were different.
During my entire relationship with Darren, it was always more about Caleb.
I hate myself for feeling that way and wanted to change things more than anyone will ever know.
I did have love for Darren, like I’ve said before, it just wasn’t me being in love with him,” I say unbuckling my seatbelt before opening the door and awkwardly getting out of the SUV.
This is when Kreed would be helpful if he were here.
I’m so damn short I have to practically jump out of the SUV and I can’t exactly do that right now.
It will make my arm jostle and hurt more than it already does.
Until Kreed gets here, and yes I know Caleb will show up with him, I can’t take any pain medicine.
The kids need me and I refuse to be on anything to slow my reaction or judgment when I’m here alone with them.
They need my full attention and that’s what I’ll give them because they’re the center of my universe.
“I’ll see you tomorrow or whenever Dean’s feeling better, Tiffany,” I say, taking the plunge and getting out of the SUV on my own.
I essentially slide off the seat and land hard on my feet right next to the open door.
My arm hits the door and a sharp pain shoots up the length and into my shoulder.
That’s nothing compared to the pain in my hand though.
It’s intense and almost brings me to my knees as tears fill my eyes and I try to remain standing.
“Are you okay, Cali?” Tiffany asks, her voice rushed in panic as I barely hear the door open and feel her pull me into her arms.
Tiffany holds me until I stop collapsing against her as I’m thrown back in a memory from my fourteenth birthday.
Walking up to school with Kreed and Caleb, I’m laughing hysterically at something Kreed has said about his mom.
He’s currently telling us about her yelling at him for leaving the toilet seat up and her almost falling in.
Laura can lose her mind when she gets angry.
It doesn’t happen very often, but every now and then we see that side of her.
Usually it’s directed at something that happened at work.
Kreed usually doesn’t have her anger directed at him because he tries so hard to make her life as easy as possible.
It’s what he’s always done from what I’ve heard from Caleb and everyone else I now consider my family.
Just before we reach the parking lot, Caleb takes my hand and butterflies immediately erupt inside.
My heart starts racing and I can hardly catch my breath.
This is how I always feel lately when I’m around my best friend.
Until this very moment I had no clue what this feeling is.
It wasn’t until after a conversation between Shy and Sam about how they felt when they got with Slim and Playboy that I truly understood I was in love with Caleb.
Now that I know, I have no clue how to deal with my feelings.
No one even knows because I’m still trying to come to terms with this.
It’s only been about two days since this all happened.
That’s not enough time to confide in anyone.
“Are you okay, ‘Lil Bit? You seem a little flushed,” Kreed asks me, laughter filling his voice making me wonder if he’s managed to figure out what’s going on with me.
“I’m perfectly fine,” I manage to whisper while trying to pull my hand out of Caleb’s.
“I don’t think you are,” Caleb says, as I look up at him and find him smiling down at me with a knowing look in his eyes. “I got you somethin’ for your birthday, Reina. Do you want it now?”
“Yes, please,” I respond as Caleb comes to a stop next to me and reaches into the side pocket of his backpack.
Caleb pulls out a silver bracelet that already has charms on it.
One of them is a book, there’s a motorcycle, football, flower, and the last one is a heart.
He wraps the bracelet around my slender wrist and fastens it before stepping back and taking a look at it.
The sun hits it just right and makes it shine while the gemstones shimmer and glisten.
Looking back up at Caleb, I can’t help but smile at him as my heart flutters and even more butterflies explode inside me.
“It’s beautiful, Caleb. Thank you so much,” I tell him as he takes my hand in his once again.
Seeing Caleb smile is one of my favorite things in the world.
His entire face lights up, his eyes squint, and his nose wrinkles up like a little boy.
It’s even better if he’s laughing his real laughter.
Not the fake one he tends to use with the kids at school who are trying to get into his friend group.
The lock of hair that always seems to hang over his forehead when he’s not wearing his hat covers his one eye and I just want to reach up and push it back out of his face.
Right now Caleb looks better than ever before and I kind of hate myself for noticing when he won’t release my hand from his.
“Should I leave the two of you alone?” Kreed asks, more laughter filling his voice as I snap out of my thoughts on how cute Caleb is and turn to face him.
“You know I got you your coffee and donut for your birthday. Been waitin’ to give it to you since we met up in front of your house.
You usually need the coffee after a full night of studyin’. Didn’t you say you have a test today?”