Chapter Fourteen #2
Cali found the cutest costume for Rory. She’ll be an angel complete with a halo and wings.
I don’t know how my niece will like wearing the costume, but it will be adorable.
I can already see her dressed up and Cali taking a million pictures of her.
The same with Bryce. Cali hasn’t stopped taking pictures over the years.
We all have a ton of them filling our houses and my parents and grandparents get sent pictures once a month that Cali prints out specifically for them.
After dropping Cali and the kids back off at Kreed’s house, I head for the clubhouse to grab lunch before I go to the haunted house.
I tried to take them out to eat, but Cali refused.
She wanted to get back to the compound. My best friend was nervous being away from Kreed’s house.
To see Cali constantly looking over her shoulder and jumping at every small noise she hears is more than enough to make me see red as rage fills me.
This isn’t who she is. Cali might not put herself out there and doesn’t come across as the most confident person out there, but she’s strong as hell and doesn’t react to everything in the world that startles her or makes her feel uncomfortable.
She’s usually able to hide her emotions and not tremble in fear.
Today, that wasn’t the person I saw. I saw a timid animal being stalked and fear filling her.
For the first time I realized how bad this is for her and how she truly feels about the situation of her stalker and the asshole who attacked her.
Walking in the clubhouse after parking my truck, the first person I see is Abigail.
She tries rushing up to my side and I keep walking while brushing her off.
My mom is sitting at a table alone and I make my way over to her as Sidney enters the common room.
Sidney is one of the few Feral girls I remember because she’s never tried anything with me and she’s so quiet.
Honestly, she reminds me of Cali in a lot of ways.
“Sid, can you please get me somethin’ to eat? I know I missed lunch. If there’s anythin’ left, I’ll take it,” I ask her, not sure if there is any food left since the clubhouse isn’t full today. The members are all at the haunted house working.
“Of course. We haven’t put the food away yet. Master called and said a bunch of them are on their way back for food,” Sidney answers me, disappearing back in the kitchen with a smile on her face.
“Did you have fun with Cali and the kids?” my mom asks as I sit down across from her.
“Yeah. Bryce is gonna go dressed as a racer. Says he’s a bike racer like Kingston,” I inform my mom as she starts laughing.
“Cali’s gonna have her hands full with him. I see him busting his ass to buy a sports bike to race with King. King is gonna get one call after another from Bryce when he gets old enough to start racing,” my mom says, laughter filling his voice as she leans back in her chair.
“He will. King loves it though. Every time he’s around Bryce, he lets him sit on his bike and goes over every part of it with him.
Bryce knows more about sport bikes than anythin’ else at this point.
By the time he’s ten I bet he’ll be able to fix one with help from King.
The kid is crazy obsessed with them and racin’,” I say, thinking of the times I’ve been able to witness King and Bryce together over the years.
King is so patient with him and takes the time to talk about his races and bikes.
Even after his crash when he didn’t talk about racing or riding with anyone, King still talked with Bryce about it.
The little boy didn’t understand the pain it caused King to talk or think about racing with the pain his body was in.
However, he didn’t let it ruin their time together and diminish what they built their bond on.
It was the only time we saw King come alive after the crash that almost took his life.
“How was it being around Cali today?” my mom questions me with a serious look on her face because she loves Cali like her own daughter and wants to make sure she’s not hurt. She doesn’t want to see me hurt either.
“It was different. Our relationship will never be the same again and that’s on me,” I tell her honestly “If she had been with anyone else but Darren, we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in right now.
I’d be able to be with her without hesitation and could do everythin’ I’ve imagined over the years. ”
“Caleb, you’ve always been loyal to a fault.
It’s one of the many amazing qualities you got from your Dad.
That’s also a drawback because it means you’re missing out on something truly special with Caliana.
And she’s missing out on something really good with you.
She needs a man like you in her life, Caleb.
You’re the only one who knows how to give her what she needs without her saying a word about it.
I’ve watched you take care of her in so many ways over the years.
She truly loves you with every bit of her and you love her with every bit of your heart and soul.
Caleb, it’s rare to have a love like the two of you share.
For you to push her away because of Darren proves once again how loyal you are.
I hate seeing the two of you hurting because you can’t get past the relationship they had.
Especially knowing she didn’t really love him and he never loved her.
For Darren, it was about doing what was right and nothing more.
We all saw it,” my mom says, the pain in her voice is enough to bring me to my knees if I were standing.
I hate when any of the women in my life are hurting for any reason and this time, the pain is caused by me.
“I get it, Mom. If I could be with Cali, I wouldn’t hesitate as I just said.
Darren was one of my best friends and I did see how bad things were between the two of them at the end.
It doesn’t change the fact that they were together and have two of the best kids together.
Darren died and will never get to see his children grow up and turn into the amazin’ people Cali’s raisin’ them to be.
The only thing left for me to do is help her keep his memory alive and share stories of him with the kids.
It would do nothin’ but confuse them if Cali and I were together,” I try to tell my mom where I’m coming from in a different way.
“I know, Caleb. Just think about it. Those kids love you and will understand when they’re old enough to learn the real story of Cali, you, and Darren.
Don’t lose the woman you love because you can’t let go of what you believe Darren shared with her,” my mom says as Sidney brings me a plate of food and a bottle of water.
I eat my lunch and move on to different topics with my mom.
She won’t keep pushing me on the issue of being with Cali.
She’s said what she has to and now knows it’s up to the two of us to make a final decision.
I’ve already made my mind up because I can’t betray Darren any more than I already have.
It’s going to be hard and take a long time before Cali and I can move past the hurt we’ve caused one another to even get close to the relationship we used to have.
At least that’s my hope. I’ll forever miss Cali and the time we used to spend together.
Getting even a fraction of that back will mean the world to me.