Chapter Thirteen
CALEB
CHAPTER THIRTEEN - CALEB
It’s been a week since Cora walked out on me at the hotel. It’s been the longest week of my life. I can’t work. I can’t concentrate on anything except how I can get her back. She isn’t here and I haven’t heard from her for a week. I’ve tried calling her, tried her friend, but I’ve not heard anything from her.
I’ve had enough. I need to speak to her even if it is just for her to say she’s leaving me. I guess I deserve it.
This is how she must have felt when I left her. I feel totally out of sorts. Marion keeps shouting at me and telling me that I need to fix it, but I’ve tried everything I can.
I call her again. “Cora, please talk to me. Even if you are going to tell me to fuck off out of your life, let me know. What can I do to convince you that I need you so badly?” I place my cell on the floor as I slide down the wall.
“Cora, please. I can’t function without you. You’ve only been in my life for a couple of weeks and I miss you so much. You have changed me, for the better. Life is different with you in it. I have to go to Sunday dinner with my family and I have to explain to them why you are not there again. Last week they tormented me and I told them all to fuck off and leave me alone, then I came home and drank myself to sleep. Wish me luck.”
I look at my phone and hang up. I didn’t mean to send her that, but she might as well know how hard it has been for me.
Getting dressed, I make sure I look presentable and not like a hobo, which is what I’ve looked like all week.
“Oh look who it is?” Marion says, as she passes a cup of coffee into my hand. I ignore her and just take the cup.
“Caleb, I’m very disappointed in you. You haven’t even looked for Cora.”
“Yes, I have. I can’t find her anywhere. She doesn’t want to talk to me. She said she would be back within a few days and it’s been seven long days. Marion.”
“You have so much money that you could throw at finding her. You could have got a detective to find out where she is, you could have begged your security to find her. You could even have gone to Miss May for her address where she was staying before she moved in here.”
“Fuck, I haven’t tried hard enough.”
“What the fuck are you waiting for?” She puts her hand over her mouth. “Excuse me for being rude, Caleb.”
I move away, drain my coffee and look at Marion. “You’re right. I’m going to make some phone calls from the car on the way to my parents house.”
“That sounds like a great idea, now get going.” Marion shushes me out of the apartment and for the first time in a week, I smile to myself. I’m going to find her.
On my way over to my parent’s house, I call everyone I know who can help me track her down. I don’t care how much it costs me for them to start working on this on a Sunday. The only person I can’t get hold of is Ms May. I’ll try her tomorrow
As I pull up outside, I see my parents are standing in the door and Mom does not seem happy. It’s been a long time since my parents didn’t welcome me with a hug. They must be pissed off that I don’t have Cora with me.
I get out and approach them. “Mom, I can explain.”
She holds her hand up to stop me in my tracks. “Caleb Masters, we brought you up better.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why did you treat Cora so badly? She didn’t deserve that. When you left her you told us that she was okay with you leaving that night. We did not know that you didn’t tell her at all.”
“How do you know that?”
“Caleb Masters, I’m disappointed in you. You don’t deserve Cora. You let her walk away from you last weekend and you have not been looking for her at all.”
“Mom, that’s not true. I’ve looked everywhere. I’ve hired a detective, I tried to get hold of Ms May for her address. I need to find hr but I can’t and I don’t know what to do.”
Suddenly my sister comes out and pushes her way past my parents. “For God’s sake, stop teasing him and let him in already.”
Now I am so confused, I don’t know what's happening, but as soon as I step inside the house, I can smell Cora’s perfume. I look around me and I see her jumping into the pool in her small bikini. I rush outside, “Cora?”
She comes up from the water and swims to the side nearest to me. “Do you know that your mom’s pool is amazing? You’re late today, they were worried you weren’t going to arrive.”
She’s clearly not getting out of the pool so I slip my socks and shoes off, drop my trousers, remove my t-shirt and jump into the pool so I can be closer to her.
“What the fuck, Cora?” I swim over to her and she giggles and swims to the other side. But I’m taller than her and I can walk along the bottom. I grab her. “Does this mean you’re willing to try?” I push her hair away from her face. I want to kiss her so badly.
“You didn’t come and find me, Caleb.”
“You told me not to. On the way over here I rang a detective, tried to get hold of Ms May, spoke to my security to find you. I gave you enough time to figure things out but tomorrow I was going to find you.”
“Well aren’t you glad you don’t have to do that now, you know where I am going to be tomorrow morning?”
“Are you staying with my parents? Is that where you’ve been all week? They never said anything.”
“I’m not staying with your parents, Caleb. I was with my friend, Louisa. Oh my god, you’re so stupid. I’m going to be at yours in the morning, because you are taking me home tonight.”
I move closer and kiss her. It’s wet, sloppy but I don’t care. It's just so good to have her this close to me. She wraps her legs around me and kisses me back.
We stop when we hear Nick saying, “Guy’s it’s Sunday, we don’t watch porn on a Sunday.”
We look at each other and both start laughing. Cora gets out, but I have to wait as my cock is so hard right now I think I would look like I am in a porno.
Cora wraps a towel around herself and then grabs a spare one, bringing it to me. I step out and she wraps it around me. “Are you sure you’re okay, Cora?”
“Yes, it took a few days to stop crying, then I thought about it and you were right. We wouldn’t have made it back then. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, not that I do now anyway, but if I had come with you, I’d have moaned that you didn’t spend enough time with me. If I had stayed we wouldn’t have managed a long term romance. I just wished you had spoken to me and given me a choice.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I haven’t finished yet.” She laughs. “You have to promise me that you will talk to me whenever there is something that you are not happy with. I want you to promise me that we will talk about everything and work everything out. Together.”
I pull her into my arms. “I promise you everything. I’m sorry for back then and I’m sorry I didn’t find you now. How did you end up coming here, today?”
“I called your mom, spoke to her about you and your reasoning. We talked for a long time and then I asked if I could come over and surprise you.”
“Well, I’m glad you did. I have been going out of my mind with worry.” I put my arm around her shoulder and we both turn. My family are all stood there looking at us. My mom held my dad’s hand.
“Thank god, you worked it out. Now, can we ask about the marriage. Was it real?”
Both Cora and I laugh. “No, it didn’t happen, it was all fake.” I look at Cora, then smile. “Although it felt good to be married to you, Cora.”
She laughs. “Yeah it did, but I think we have a lot to talk about before that, don’t you?” I nod my head. I know we still have some work to do.
“Dinner’s ready, come in and grab a plate.” Mom turns and walks inside. The others follow her and I take Cora’s hand.
“Can’t be late for dinner.”
“We need to change into dry clothes first.” She looks down at me.
“Oh shit, yeah we do. I’ll hold the towel up to hide you from Nick’s wandering eye.”
She laughs and I hold up the towel for her. I can’t help but peek at her. It’s been a week since I’ve seen her naked.”
“Enjoying the view?” She has a smile on her face as she takes the towel and holds it up for me.
“I was, are you?”
She eyes me up and down and then blows me a kiss. “Gorgeous.” She laughs and drops the towel as I just manage to pull my trousers up.
We grab a plate and sit down at the dining table with my family. All I can see around the table is love. This is what I want to have. I want my wife and children to come here and be inundated with love. Now, I know that I want Cora to be my wife.
“Thank you for welcoming me into your family. I miss this. Family time is so important.” Cora has tears in her eyes.
My mom gets up and walks around the table. She pulls Cora into her arms. “You are always family, Cora, whether you stay with Caleb or not.”
“Mom…” I say. She chuckles and goes back around to the other side of the table.
I feel Cora’s hand on my thigh. “Thank you. Me and Caleb have some things to work through, but I am most definitely expecting Sunday dinner every Sunday in the near future.”
I place my hand over hers and squeeze it. Everyone starts talking at once, with Cora at the center of it all. This is my idea of heaven.