Chapter 20 Nyah #2
I turned toward him, surprised by how easily he’d attached himself to Caleb. He’d always been friendly, but this felt… different. “Baby,” I said gently, “you’ll have to ask him if he would like to.”
Caleb smiled down at him without hesitation. “I’d love to.” He opened the trunk and pulled out a car seat.
I raised my eyebrows.
“Nieces and nephews,” he explained easily.
Of course. I strapped Lucas in, making sure the belt sat properly across his chest, then slid into the passenger seat.
“Where should I head, Little Man?” Caleb asked as he pulled away from the curb.
Lucas bounced in his seat. “Uncle Lucy’s Diner!”
The moment we walked in, the servers greeted Lucas and me by name.
Caleb glanced around, taking it all in.
Uncle Lucy’s Diner was one of those places that felt stitched together with familiarity—run by a husband-and-wife team, staffed by young people who genuinely liked being there. Their Donut Ice-Cream Sandwiches were practically famous online, but it was the food that kept people coming back.
As we settled into our booth, I felt Caleb watching me—not in a way that made me uncomfortable, but in a way that made me aware.
While Lucas devoured his food, chatting endlessly, I caught Caleb studying him. Then me.
I could almost see the questions forming behind his eyes.
My phone rang, cutting through the moment. I answered quickly.
“Hi, Elle. I’m at Uncle Lucy’s with Lucas and Caleb.”
We exchanged a few details about the party that night before she asked to speak to Caleb.
I handed the phone to him.
He looked surprised but took it. “Hi, Elle. How are you?”
I watched his expression shift as he listened.
“Yes… okay. That’s kind of you, thanks. I’ll see you tonight.”
He handed the phone back to me, searching my face. “Elle’s invited me to join you both at the barbecue tonight. I hope it’s okay.”
Lucas fist-pumped in his seat.
I sipped my iced tea, smiling, even as something uneasy flickered beneath it. This was becoming… more. More than I’d anticipated.
Just then, an elderly woman from the next table approached us, smiling warmly. “You look like such a wonderful family,” she said. “God bless you.”
I opened my mouth to correct her immediately, but Caleb’s hand rested over mine.
“Thank you,” he said smoothly. “It’s very kind of you to say that.”
Lucas giggled.
I froze. My eyes widened, my pulse skidding.
Caleb let go of my hand a moment later and returned to his side of the massive sundae we’d ordered to share, as if nothing unusual had happened at all.
I paid the bill despite his protests, and we headed back to the car. As we drove, I crossed my arms, unsure what I was feeling.
“I’m sorry if that upset you,” Caleb said carefully. “I thought it would take a lot longer to explain, especially to a stranger who was only paying us a compliment.”
I held onto my irritation for exactly three seconds. Then a smile slipped through. “I guess it was pretty funny.”
Lucas’s chatter faded until silence filled the car. He’d fallen asleep.
After parking in the visitors’ lot, Caleb picked up the bags and followed me inside the apartment, placing everything quietly in Lucas’s room while I tucked him in. When I came back into the living area, Caleb was standing still, looking around.
“These weren’t here that night we went clubbing,” he said, gesturing to the photos.
“It made me miserable getting up in the morning knowing he wouldn’t be here when I got home,” I admitted.
“Even the one at work is still inside my desk drawer.” The only photo I kept and looked at longingly when he was away was the one inside the locket I always wore around my neck, along with the photos on my phone.
I stared down at my hands, suddenly exposed.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“For what?”
“For everything I said to you that day. All the horrible and mean things.”
I looked up at him. “I’m sorry too.”
He frowned.
“For thinking you were trying to kick me out of the hotel.”
His smile was gentle. “We’re a sorry pair, aren’t we?”
“Apology accepted.”
“Apology accepted.”
His gaze held mine. If this were a movie, this would have been ‘the moment.’ Instead, he turned toward the door. “I’ll pick you up at six, and we’ll head over to Elle’s place.”
I watched him leave, my heart doing something entirely unhelpful.
The intercom buzzed.
6 p.m. He was on time.
I unlocked the front door and told Larry that if it was Caleb, to send him up. While I finished getting Lucas ready, I heard the door open and close. “We’re in here!” I called out.
A minute passed.
I combed Lucas’s hair, smoothing it carefully, suddenly aware of how quiet the apartment had become. Caleb should have walked in by now. “Wait here, baby,” I said softly. “Be quiet. I’ll be right back, okay?” I locked Lucas’s bedroom door behind me.
The hair at the back of my neck lifted all at once. My heartbeat quickened. I went to my bedroom and retrieved the gun. My grip was steady, but my breathing wasn’t. “Caleb?” I called, keeping my voice even.
Nothing.
I moved slowly through the apartment, opening doors one by one, checking corners, scanning for anything out of place. I looked under furniture, behind curtains, and inside the kitchen.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing was wrong. And that was what frightened me the most. Who opened the door? Did I imagine it? Had fear filled in the blanks where memory failed?
A knock at the front door made me jump.
“Nyah?” Caleb’s voice came through, clear and concerned.
“Just a minute,” I called, my voice thinner than I liked. I hid the gun, unlocked Lucas’s room, then opened the door. “Sorry,” I said, forcing a smile. “I was just getting ready.”
Caleb studied me closely. “Are you okay? You seem tense.”
Should I tell him? Would he think I was paranoid? Would he laugh it off, gently, the way people did when they didn’t understand? Would I regret letting myself trust him, even for a moment? The thoughts tangled in my head until I felt dizzy.
“No,” I said finally. “I’m fine.”
Later, I reminded myself. Not now. I made a mental note to ask Alex to scan the apartment again—for cameras, for bugs, for anything I might have missed.
Grabbing our jackets and bags, the three of us headed out.
Elle’s parents, the Rosarios, lived in Richmond—a lively suburb with music, food, and laughter spilling out into the Square on most nights.
Inside, I introduced Caleb to everyone. The family took turns welcoming him, curiosity and warmth flowing freely.
I chatted with Elle while her mother handed us plates to set the dining room table. Mid-sentence, my foot caught on the wrinkled edge of the carpet, and I went down fast—dragging Elle down with me.
Plates shattered.
Glass clattered.
The room fell silent.
Elle nudged me. “Do you think if we wished hard enough, we could disappear right now?”
I burst out laughing, embarrassment breaking into humour.
We helped each other up and apologized while Karl grabbed his guitar, strumming cheerfully in a valiant attempt to revive the mood.
Caleb appeared at my side later, offering me a glass of red wine.
“That was dramatic,” he said.
“I never fail to surprise,” I replied, amused.
“I’m coming to appreciate how true that is.”
The night unfolded easily after that. The aunties pulled Caleb into dancing while the uncles demonstrated the steps, waving handkerchiefs with dramatic flair. Caleb tried to follow along, laughing at himself when he stumbled, and the room erupted in warm, easy laughter.
Near the end of the evening, a slow Konkani song played.
I checked on Lucas, who was asleep in Elle’s old bedroom, and then headed downstairs.
Caleb was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, one hand outstretched.
I didn’t hesitate. I took his hand and let him pull me close. We swayed gently, his stubble tickling my nose. I caught Elle and Karl watching us, smiling.
“Thanks for tonight,” he murmured near my ear.
Warmth spread through me, deep and slow. He was too close. My pulse quickened. I looked away, derailed by the unfamiliar sensation pooling low inside me.
When the song ended, stepping back felt harder than it should have.
“I’m going to get Lucas,” I said softly. “It’s late. We should leave.”
The drive home blurred around me. The wine and exhaustion weighed heavily, and I drifted in and out until the car stopped.
“I wasn’t very good company,” I said, stretching as he turned off the engine.
“It’s fine,” he replied easily.
He unbuckled Lucas and lifted him effortlessly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Inside, I changed Lucas into his pyjamas and tucked him in. He was asleep again within seconds.
Caleb declined coffee.
We stood awkwardly by the door.
“Thank you,” I said. “For everything.”
“I really enjoyed today,” he said, hands moving restlessly. “You look exhausted. You and Lucas need a good night’s sleep.”
“He’ll be up again at six,” I groaned.
“I’d better go then.” He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Good night,” he said, then turned and walked away without looking back.
Taken aback by his kiss, I stood there for a moment, my fingers still resting on the edge of the door.
I watched him through the narrowing gap as he stepped into the elevator.
A soft smile tugged at my lips as I finally closed the door behind me.
After setting a reminder to take my medication in the morning, I slipped into bed.
Sleep claimed me almost instantly as my head touched the pillow, my last thought lingering on that kiss.