Chapter Sixteen
Caleb
For most of the night, I stayed awake, unable to wrap my head around the idea that Indi left because of “Saving Grace.” I hope she didn’t hate it, because every emotion I have for her was poured into that song. I wanted her to hear it and understand how much she means to me.
Rolling over in bed, I glance at the clock.
Ten-twenty a.m. Definitely not too early to call her and figure out what last night was really about.
So I grab my phone and dial her number, my heart racing while it rings.
Every second stretches painfully long, and just when I convince myself she isn’t going to answer, she does.
“Hello,” she says softly, her voice still carrying that angelic sweetness I’ve missed like hell.
“Hey, how are you feeling?”
“I feel better, thanks. Think it was just a bad headache. How was your party?” Indi asks quietly, her tone restrained like she’s keeping herself guarded.
“It was okay, nothing to rave about.”
“Oh well, at least you finally got to perform on a stage.”
“Yeah, that was awesome. Best feeling ever.”
Silence settles between us for a beat before she clears her throat. “Anyway, I better go. I’m running late for work.”
Panic slams into me. I don’t want this conversation to end before it has even begun. I need to see her. “Indi, wait. Can I see you? Maybe take you out on a date?” I ask, trying hard not to sound half as desperate as I feel.
She pauses, and my pulse kicks into overdrive. Christ, maybe I’m pushing too fast.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Caleb,” she says gently.
My heart stalls before crashing back to life harder than before. “Why not?”
She exhales softly. “Because after seeing you perform last night, maybe you’re better off being single? Being a rock star will bring heaps of women—”
“I don’t want heaps of women, Indi. There’s only one woman I want, and that’s you.”
Another pause.
“Okay, how about this? If you don’t feel comfortable calling it a date, we can just catch up as friends.
I feel like there’s so much that needs to be said and even more for us to catch up on.
I want to know how you’ve been and see if we can build a friendship like we once had…
before everything went so drastically wrong between us.
” I swallow hard. “Give us another chance, Indi? Please?”
The silence drags on, and all I can hear is the blood rushing through my ears.
“Okay,” she whispers at last, and my heart launches straight into my throat.
“Okay?” I repeat, needing to make sure I heard her right.
“Yes, Caleb. I’ll meet up with you.”
A grin spreads across my face, and I throw my fist into the air. I want to yell out like a complete idiot, but that would probably scare her off, so somehow I manage to hold myself together. “Okay, great. When are you free?”
“You can pick me up after work if you want? I finish early tonight, so maybe seven?”
“Seven it is. Do I just come into the emergency room entrance?”
She chuckles softly, and the sound loosens something tight inside my chest.
“No, I’ll meet you in the car park,” she replies, sounding more relaxed now. Maybe she’s excited about this, too.
“Thank you.”
“It’s just two old friends catching up, Caleb. That’s all.”
I purse my lips even though she can’t see me. “Okay. Two friends, nothing more.”
She goes quiet again, and I wish I knew what was running through her head.
“I really have to go, but I’ll see you tonight.”
I nod automatically. “I’m looking forward to it. And Indi?”
“Yeah?”
I hesitate, wondering if I should say this, but the words push free anyway. “I’m glad you’re back in my life. It’s felt empty with you gone.”
I hear her sniff quietly.
“Indi? Are you okay?”
Another sniff. “I’m fine. I’ve missed you too, but I really have to go. I’ll see you later.”
I open my mouth to reply, but the line goes dead.
Exhaling heavily, I flop back onto the bed with a stupid grin stretched across my face.
Indi is meeting up with me tonight, and I don’t think I could be more excited if I tried.
I jump out of bed and start planning the evening in my head.
There’s a park and a river near her work.
We could go for a walk and just… see where things go from there.
I don’t want to overdo it and scare her off before we’ve even had a chance to talk properly.
What I really want is to do something romantic, something that shows her how much she means to me, but I know I need to take this slow. She’s giving me a chance, and I can’t screw it up by coming on too strong.
So maybe a walk is enough. Maybe sitting by the riverbank, talking like we used to, is exactly what we need.
I head for the shower, wanting to make sure I’m fresh and presentable even though tonight is still hours away.
There’s no chance I’ll be able to focus on anything today anyway.
My mind is already running through every possible conversation, every memory, everything I need to say to her when I finally see her tonight.
***
The entire day is spent fussing over what to wear and how to do my hair. After changing outfits for the seventh time, I finally decided to keep it casual. Jeans, a black vest, and my leather jacket. I use only a little product in my hair, so it looks clean instead of overdone.
The look is simple, but it still works. I know I’m attractive. Hell, I know Indi thinks I’m attractive. Let’s face it, what rock star doesn’t ooze sex appeal?
I climb into my car and head toward the hospital, my hands already sweating against the leather steering wheel. I feel shaky, even though I know I’m not really trembling. It’s nerves, pure nerves.
Indi turns me into a lovesick idiot, and no one else has ever had this kind of power over me before.
That’s the part that scares me most. She holds every card while I’m standing here empty-handed.
She’ll decide where this goes, whether it stays friendship or becomes something more, and I hate how little control I have over that.
I like being the one making the decisions.
I like being in charge.
But with Indi, I never seem to have a choice.
My heart belongs to her, whether that’s a good thing or not. She can either take it or destroy it. It all depends on which option she chooses.
I pull into the hospital car park and head around to the back of the building. She’s nowhere in sight, so I lean against one of the brick pillars and force myself to wait patiently. My nerves are all over the place. I’m breathing so fast it almost feels hard to pull air into my lungs properly.
“Get a grip,” I mutter to myself.
I check my watch… it’s five past seven. I glance toward the sliding doors again, hoping to see Indi walking out, but there’s still no sign of her. Five minutes late isn’t a big deal, though.
I chew on my bottom lip as people keep coming and going through the hospital doors, but none of them are Indi.
By quarter past, my stomach is twisting itself into knots. My lip is sore from how much I’ve been biting it, and I start wondering if something’s wrong. Maybe she changed her mind. Maybe she decided meeting me was a mistake after all.
I glance back toward my car, debating whether I should leave instead of standing here looking like the pathetic, lovesick fool I’ve become.
It’s ridiculous.
I could have my pick of women, yet here I am, desperate for the attention of one woman. The only woman I’ve ever truly cared about.
The sound of running footsteps makes me turn, and I spot Indi hurrying toward me with her bag slung over her shoulder.
She’s changed out of her nurse’s uniform and into a pair of tight black pants that hug every gorgeous curve perfectly.
The red jumper she’s wearing hangs a little too low for my liking.
I’d rather see more of her hips, but the soft material still clings to her body before draping down to mid-thigh.
She looks fucking incredible.
My cock twitches as I watch her rushing toward me with her attention fixed on her cell. Even flustered, she’s beautiful. She bursts through the sliding doors without looking up, so I step in front of her just in time for her to slam straight into me.
“Shit!” Indi gasps.
Chuckling, I grab her arms before she loses her balance.
“I’m so sorry,” she blurts before finally looking up at me. Her entire face softens in relief. “Oh, thank God. I thought you were some random stranger I’d just catapulted myself into.”
The second my hands touch her, warmth shoots straight up my arms and settles deep in my chest. She makes me feel things no other woman ever has.
“It’s all good. I don’t mind you throwing yourself at me.” I raise an eyebrow, and she rolls her eyes with a small shake of her head. I should probably let go of her, but I’m enjoying this way too much.
She looks up at me, and suddenly we’re standing far too close together. I can practically feel the chemistry crackling between us. The attraction is still there. Stronger than ever.
Every part of me wants to lean down and kiss her right now.
But I won’t.
Not yet.
I don’t want to scare her off before I’ve even had the chance to get her back into my life properly.
“Thanks for catching me,” she says softly, her breathing uneven. Her bright blue gaze locks onto mine, and I know she feels this, too. I can see it in the way she inches a little closer.
“I’ll always catch you, Indi.”
A small smile pulls at her lips before she breaks eye contact, almost like the intensity between us became too much.
I’m still holding her arms, and she hasn’t tried to pull away once. Slowly loosening my grip, I open my arms just slightly, silently asking the question.
She swallows hard before looking back up at me. “If you wanted a hug, you could just ask for one, you know?”
Smirking, I bite lightly on my lip. “Can I have a hug?”
“No.”
My heart drops straight into my stomach.
Then she grins.
“I’m kidding, you big dick.” Before I can respond, she steps forward and wraps herself tightly around my torso, burying her face against my chest.
Warmth floods through me instantly.