Page 50 of Hate Me

“Because he’s challenging you, pushing back. You hurt his feelings, now he’s trying to get under your skin. Both of ours actually. This is a good sign.”

“Highly immature, is what I would call it.”

“Yeah, well. You know how Cal can get like that when it comes to you.”

I did, yes.

I tossed Caleb a withering look as he walked to me by my desk. “You certainly gave Luke an eyeful.”

He grinned. “Do you think he liked what he saw?”

I growled and snagged his nape, jerking him to me.

He laughed and licked my jaw. “Aww, I love you too, Cas.”

I released him with a grunt and he hopped up onto my desk.

“You’re acting out because I left our bed,” I realized quickly.

That was only one of several memories of him acting out coming to mind, all rooted in his affection for me, any time he’d felt insecure with it, any time he’d felt some destabilization between us.

“I recall a few instances, yes.”

If that was what it really was about this time around.

From my research on his activities over the last couple of years, it was clear he’d become more astute, involving himself in complicated situations with several layers and big picture matters. And to survive and even thrive in those sorts of circumstances, he’d learned to think several moves ahead, to strategize, and to read people well. Just like me.

With all of that in mind, perhaps he’d gone to Damien with more than the purpose of trying to piss me off as his intent.

For information.

“Cas?”

I blinked back to see Bastian eyeing me in question, wanting my response concerning Caleb, wanting me to assure him that I would bring him here for Skylar.

“I’ll remove the obstacles, but the rest is on him.”

“That’ll do. For now.”

“Now that you’re satisfied with that, get some sleep. There’s nothing more to be done here tonight. She’ll be out for several hours yet.”

He stared at her bedroom door for a moment, a war taking place all over his features.

Thankfully, commonsense won out and he gave me a nod. “Yeah.”

“You’re sure you’re still okay with her being here in our home? There’s a powerful difference between the notion of something versus its reality.”

He smiled sadly. “Where else should she possibly be but here with us, right?”

His words were bittersweet, but the raw truth hung there.

And it was the case for both her and Caleb.

They were both back with us.

There was a great deal of damage control required.

And it would change everything.

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