Page 94 of Penalty to the Heart

Caleb’s frown deepens at my statement.

“How do you think he would feel, knowing it was because of him that you got suspended?”

“Disappointed.”

“And you don’t like disappointing him, do you?”

“No, though it does seem like a recurring theme with us. I always find ways to break his heart.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Well, it’s fucking true,” he says, crestfallen, bowing his head down low, trapped in his own debilitating mind.

After he stays silent for a few moments, I decide to broach the subject differently.

“Why did you come to see me today, Caleb?”

“I already told you. Because I got suspended.”

“No, you didn’t come here to share the news with me. Deep down, you knew that I must have already found out about your suspension. So I’m going to ask you again. Why did you come to see me today, Caleb? And this time, I want you to be truthful, not only to me but to yourself.”

“Because…” he falters. “Because… I need you to fix… fix me.”

“You’re not broken, Caleb.”

He lets out a sarcastic chuckle.

“Yeah, I am.”

“No, you’re not,” I assure him. “But it’s completely normal for you to believe that you are, considering all the things you have endured lately. But you’re not broken. And you don’t need fixing. You are only a little worse for wear, that’s all.”

He lifts his eyes to meet mine and stares into me with odd curiosity.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

“I’m not being nice.” I smile. “I’m just merely doing my job.”

“No. You’ve been trying to do your job since the day we first met. This… isn’t that.”

My forehead creases at his remark.

He straightens before me, his green eyes staring into mine as if he wanted to crack my head open to see what’s lurking inside.

“I’ve been nothing but a nuisance to you since the beginning,” he says without dropping his gaze off me.

“You have,” I interject with a soft smile.

“You could have told me to fuck off a million times, and rightfully so. So why continue to want to help when all I do is fuck shit up?”

“Because I believe you will persevere. And I want to be there when you do. Isn’t that enough?”

His gaze continues scrutinizing, making it almost impossible for me not to squirm in my chair.

“Persevere, huh? It’s a pretty word,” he says, relief accosting me when he leans back in his chair, his emerald gaze no longer as intrusive as it was a second ago.

“It’s more than just a word, Caleb. It’s hope.”

“Hope. I like that word, too.” He smiles meekly. “I’m starting to see why I like you so much.”

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