Page 9 of Spinning Out of Control

I hesitated. An idea had been forming in my mind that I hadn’t given much thought to, figuring it would be too much of an ask for a new relationship. But Caleb had been more receptive to some things than I had expected. It might be worth asking, and I certainly would not be upset if he said no. “I have a thought, if you’re interested.”

“Shoot,” he said.

I blinked all eight of my eyes. “Does that mean tell you?”

“Sorry. Yes,” he replied with a small chuckle. “Tell me.”

I licked my lips with the tip of my tongue, and it did not escape my notice that he watched the movement. “I am not overly familiar with human bodies. And I’m sure you are curious about mine as well.”

He nodded slowly, waiting for me to continue.

“Could we… perhaps-” My words were getting stuck now as I realized how strange my request was going to sound, maybe even creepy. “Never mind.”

“Oh, come on,” Caleb prompted. “Just say what you’re thinking.”

I let out a quick breath. “What if we just took time to look at each other and touch each other?” I said in a bit of a rush.

Caleb stared, and I felt my face heat, ducking my head.

“Like, you touch me, and I touch you?” he asked.

“Something like that,” I said softly.

Caleb was quiet for a moment, and I waited for him to get upset or tell me how inappropriate that suggestion was. From what I understood, humans did not just go around touching people they barely knew. So, it surprised me when he said, “Okay, yeah.”

I knew all eight of my eyes were wide. “Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I’m curious how all this,” he gestured to me with his hand, “works. So, I guess it would only be fair to let you, you know, look at me.” His voice dropped a little. “If it really doesn’t bother you.”

“It doesn’t,” I tried to reassure him. I was pretty sure he was much more concerned about how he looked than I was, but even after only a few hours of conversation, I had a much better understanding of how important Caleb’s appearance was to him, and what it had meant to him.

Caleb nodded slowly. “Okay. But let’s save that for the next date? I probably should get home before it gets too dark.”

I felt a flutter in my chest. We were going on a second date! Despite our rocky start, things seemed to be going well, and he was the one suggesting getting together again. “Very well,” I said congenially, bobbing my head. “When should we get together?”

“How about I’ll text you,” Caleb suggested, and I nodded.

“All right. Shall I get your jacket?”

“Please.” Caleb rose to his feet, stretching a little. I moved past him to the closet to retrieve his coat. I held it open for him. He blinked in surprise, then smiled. “Thanks.”

“Of course.” I held the jacket until he had slid both of his arms inside of it, then draped his scarf around his neck. He zipped up the front before taking the scarf and wrapping it around his face so it was hidden, as he had been on my doorstep only a few hours ago. “It was very nice to meet you, Caleb.”

“It was nice to meet you too, Teracht,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice even if I couldn’t see it through the scarf.

I opened the door, a chilly blast of late winter air greeting us. The sun was already starting to sink in the sky, and everything looked a little gray. “Please text me when you get home so I know you are safe?”

“I will, thanks. I’ll talk to you again soon.” Then he stepped into the dying sunlight, down the path, through the gate to the sidewalk. I watched him go until he turned the corner and was lost from view. Only then did I close and lock the door.

Chapter 5

Caleb

I texted Teracht when I walked in my apartment door after a quick bus ride home, letting him know I had made it and thanking him for a nice first date. He responded almost immediately, saying he was glad I was safe and that he enjoyed our date as well.

I didn’t text him for a few days after that. There was a strange itch in the back of my mind that wanted to know how he was doing, if he was thinking about me. Our first meeting had been odd, but Teracht was nicer than I had imagined he would be, especially considering how much of an ass I had been to him at first and how rude he could have been to me in return. But it also felt a little overwhelming. Meeting a monster, who shared some of my same feelings and fears, who barely ever left the house because of how people might perceive him, was a whole lot of new to deal with, on top of going on a date or really even socializing with another person since my accident. I wasn’t sure how to process all of this, so I avoided talking to Teracht for several days. I wondered if he might text me instead, but he did not, and I wondered if he was trying to respect my privacy until I was ready to talk.

It was Wednesday morning before I finally texted him.

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