Page 97 of A Pretty Fixation

“Who’s here, love?” Dad calls out, walking aheadof me. He pauses. “Oh.”

I move around him, only to freeze in the spot.

My body starts to tingle as if coming to life.

Caleb straightens from the sofa, gray eyes intenseas he looks at me. He has a faint bruise on his jaw.

“We’ll give you some privacy,” Mom says as she risesfrom the armchair. She hooks her arm around Dad’s and hauls him out of theliving room.

I don’t know what to say.

My heart’s lashing wildly.

God, I’ve missed him. All I want is to run intohis arms and bask in his warmth.

“Your phone’s off,” he says, and I shudder fromthe deep sound. I miss his voice.

It takes a second for me to respond. “I’d turnedit off for my session.”

He scowls. “Your mom wouldn’t say. But I can tellsomething happened. So what happened?”

I chip at my already fading nail polish.“Everything came back.” A gasp trickles out when he moves closer.

“Everything?” He looks and sounds worried.

“All the memories of the abuse. It was quitejolting.” I contrive a fake chuckle to play it off. “You should have seen me. Iwas running around campus like a lunatic.”

Caleb yanks me into his chest, arms tight as heholds me. “Don’t do that. Don’t act tough with me.”

I inhale his intoxicating scent and exhale relief,lifting my hands to hug him back. “It was so much that I passed out in myroom.”

Without letting go, he eases back to look at me.“Why didn’t you call me?”

“Call you?” I writhe out of his grasp and moveaway. “You told me you needed space. So why are you here? And what happened toyour jaw? You know what, don’t even tell me.” I step past him and go out to theyard, massaging my temples.

“I had a scuffle with Aaron,” Caleb says at myback. “He declared that he’d take my place in your life.”

I pivot to him. “It took Aaron’s threat for you tocheck on me?”

He stiffens his jaw. “I wanted to. But…I keptthinking about Dove.”

“Then why are you here, Caleb?” I grit. “I’m nother. I’ll never be her. So if she’s all you want, why are you here?”

“Because I want you,” he grunts. “I loveyou,Jordyn. I fell in love withyou.” He runs his hand over his tousledhair. “It’s not easy coming to terms with the fact that Dove is dead when Ithought I had her this whole time. I need you to understand that.”

“I do. It still hurts.”

He fills the space between us and touches mywaist. “We’ll figure it out. I’m going to see her parents on Wednesday.”

I scowl. “Why?”

“To find closure. To say goodbye.” He brushes mycheek with the back of his hand. “So I can focus on us without that guilt.”

“Does that mean you forgive me for not telling you?”

He sniffs. “To an extent.”

As he lowers his hand, I lift it back to my heart.“Dove was important to you. Take the time you need. It’s not fair of me toexpect you to let her go just like that.”

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