Page 314 of As the Rain Falls
Twice.
Same spot.
Maria calling out his name is what makes me stop.
“Caleb!”
“What the fuck?” He escapes my grip, clutching his face, trying to shield himself from me. “Yo, what’s your problem?”
Good.
He deserves to feel pain.
“What’s my problem?” I grit my teeth, grabbing him again, holding him close until we’re eye to eye. A red mark blooms near his temple, where my fist first landed seconds ago. “You’re asking me what my problem is?”
He lets out a breathy laugh, shifting to shake me off. “Is this about the pictures?”
I tighten my grip, watching as his eyes go round with fear because that’s exactly the kind of guy Caleb is. As soon as he sees someone a little stronger than him, a little braver than he is, he folds.
He’s all talk, no bite.
A real fucking coward.
“Oh, come… come on, man,” Caleb stammers when I don’t seem any more amused, and his voice is weak. “You’re tripping, right? I only showed them to Maria. We’re all friends, dude. Nobody saw anything.”
“Are we?” my voice drops. I smile at him, but there’s no warmth in it. I hate this guy. “See Mateo? That’s my friend. You and I just aren’t that close, Caleb. That’s your second problem here, man.”
“Beckett? Oh, sweet Jesus,” Mateo’s voice cuts through the haze. I hear his wobbly steps approaching me. “That’s enough.”
No, it’s not.It will be enough when I have every single picture Cassandra ever sent him gone forever.
Mateo might’ve fallen for whatever bluff Caleb managed to throw at him, but it doesn’t mean I’ll do the same.
“Where’s your phone?” I ask, already searching for it.
Caleb shoves me weakly, but I move fast, grabbing the nape of his neck and forcing him to bend forward. “You’re hurting me, man!”
“You’re not going to give it to me willingly, are you?” I flick a glance at Mateo. He’s gripping his curls, pulling them, looking torn. I hope he’s paying attention. This is the kind of garbage he chose to surround himself with last night. “Grab his fucking phone, Mateo!”
He hesitates at first, then sighs and pats Caleb’s pocket, looking for the device. Caleb stomps his feet against the ground and thrashes, but it doesn’t matter. I keep him put.
“It’s here.” Mateo hands me the phone. I take it.
“Are the pictures anywhere else?” I ask Caleb. He tries to shake his head, but with the way I’m holding him, he obviously can’t. “Words.” I press.
“No!” he answers, voice strained.
“Okay. Now, here’s what’s going to happen.” I slip the phone into my pocket. “You are going to give me every password you have. Then, you are going to calmly walk back to your car and meet us after the parade at Angelina’s if you want to get your phone back. I think you know where her house is, don’t you?”
Mateo grimaces, looking like he doesn’t totally want to be part of this, but he doesn’t stop me either. He knows I’m doing the right thing, because deep down he’d be doing the same in my position. Any sane person would.
I taunt him, “You see, Caleb, I’m not going to touch what’s in your phone myself, but Cassandra will. She’s going to wipe it clean.”
Caleb coughs, “I have important stuff in there, man. School stuff.”
“Oh, you’re worried, huh?” I let him go, hands itching with the urge to punch him again. “You’re worried about what? Your fuckingprivacy?”
He drops to his knees on the ground, breathing hard.
