Page 43 of Wreck Me

Unfortunately, my presence wasn’t undetected, and his voice stopped me in my tracks halfway through the door. His speech was unintelligible. Over the years, I had become pretty well-versed in decoding whatever bullshit he spewed when piss-drunk, but this time I didn’t have it in me to even try.

Slamming the refrigerator door, he spun to face me, ramming straight into the small two-seater table sitting in the middle of the kitchen. He doubled over, his stomach hitting the center before he righted himself, only to stumble and sway on his feet.

My moral compass ticked within me, trying to sway me to stay and help my father. I was so close to releasing the knob I was holding, my knuckles turning white from how hard I grasped it, but then his voice filtered into my mind, repeating his words from earlier and turning my blood into lava again.

“I regret nothing. She deserved everything she got. Betcha your woman will prove herself to only be a useful hole.”

Fucking bastard deserved to fall and crack his head open on the tile.

Sending the door flying behind me, I walked down the porch steps and away fromhim, not caring that the door had bounced back and was swaying on its hinges. I was only two blocks and a bus ride away from feasting on Chinese cuisine and until Isla was done at her parents’ house, I’d be spending the rest of my Thanksgiving alone.

CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE

Caleb texted me back, asking me to pick him up at Lucky Palace, a Chinese restaurant near Ridgewood University's campus. It was almost nine o’clock, but Lucky Palace stayed open late since it had a constant stream of college students coming in at all hours.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I looked around and noticed it was completely empty and the building was dark. Not a soul was in sight, including Caleb.

Worry prickled the back of my neck: the feeling of being alone was a deep-rooted fear, especially when I was alone in a normally busy place. My fingers patted against the passenger seat, searching for my phone while my eyes scanned the empty parking lot. Once secured in my grasp, I glanced down and touched Caleb’s name on my call-log and hit speaker.

“Hey,” he answered on the first ring. Relief rushed through me when I heard his voice and I instantly calmed.

“Hey, where are you? I’m in the parking lot at Lucky Palace, but it’s empty.”

“Cool, I’m around the back of the building. Be right there.”

Caleb ended the call and my phone went back to the call-log screen.

That’s weird, right?

Looking up, my eyes landed on Caleb as he jogged over to my car from behind the building. He pulled open the passenger door and climbed inside, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek before settling in and putting on his seat belt.

“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted me warmly. “How was your Thanksgiving?”

“Why were you behind the building?” My tone was unintentionally sharp, and I winced a little, hearing my simple question come out as more of an accusation.

Caleb searched my eyes, likely wondering why I had an attitude.

He reached over and grabbed my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. “They closed an hour ago and there’s a bench next to their back door where employees take their breaks. The owner told me I could hang out there until my ride came.”

“Why didn’t you just go back to your house? I could have picked you up from there. Or you could have met me at mine?”

“Did I do something to upset you, Isla?”

“I just don’t understand why you were hanging out behind a closed restaurant.”

With every question, his eyes darkened, narrowing further. “Going back to my house wasn’t an option.”

“Then why didn’t you just go to mine?” I pressed.

“Go back to your place and do what exactly?” he snapped. “Sit in the hallway next to your door? Pace in front of the building? I don’t have a fucking key, Isla. What do you expect me to do?”

I looked down at my lap, feeling foolish. “I’m sorry, it’s been a really shitty night,” I admitted quietly, glancing over at where our hands sat on top of the stick-shift.

“Yeah, mine too.”

Releasing his hand from mine, I switched the car from park to drive and placed my foot on the gas. “Let’s go home.”

Throughout the drive, Caleb stared at the window. His beautiful features were coated with exhaustion and he looked like he had close to no fight left in him. I wondered what had happened in the hours we had been apart. I wondered if he’d tell me.

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