Page 27 of Always Red (Chasing Red 2)

I cherished every one of them.

I blew out a breath to relieve the pressure I felt inside.

“Caleb?”

“Yes, love?”

All these sweet names he was throwing at me made my heart flutter.

The window was halfway open, and the morning breeze blew his bronze hair back, framing his gorgeous face. His jaw was square, his cheekbones so sharp that I wanted to trace them with my fingers.

“What is it?”

I blinked. “What?”

He threw me a knowing smile. “You going to tell me what’s on your mind, Red?” His voice was low. “Or are you just going to stare at me all day?”

Caught. Damn it.

I wanted to stay in the car with him, in this bubble where all that mattered was us. But reality was knocking—loudly.

I debated what to tell him. I definitely wanted to mention Beatrice-Rose possibly sneaking inside his apartment. It was an ugly invasion of his privacy, and he had a right to know. How much should I tell him, though? So many things had happened.

“What is it?” he asked after he’d parked his car in front of Kara’s apartment. “I can keep secrets,” he added teasingly.

He lifted my hand, folding all my fingers but my pointer, and slowly traced an X on his chest with it. His eyes were so green, so deep and intense as they looked into mine. “Cross my heart,” he whispered and brought my finger to his lips. Kissed it. “Hope to die.”

I was on the brink of hyperventilating.

“Red? Wanna share your secret now?”

What secret? My mind had turned into mush.

He looked out the window. “I don’t want to repeat what happened between us.” When he looked back at me, his eyes were serious. “It was hell without you.”

My breath caught. “It was hell for me too.”

“So tell me what’s bothering you.”

I wasn’t used to telling anyone my fears or problems. I wasn’t used to telling anyone anything. But this was Caleb. The time we were apart made me realize how much of my life he had claimed. Before, I had been afraid of giving him too much of myself. I’d resisted giving him more because I was afraid he would destroy what I gave him and I’d end up with nothing—like my mother.

What I learned from Caleb is that I didn’t want anything back.

It was his to keep—all of me.

“Does anyone besides me and your mom know the code to get into your apartment?”

“No,” he answered. “Just you and Mom. Why?”

“That night I came over to your place, I saw Beatrice-Rose walking out of the elevator.”

Caleb let out a low expletive. “She knows it. I gave it to her a long time ago. I actually forgot until you brought it up. Damn it. I’ll change it as soon as I get home. She’s also friendly with the guards, and they know who she is. I’ll have to talk to them too.” Frustrated, he raked his hand through his hair, and then his eyes darkened. “Did she harass you again?”

I bit my lip.

How much should I tell him?

I had been taking care of myself for so long. I had kept everything inside and fought everything alone for so long that I still found it hard to talk about my problems.

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