Page 30 of Always Red (Chasing Red 2)

“I don’t understand.”

“Do you remember when I told you I saw Beatrice-Rose come out of the elevator at your place?”

He nodded.

“The other day, Kara and I were meeting some friends at a café. I saw her and Justin there. She had the same thing I bought for you in her hand—the exact same thing.”

His eyes turned hard and cold.

“Caleb, forget about it. It wasn’t expensive. It was just a token. I’ll get you another one.”

“No.” His tone was firm, final. “It’s one thing to invade my privacy, but for her to steal from me—especially a present from my girl—is unforgivable. Don’t ask me to let this go. I won’t.”

“Caleb.”

“Red. You’ve never given me a gift before. Do you really think I would let this go?”

“This is what she wants. Don’t you see? She wants you to confront her so she can keep in contact with you. It doesn’t matter if you’re angry or happy or hateful. She just wants a connection with you. She’s obsessed. Caleb, please don’t.”

He gritted his teeth. “I can’t promise anything.”

“Just promise me that you’ll think about it. This is important to me.”

His nod was imperceptible.

Was this what would happen if I opened up to him? If he was angry about this, he would be spitting mad if I told him what had happened at the café.

I held his face in my hands, felt the rough texture of his unshaven jaw, kissed his lips lightly. “Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad at you.”

“I know. But don’t be mad at all.” I kissed him again.

He didn’t respond. He was still in a funk over the gift. So I kept kissing his lips, his cheeks, his nose until his body relaxed and he was kissing me back.

I slapped his arm playfully. “Okay. I need to shower now. If you want coffee, there should be some in the kitchen.”

“You can’t go yet.” He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back in the bed. On top of him. “Did anyone ever tell you to finish what you started?”

“Caleb,” I warned.

“Red.”

Laughter danced in his eyes. I recognized the glint, and I quickly scooted off the bed before he started piling on the charm and kisses. I really couldn’t be late to class today.

Avoiding his gaze, I grabbed my change of clothes and hurried to the bedroom door. I could feel his eyes on me, could imagine the naughty smile on his beautiful face. As I closed the door behind me, I thought I heard him say chicken.

I showered in haste, brushing my teeth at the same time. Even after blow-drying my hair for ten minutes, it still wasn’t dry, so I just tied it in a knot on top of my head. I slipped into my jeans and a white top with lace on the collar and hem and slapped on some powder and lip gloss.

I still felt tired from the all-nighter, but the shower refreshed me. When I walked into my bedroom, I found Caleb asleep on my bed.

He was lying on his stomach, his arms folded under his cheek. His hair covered his eyes, and I brushed it back gently so as not to wake him. He looked so peaceful, his boundless energy absent in sleep. Dark circles hung under his eyes from lack of sleep, but it didn’t take away from the perfect handsomeness of his face.

I kissed his forehead, stroked his face tenderly. I grabbed my alarm from my bedside table and set it, making sure he would have enough time to go back to his place and get ready for his class at one. I wrote a short note for him, then boarded the bus and went to school.

* * *

I let out a deep breath as I left the theater hall. My wrist ached from writing review notes from all three of my classes, but I felt in control and confident for finals.

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