Page 92 of Fall

There’s a soft knock on my bedroom door as Celeste lets herself in. I swing my head in her direction.

“Is everybody gone?” I ask her.

“Yea, I kicked them all out. It was a dirty job, but someone had to do it,” she says with a meek smile and a tilt of her head.

I pat the bed to invite her to lie with me. I know she wants to talk, but this time, she’s too afraid to ask.

“I’m okay, Cele. It’s just a lot to process, and I’m drained out.”

“That’s understandable. Today was… Well, it just was.” She crawls onto the bed and joins me, watching the ceiling.

“Do you—” she starts.

“Nope,” I answer before she even finishes. “Just lie here.”

“Should I make some popcorn? The ceiling looks like it’s going to be very entertaining,” she says, and I snort.

A second later, there’s a knock on our front door. I automatically reach under my pillow for my knife. I had forgotten to take it when I went to the library—a mistake that I will never make again.

There’s a pause and then more knocking.

“Should I go get it?” Celeste asks.

“We’ll get it. Where did Taylor put my gun?”

She cringes at my question. “He took it with him.”

I grumble getting out of bed. “Fucker probably thought I’d shoot one of his brothers.”

The knocking gets more and more persistent as we walk down the hallway, and it grates on every one of my nerves. I look through the peephole and curse.

“Holy mother of the universal hell I live in, does this shit not end?” I say as I open the door. “Did you forget something, Caleb?”

He looks at me with tired eyes. “I don’t think you ladies should be alone tonight.”

“Then tell Taylor to come back. He can stay,” I mumble and walk away from the door, heading to the kitchen.

“You and I have to talk.”

I snap my head. “No, we don’t. I did enough talking.”

“Then I talk, you listen.” Caleb squares his shoulders and stares intensely at me.

The weight of his stare feels heavy on my shoulders, but I can’t stop the laughter from bubbling on my lips.

“You really do have control issues. I’m not one of your subjects, Caleb, and this isn’t some caveman era. I’m tired and I want to get some sleep.”

“Um…” Celeste chimes in. “I’m gonna leave you two to talk. I’ll see you in the morning, Eves. Yell if you need me. Or don’t.” She winks.

She is going to be the death of me one day.

“Can you give me five minutes, at least?” Caleb pleads after she leaves.

“Why? It’s more than you’ve ever given me.”

He bows his head. “I listened to you earlier.”

Christ.

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