Ch30

NOVA

"Make yourself comfortable," I tell him, gesturing vaguely toward the living room couch as soon as the front door closes behind us. "I'll be right back. Just going to change."

Without waiting for a response, I turn and rush up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I duck into my bedroom, kicking off my uncomfortable school shoes, pulling off my boho skirt, and changing into a casual pair of shorts and a soft tank top. I take a quick second to shake out my hair in the vanity mirror before making my way back downstairs.

Caleb is lounging on the sofa when I walk back into the living room. His eyes drift up, sweeping over my warm-weather clothes, and a grin spreads across his face.

I can't help the small smile that touches my own lips in return.

I go over to sit in the armchair opposite him, but before my weight can settle, he pats the empty cushion right beside him on the sofa. "Come here," he says.

I pause, my hand resting on the armrest of the chair. "I shouldn't..."

"It's just talking," he says, his eyes fixed on mine.

I hesitate for a second longer before standing back up and walking over, settling into the space beside him on the couch.

"You look so pretty," he says, his gaze on my face.

I offer a light tilt of my head. "I know."

He chuckles. "I have to answer your questions, right?"

My mind starts racing. Should I actually ask him real, serious questions? Or should I be trying to flirt with him instead? I mean, the whole goal is to make him fall for me, right? That’s what I’m supposed to be doing.

I bite my lower lip, trying to frame the thought in my head before I speak. "Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

Caleb's eyebrows pull together in a light frown. "Why?"

"I'm just curious," I say, shifting slightly on the cushion. "I've never had one."

"I haven't," he says.

"Okay," I murmur.

Caleb shifts a little closer to me, extending his arm and resting it casually along the back of the sofa right behind my shoulders. "That doesn't mean I don't know how to treat a lady," he adds.

My chest does a strange little flip, and I open my mouth to ask another question when the unmistakable sound of tires rolling over the gravel driveway cuts through the living room.

I freeze. I lean over to push back the edge of the window blinds and peek outside. My breath catches sharply in my throat, and I gasp, dropping the blinds back into place.

"Who is it?" Caleb asks, his brow furrowing.

I don't even answer him. My heart is pounding against my ribs like a trapped bird as I grab his wrist and pull him up off the couch. "Upstairs. Now!"

We sprint up the stairs, my feet slapping loudly against the wooden steps. I yank open my bedroom door, pull open the wooden doors of my wardrobe, and try to shove him inside. But he's too tall... his long legs stick straight out, preventing the doors from closing anywhere near shut.

"Calm down," Caleb says, holding his hands up slightly as he looks at me.

"Calm down?" I whisper-yell, my hands practically trembling. "That's my parents and my brother downstairs!"

"They'll be mad?" he asks.

"Noah doesn't like you!" I hiss, pacing a tiny step back and forth.

"Yeah, yeah," Caleb nods, taking a breath to assess the situation. "Did you leave any of your stuff downstairs? Like your bag or shoes?"

"No," I say, shaking my head quickly. "I brought everything up with me."

"Get in with me," he says, gesturing to the space beside him.

I stare at him like he's lost his mind. "Are you insane?"

"I'm not," he insists calmly.

"It won't fit with just you, let alone me joining!" I say, waving my hands frantically at his knees still sticking out into my bedroom floor.

"You'll sit on my legs," he says simply.

I watch him in disbelief, but he adjusts his position, sliding his back flat against the rear wall of the closet and pulling his knees tightly inward. Magically, his legs clear the doorframe. He looks up at me from the dark interior, his eyes completely dark and focused.

"We'll make it work," he says. "They'll think you're still at school."

Heavy footsteps echo from the bottom of the staircase, followed by the muffled sound of my brother's voice.

"Oh my God," I whisper, my eyes wide. "Someone's coming upstairs."

Without another word of argument, Caleb reaches his hand out of the closet toward me. I grab it, and with terrifyingly easy strength, he pulls me upward off the ground, lifting me straight onto his lap.

I slide inside, my back pressed against his chest, and before the heavy footsteps reach the top landing, Caleb pulls the wooden wardrobe doors shut, plunging us into total darkness.

Even inside the wardrobe, I can feel every drop of my blood hammering in my ears. I know I can fool Noah and my dad. But my mom? She's not one to be fooled. So I'm just hoping it's not her walking toward the door.

A heavy thump sounds right outside my bedroom door, followed by the click of the latch turning. I hear the exact moment the door swings wide open.

"Nova?"

It’s Noah. I freeze, my back jammed flat against Caleb’s chest, my lungs seizing up. My breath hitches into a gasp, my chest heaving against Caleb’s grip.

"Nova? You in here?"

Noah steps further into the room. I can hear the dull heavy soles of his shoes against the floor, marching straight toward the center of the space. My heart is pounding so hard against my ribs I’m terrified Noah can hear it from three feet away. I pant, completely unable to catch my breath, my shoulders shaking.

Before I can lose control, I feel Caleb's broad, warm palm glides smoothly over my face, gently sealing my mouth shut.

At the same time, Caleb’s other hand snakes up, his long fingers cupping the back of my neck. His thumb rests right against my pulse point. The instant his skin touches mine, my racing heart doesn't stop, but the edge melts away. I melt back into him, holding my breath completely, staring blind into the pitch-black space of the closet.

"Guess she's not home," Noah grumbles to himself from the middle of the room.

I hear him rustle with something on my desk, followed by a heavy sigh.

"What is she still doing at school this late?" he mutters, his voice fading slightly as he turns back toward the hallway. "Hey Mom! She's not up here!"

His footsteps retreat down the corridor.

Slowly, I let out the breath I’ve been holding, my shoulders dropping as a wave of relief washes over me. Caleb’s hand gently slides away from my mouth, though his fingers remain loosely threaded at the back of my neck.

I open my mouth to whisper a thank you, but the words die in my throat.

Caleb tilts his head down into the crook of my shoulder, and an instant later, I feel the shock of his hot, warm mouth pressing softly against the tender skin of my neck.