Ch31

NOVA

I go completely still. For one a second, my brain refuses to process what just happened. Then I jerk away, turning my head sharply.

"Caleb!"

My whisper comes out louder than intended.

He immediately pulls back, his expression changing when he sees my face.

"Sorry," he whispers. "I shouldn't have done that."

I stare at him in the darkness, my heart still racing for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with Noah anymore.

"You can't just..." I stop myself, lowering my voice when I hear movement downstairs. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't."

"Clearly."

A tiny, almost apologetic smile touches his face. I fold my arms across my chest, despite the fact that there's barely enough room for either of us to move.

"You are unbelievable trying to just kiss me."

"And you're still sitting on my lap."

My eyes widen. "You know it's because I have nowhere else to sit!"

"Fair point."

I glare at him. He presses his lips together, obviously trying not to laugh.

"Don't laugh."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm really not."

A floorboard creaks downstairs and Both of us immediately fall silent. My stomach drops when I realize it's my Mom.

I know that particular sound. My mother has a way of walking through the house that makes every floorboard announce her arrival.

"Nova?" her voice calls from downstairs.

I close my eyes. Oh, no. Caleb's expression loses its amusement instantly.

"She's coming up," I whisper.

He nods. Another set of footsteps approaches the staircase. I quickly shift, trying to make myself smaller, and Caleb moves farther into the corner of the wardrobe to give me whatever little space he can.

The bedroom door suddenly opens.

"Nova?"

Mom's voice.

I hold my breath. She walks into the room.

I can hear her moving around, the soft rustle of clothes and the occasional creak of the floor beneath her feet.

"She isn't here either," she calls toward the hallway.

"Maybe she's still at school," Noah answers from downstairs.

"Her bag isn't here."

Caleb raises a brow. His eyebrows lift in silent question. I shake my head desperately. I have no idea what she's talking about.

Mom sighs. "She should have called."

Her footsteps move closer to the wardrobe. My heart practically stops. She stops directly in front of it. I squeeze my eyes shut. Please don't open it. Please don't open it. I hear the wardrobe handle rattle..Caleb's hand closes around mine, steadying me.

The door moves and just the then... "Mom!" Noah's voice comes from downstairs. "What?"

"Come see this!"

Mom sighs again. "I'm coming."

Her footsteps retreat. The bedroom door closes. There's silence.

I wait several seconds before finally releasing the breath trapped in my lungs.

Caleb lets out a quiet breath beside me.

"That was close."

I slowly turn toward him. "You're never coming to my house again."

He smiles. "After surviving that? I think I've earned another visit."

The sound of my mother's voice floats up from downstairs again. "Nova better have a good explanation when she gets home!"

My smile disappears. I look at Caleb. He looks at me. "Yeah," he whispers. "You're definitely in trouble."

I groan and bury my face in my hands.

"This is your fault."

"How?"

"You came here."

"Yeah, because you invited me."

"I did not invite you to get caught hiding in my wardrobe!"

"Technically, we haven't been caught."

I slowly lower my hands. "Yet."

He nods solemnly. "Yet."

And somehow, that makes me laugh. Quietly, desperately, and completely against my will.