Chapter 6

We stepped into the house through the back door dripping wet. I glanced at Carl, and I still couldn’t stop myself from giggling softly at his teasing eyes. They were tickling me from within, his lips curling into a playful smile. What happened at the river left me feeling embarrassed but, at the same time, giddy. Something changed between us. I couldn’t explain it. I felt very comfortable with him. I liked the feeling of being with him.

“Stop it, Carl,” I said as I wrung out my hair.

“Stop what?” his tongue coming out to run over his lower lip. Damned hot.

“Stop teasing me.”

“I’m just admiring the view.”

I rolled my eyes, feeling a blush creeping up my cheeks despite my efforts to stay composed. I knew my breasts were visible through my shirt. Good thing I wore a bra. “Quit it already. We need to dry off before we catch a cold.” My heart wouldn’t stop fluttering.

“You two seemed to be having fun.” A familiar voice said.

I gasped, turning to see him looking mighty fine. “Caleb!” And before I could stop myself, I was vaulting at him. He caught me in his arms, and I hugged him tightly around the neck. “You’re here! When did you arrive?”

But as I pulled back from the hug, his lack of enthusiasm disappointed me. His smile seemed forced, and there was a tension in his posture, and I realized I was soaking him. “Oh, Goodness! I’m sorry. You’re wet.” I said, ripping myself off him.

“It’s fine.” His smile was tight. “Surprised?”

I frowned at his lukewarm response. “Well, yeah, of course I’m surprised. I thought you were out of town.”

He shrugged, his gaze flickering away from mine. “Yeah, well, I’ve been busy,” he muttered, looking at Carl. I noticed Carl’s frown.

The sudden shift in the air felt suffocating.

“Can we talk, Carl?” he said. “After you changed.”

I watched him leave, confused. That wasn't the reaction I was expecting from him. I imagined he'd be more thrilled. Turning to Carl, I could see the concern in his eyes.

“Are you okay?” Carl asked softly, reaching out to touch my arm.

“Has something happened to Caleb?”

“He didn’t say he was coming. I don’t know. You should go now. Change before you catch a cold.”

As I changed into dry clothes, my thought was filled with Caleb. His demeanor had been unusually cold. I thought he’d be happy. Maybe something was bothering him.

I sighed, running the hairbrush through my hair. Now that Caleb was here, we were complete. It meant we could all hang out together, and that sounded like a blast to me. It would be a great time to spend outdoors after Carl’s work.

I suddenly heard a knock on the door. Wondering who it could be, I hurried to answer it. Opening the door, I found Caleb standing there, but something seemed off. His expression was tense, and the corner of his lip was busted. “What happened?” I rushed, worried.

He shrugged, walked inside the room, and sat on the bed.

“Come on, let me take a look at that,” I insisted, gently reaching out to touch his face. As I examined the cut, I could tell it was more than just a scratch. “This looks pretty bad,” I said, my worry growing. “We should clean it up and put some ointment on it. But—” I halted, took a step back, and looked at him, my frown deepening. “How did you get this?”

His jaw tightened, his eyes avoiding me. The coldness in his expression sent a pang of fear in my heart. “Carl,”

I gasped sharply. “Did you two fight?”

His silence spoke volumes, confirming my suspicions. “Caleb, answer me,” I pressed.

“It’s nothing,” he finally muttered, but his defensive tone only made me upset.

“Nothing? Your lip is busted, Caleb! Don’t lie to me. What happened?”

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “We had a disagreement. That’s all.”

“A disagreement? That doesn’t make sense. You just arrived. Getting physical just because of a disagreement sounds absurd.”

His jaw clenched, his eyes turning colder. “It doesn’t matter, Sasha. Just drop it.”

But I couldn’t just drop it, not when things were clearly not okay. “Where’s Carl?”

His silence stretched between us, the tension in his body was palpable. “Why? You’re running to him? Ask me then why I hurt him. Tell me you’re upset because I hurt Carl. He said some things, I said some things, and it escalated, so what? You want to go to Carl. Go, Sasha. I’m not stopping you. I’m leaving anyway.”

I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I was stunned by his sudden outburst. With our positions, him sitting on the bed and me standing in front of him, I felt him appear so small and vulnerable.

But tears welled up in my eyes. “I’m sorry. Is it because of me? I’m so sorry.” I cast my eyes on the floor. They never fought before. "It's because of me again."

“It’s about everything... I just... I don’t know how to handle it.” His expression softened, and he closed his eyes briefly as if trying to compose himself. “I’m leaving. I can see that you’re doing fine.”

“No. You’re not leaving until we talk about this,”

“I’m intruding. I’m such a nuisance.”

“No, you’re not! This is a big misunderstanding.” I was getting mad. “Wait here. I’m going to get Carl. We need to talk.”

I strode towards the door. “There’s no need for that.” His words stopped me in my tracks. He rose from the bed, his expression cold. “We’ve already talked. I don’t see the need for more.”

“I need more because clearly, I’m at fault. This is because of me again. I knew it. But Caleb,” I slumped my shoulders in defeat, “Carl and I did nothing—” his eyes narrowed, “—inappro...priate.” My voice fell silently, the memory of the river flashing in my mind with Carl kissing my neck.

He scoffed. His eyes made me feel so guilty right now. He looked angry. “Inappropriate.” His voice dropped low and ominous. “Why does it make me angry when you lie to me like that, Sasha?” He asked, taking a step closer.

In response, my feet automatically stepped back, the door welcoming my back. “Caleb,” I swallowed, my words not coming out. Shit! He’s scary. “We...we just,”

“I don’t want to hear it.” He growled and gripped my jaw, forcing me to look at his amber eyes that darkened in the shade. “You said friends, right? Why then?” he asked, and I gasped as his hand tightened around my jaw, the warmth in his fingers doing something weird inside me.

“Ca-leb,” I gasped as he turned my face to the side and planted a wet kiss on the skin of my neck. My knees wobbled at the sensation.

“Friends don’t do this, do they?” He took one of my legs and lifted it to his hip, and I panicked. He then thrust into me, pressing his hard-on against my covered mound. Electric sensations shot through my spine, hitting my core. This never happened before. We had never reached this point.

“Cal...”

“My, my, dinner’s ready. I hope you’re hungry.” Aunt Beth’s cheerful voice greeted us as she knocked on the door, causing my whole body to freeze. I pushed Caleb, but he remained unbadged, his nose pressing against my neck.

“We’re going down, Aunt Beth,” I replied rather loudly, trying to keep my cool.

“Well, come on then. Let’s not keep the food waiting,” she said, her voice beaming.

As I heard her footsteps recede, I pushed him with all my might and hastily left the room. My heart was pounding so loudly that I thought my ears would break.

Seated at the table, the tension between Carl and Caleb was palpable, like a storm brewing beneath the surface. Aunt Beth, oblivious to the tension, chattered cheerfully as she served the food, but even her enthusiasm couldn’t dispel the heavy atmosphere in the room. Each clink of the cutlery against the plates felt like a gunshot, echoing in the strained silence.

I cleared my throat, “So, Aunt Beth, this looks delicious. ” I forced a smile, avoiding their eyes as much as possible. They were sitting next to each other across from me. From where I sat, I could see the little redness on Carl’s left cheek. If Aunt Beth noticed it, she didn’t pry further. “What’s on the menu tonight?” I asked her.

“Oh, thank you, dear! Tonight, we have your favorite—lasagna, garlic bread, and a fresh garden salad straight from the backyard. I even made some apple pie for dessert!”

“That sounds fantastic! You’ve outdone yourself again, Aunt Beth.”

Aunt Beth chuckled modestly. “Well, I always say, the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach!”

I laughed, grateful for Aunt Beth’s lightheartedness amidst the tension. “In that case, you’ve definitely won us over!”

She winked. “That makes me glad.”

“Has Uncle Alberto eaten yet?” Caleb asked, his voice soft.

“Oh, he’s resting right now. I’ll bring him his dinner later.”

I felt like the tension continued to simmer, threatening to boil over at any moment. This was going to be a long and uncomfortable dinner.

Doing the dishes was a way to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere at the table. Aunt Beth smiled gratefully and handed me a dish towel. I began to wash and dry the dishes.

Think, Sasha. Think.

This was becoming so complicated.