♤DEALS♤

Chapter 31 - My birthday

Before I could make sense of my actions, I dragged her closer to me, rested my head on her chest and continued to cry. I knew my tears were ruining her shirt. I want to hold her close to me, even if it's just for today. Even if after today, we would go back to strangers.

Even if I never get to experience true happiness, I want to have a taste of it. It might make me look desperate, but you can't hold out bread to a hungry man and expect him not to eat.

She stroked my hair and whispered comforting words. The tears flowing from my eyes didn't ease up one bit. I knew that if I wanted to be more selfish, I would keep her here and not care that the world may rip her away from me.

I might as well tell her what's been eating up at me. Rip the bandage off and start the tradition that occurs on this very day, bringing a feeling that's my second favourite.

Loss.

"I killed them today," I say quietly.

She abruptly stopped running her hands through my hair.

"Who did you kill, Caleb?" She whispers towards me.

"My parents, that's who," I say with a sniffle.

Peyton doesn't believe me because the next thing she says shocks me.

"How exactly did that happen?"

"It just did." I press myself closer to her chest to hide my face from her ever-so-piercing gaze.

She sighs, "You were just a child; there was no way you could be responsible for their death. Even if you were, I'm sure it was an accident."

I felt rage boil up in me as I heard the unmistakable tone in her voice.

Pity.

I rip my head away from her and scowl at her furiously. "It's true! They did die in front of me. They didn't want me. I'm just a screwup." I say.

Peyton rolls her eyes at me, "That's not true. If you think that then, how are you where you are now?"

I turned my gaze away from her, unable to meet her gaze, "You don't understand! No one does!"

She doesn't reply until she does something that surprises us both.

She gets up from the bed and walks out the door.

There she goes, my only other beacon of hope that maybe there is hope for me to have a happy future. It was too good to be true.

I flop back on my bed exhausted; the tears refuse to come back as I still feel empty and broken.

The door opens once more. I resist the urge to throw my pillow at the intruder when I see who it is.

"Get up!" I sit up and look at Peyton as she gives me a dirty look.

"Peyton, it's okay," I say with exhaustion coating my tone.

"If you so much as tell me crap, Black helps me so that I don't get the buzzes up here." She spits.

"I don't see how any of this concerns you anyway! I don't see how any of this concerns you anyway! You said it yourself. You're only here to help us with Abigail, then you leave. Leave me be and if the press decides they want to have a go in my life then let them."

I fall back on the bed, exhaustion flooding into my veins. I knew what I just said might hurt. I know it was a lie. She may not hate me as much as a few months ago, but Peyton doesn't care.

"How about this? If you get your bummed ass from that bed and follow me to where I go, I'll answer that question you've been dying to ask."

Not this again.