ALPHA: Heir Of The Four

Chapter Five

     She would expect me to listen to her endless rants. She would expect me to listen to her drama. She would expect me to sympathize for her and tell her only what she wanted to hear. She would expect more than I was capable of giving because it would have required more patience and understanding than I could have conjured. Sure, it was hardly an unfair request because that's what friends did. They listened and offered advice. They always chose your side. They cried when you cried, laughed when you laughed and comforted you when you were down. I would have done that for Jennifer but she wouldn't have done it for me. My problems would be pushed aside to allow room for her problems. It would become about her and I just simply did not want to deal with that. So staying with Jennifer was out of the question.

     I then offered up the idea to make my way to Kasey's cottage, a place I had been numerous times. I knew I would have been welcomed; I never felt out of place with the Helland family. But as soon as the suggestion left my mouth, I kid you not, Caleb replied with, 'that's not an option', and immediately followed up with, 'go to sleep'.

     Mysterious, gorgeous, and smug. Just my luck.

     And yet, there I stood, facing the house of doom, getting ready to retrieve some of my belongings. I was going to leave the nest and accept Caleb's offer.

     I shook my hands to release the nerves and took a deep breath. It was now or never.

     "I'll go in with you."

     I turned and looked up at Caleb. He did not look at all content with me being out of his sight, even for a second. It was kind of adorable to see this walking, talking embodiment of confidence and strength so easily unsettled. Strange, but adorable. And adorable always trumped strange. . .right?

     "I'll be fine. In and out, I promise."

     He still didn't look too thrilled but he didn't push the subject. "I need to do this alone, okay? Just stand here and look mysterious and gorgeous or whatever." I knew for a fact that once my grandmother noticed that not only had I returned, but returned with Caleb, it would irk her nerves. Remember, appearances were everything to my grandmother. Just knowing that our nosy neighbours were most likely all stationed at their windows, gawking at the random boy posted up against his black Camaro, she would probably damn me to hell for making her come up with a reason to explain Caleb to them.

     I turned to leave but he gently grabbed my arm and turned me back around to face him. Before I could even think, let alone speak, he took my face in his hands and gazed down at me. Damn my lack of self control and those perfect grey eyes of his for obliterating any and all rational and logical thoughts from my mind with a single look. Instinctively, my arms slid around his waist, as if it had become automatic to respond to his touch with a touch, to his hold with a hold.

     "Twenty minutes," he said, his tone soft yet serious.

     "I'm going to need thirty at most," I countered.

     "Twenty," he replied firmly.

     "Twenty-five," I smiled, challenging him and his self-appointed authority.

     "Twenty, and then I'm coming in after you."

     I dropped my arms from his waist and folded them across my chest. "You know, you hardly have enough brownie points to start dictating time frames to me." He only smirked in response and dropped his hands to my waist. "I'll see you in forty minutes." I pulled away from him and turned to head up the drive way. As irritated-but-not-really as I was, the smile tugging at my lips couldn't be refrained for very long.