Caleb
"You were out late last night."
I didn't bother waking her after I got home last night. I didn't want to. Despite my good mood following my talk with Belle, I was still pissed at Liv.
"Didn't know you were awake," I shrug grabbing the box of donuts off the counter
"I was," She sets her cup of coffee down when she looks at me "Where did you go?"
"Kane's," I shrug "He stays open late, I needed a break from you,"
"Really Caleb?"
"It's the truth Liv." I state. She yelled at me constantly to talk to her, to be hoe sat with her and I am.
"I didn't cheat, I didn't sleep with anyone else, I went to Kane's because I was frustrated and pissed off, I didn't want to take it out on you and say something I couldn't take back. I ran into a friend we talked, had a drink and I came home to you."
"So I was imagining seeing Bailey walking with you last night?"
"She was the friend I ran into," I shrug.
I know it looked bad but she has to learn to trust me. We've come a lot way form when we first started dating, we have built up that trust and I have never once lied to her or give her any reason to diminish it. Her mistrust in me stems from her, not me and regardless of how hard I try to help her through that, there is only so much I can do. But I'm not going to give up the people in my life because she does not trust me despite everything I have done to prove to her otherwise.
The look on her face tells me she's pissed, I know she is, but my sister just walked in the kitchen saving me from her outburst. For Liv's sake and mine, it's probably the best. While I may have gotten used to the things Liv says to me when she's mad, Arya would definitely not appreciate it.
A fight between my fiancée and sister right now is not something I need. I can only handle so many pissed off women at a time.
"Goodmorning!" She chirps seeing the both of us "Colton called, said we can come over for breakfast if we'd like,"
Liv shoots me a look, almost daring me to agree and see what happens. As much as I want to challenge her, I'm to tired to deal with it right now. Mentally I can't deal with another berating.
God I sound like a little bitch.
"I think we're just going to do our own thing today? Sound okay Liv?"
"Perfect," she smiles, shining her perfect teeth in my sisters direction "Tell everyone we said hi though,"
"Will do," Ary was suspicious, I could tell him the way her eyes had been jumping between the two of us. Thankfully she leaves, as do Bexley who says a quick hi and goodbye before joining my sister at the house across the street.
We'd been moving in silence around each other making food and the whole time I had been thinking about last night. Not so much about Bailey herself but what she said. She was leaving a lot out, that much I know, I want to know what exactly and I know I'm going to have to work for her to tell me. She doesn't trust me, I don't trust her, but I want us to have that trust again.
I want to know what happened to the Belle I grew up with.
I've gathered something bad, from what she's said a guy and drugs were involved.
We weren't strangers to drugs growing up, none of us actively participated in taking them though. The worst any of us would do is occasionally smoke some pot at a party. Anything harder we stayed clear of. Bailey didn't even smoke honestly, strictly drinking. She always refused but in the state she was in when she left, it doesn't surprise me that she used. Hell even I occasionally did more in college, getting high was an easy distraction from the grief and complete state of depression I had been in, I never got to the point of full blown addiction though. Bailey went deeper than I ever had, throw that on top of an addictive personality, something I know she possessed, and the results will not be good.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that she's been abused either. To what degree? Well that's for her to tell me when she is comfortable. But she flinches at quick movement, she's quiet, and the fear on her face when she accidentally interrupts someone is clear, like she thinks she'll face consequences or some punishment because of it.
She was abused. I want to throw up at the mere thought of anyone fucking touching her. I've almost hospitalized guys for even threatening to hit her, I would kill the motherfucker who ever actually laid a hand on her.
"Babe?" Liv's voice break my through a, bringing me back to the present "I'm sorry,"
"What?"
"I'm sorry,"
"For what?" I question. There's a lot of things she could be sorry for, she could apologize for my views and the fact that I am pissed not for the actual reason I'm pissed which I personally think is a bullshit apology. You can't apologize for someone's feelings, they feel that way because of something you did.
"For being a bitch. From last night to this morning." She states "I let irrational jealousy take over,"
"Thank you," I nod "I do want to reassure you Liv, I love you. I want to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you, but this place and the people here have a shitload of history that I haven't come to terms with. Bailey and I were friends for a long time, and yes we dated for some time but before that we were friends first, we are just trying to get back to a somewhat normal place." I tell her "Friends. That is all. Okay?"
"I know," she nods "I love you too,"
"I know" I smirk at her. "How could you not?"
"Oh shut up," she laughs lightly, the smile back on her face "I will try not to let jealousy rule my emotions,"
"And I will communicate that reassurance more but can you please just trust me? We have come a lot way with trust since we first started, I don't want to go backwards, I promise to continue to be as honest as possible with you but you need to promise to trust me as I trust you,"
"I promise," She smiles and nods "Okay now that we got that solved, how were things with Bailey?"
"Really?" I grin, she's trying...
Okay.
"I'm trying," she laughs, "Genuinely, from what you have said, I know things didn't end well between you two,"
"That's one way to put it,"
Things ended a hell of a lot worse than well , between Jordan dying, Beck slipping into the coma, graduating and well the evident and severe state of depression we had both slipped into...yeah things could've been a lot better.
"She just explained some stuff to me," I nod "Why she left and never contacted me or anyone else aside from Emma and her brothers for years,"
"That's it?"
"Well there was more but that's more Bailey's business to tell. Mentally her and I, nor anyone else was in a good mental state when she left," I shrug
Shit I'm still not.
Thankfully she just nods. From what I can assume not to many know about the extent of what happened to her, I'm not going to be one to share when that's not something she wants.
"Why did you all move away?"
"Well we didn't all move away," I snort "Arrex and Em don't live too far, Lexi's still around here for her brother and sister,"
"Okay majority of you, why'd you all leave?" She pushes and all I can do is shrug because I really didn't want to fucking talk about Jordan.
"We just weren't doing so well here," I tell her. It was vague but I couldn't go into detail. I know it may not be the right thing to do or say, but Jordan is someone I can't just talk about openly with most people, especially someone who didn't know him and wasn't there that night.
I wasn't good with emotions. Everyone around me knew it. I can handle others emotions, whether they're taking it out on me or needing comfort, that I can handle.
When it comes to my own? Fuck that. I'd rather shut down.
Before either of us can say anymore, I hear the front door open and laughs sounding through the hallway. Bailey and Arya.
"Oh hi guys," they Both stop in the kitchen at the sight of us two "Sorry I thought you two were going out," Arya apologizes
"No it's fine," I grin "What are you two up to?"
"Your mom asked if we wanted to go shopping," Bailey answers "Is she here?"
"I haven't seen her, I thought she was at your house?" Mom does this. Her and dad just leave, not telling anyone where the go.
They say that's how they keep things spontaneous...Arya, Bex and I know that's just code for them avoiding us. It's easier now that we're grown but it doesn't stop them from doing their own thing some nights.
"She literally just texted us?" Arya glances down at her phone "Hold on I'm going to call her," and with that she's leaving Belle and walking through the front door to the porch.
"Is it just going to be you three?" I question, trying to keep some sort of conversation going. We were okay but that doesn't magically fix any possible awkwardness.
"Uh-yeah and Bex," she smiles softly "I haven't really had much time to catch up with them with everything going on,"
"Turns out she's already at the mall?" Arya walks back in, "That woman stresses me out,"
"It's payback bud," I smile at her. Arya caused more stress in my mom than I did, and that's really saying something considering I was on a first name basis with majority of the ER doctors at her hospital.
Arya is the definition of a handful.
"You literally were at the hospital every two weeks either getting fixed from football or a fight!"
"Broke moms car at fifteen?" I challenge her
"Threw a football through your window for attention at fourteen?" She stares right back. Belles laugh sputters in the background as Arya glances at her.
"Okay it was not for attention!" I try to save myself in front of the three but there was no use. Arya and Bailey knew the truth, and n a two against one battle Liv was surely going to see their point.
I was an attention whore...sue me.
"It was one hundred percent for attention," Belle grins looking at Liv "Don't believe him if he tells you otherwise."
"Don't you two have somewhere to be?" I question, narrowing my eyes the both of them.
"Yeah let's go meet mom," My sister grins at Belle who had been quietly snickering with Liv.
It was a nice sight. To see them somewhat getting along, I wanted Liv to be comfortable here.
"Okay,"
Arya grabs her hand practically pulling Belle out of the kitchen, well attempting to.
"Wait Liv? Do you maybe wanna come with us?" Belle stops before my sister can pull her out the door, bringing my sister herself to a halt and a suprised look on Liv's face.
She glanced at me and I just nod, if she wanted to go that'd be great, Arya and my kom can get to know her with Bailey as a buffer. I know how much they can be though, understanding if she didn't want to go.
"Uh yeah sure, could you give me like half an hour to take a shower and get dressed?"
"Yeah of course, we'll be at my house," I don't miss the way she squeezes Arya's hand as her face stays in passive hopefulness. "And Caleb the guys are all over there too,"
"Okay we'll be over in a few," They're both leaving as I say this, more so, Bailey being pulled by my sister.
Liv and I both sit silently watching the two of them go. I think she had been just as surprised by the invitation as I had bee
"Well I wasn't expecting that," Liv chimes
"You don't have to go if you don't want to," I tell her "I know that can be kinda intimidating,"
"No it's okay really, I think I should go," she smiles "I'm going to shower,"
I just nod, hoping that something good will come of this.