Inferno (A Harmony Love Story)

by Angela Graham

  He quirked a brow, smiling at me fully, then released my hand, shoving his own two into the pockets of his black trousers.

  “I just wanted to stop by and give you a proper introduction.” He paused a moment, searching my face. “I know people around here like to gossip and most of it’s bullshit, but not all of it. We all have a past and mine’s not all full of pride and glory, but I bet you can understand we all make what some would consider mistakes.”

  “Yeah, I can,” I murmured, regretting so many of my own.

  “Thought so. Then I was thinking: What if we choose to forget about the past and focus on the future?”

  I bit my bottom lip, chewing on it nervously. “I’d like that,” I offered. “I’d like that a lot, actually.”

  “I was hoping so.” He leaned against the doorframe. “I know I scared you last night, and I apologize for that. It was never my intention. Rafe and I have a not-so-friendly history. He’s had that coming for quite a while. Last night just made it all the sweeter.”

  “Is he okay?” I barely managed, in an octave just above a whisper.

  Caleb leaned in closer, snaring my gaze. “Yes. As good as he’ll ever be. A minor concussion and extremely pissed off, but besides that, he’ll survive.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you knew him? And how exactly do—”

  “Hilary, I’m not very good at answering questions that I feel are unnecessary. Life’s too short to overanalyze shit. The only thing you need to know is that Rafe and I are not friends, and that he won’t be bothering you again. We clear on that?”

  My head bounced on my shoulders in agreement, but I still needed more. He didn’t give me time to even think, however, adding, “You want to sit and dissect your history with him?”

  On instinct, I shook my head swiftly. But mine was shady and humiliating. What did that make his?

  “Good,” he said, massaging his chin. “Because I’d like to consider you a friend, Hilary, but I need to be able to trust my friends.”

  “Okay, me too. No more history lessons.”

  His smile was contagious, energizing, and gorgeous. I stepped to the side. “You want to come in for a while? This is definitely big enough to share.” I held up the cake bag.

  He appeared to think it over, glancing back down the hallway toward the elevator while running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Not tonight. I actually have some business to attend to. Maybe another time.”

  My hopefulness fell. “Right, sure, no problem. Of course you do, new hotspot and all.” Damn it. There I go again.

  I pushed my lips together and inhaled a cleansing breath through my nostrils, watching his brows quirk up in a challenging way. “Well, thanks again for the cake,” I said quickly, already shutting the door. “Good night.”

  “Noon, two weeks from today,” he replied, catching me off guard.

  “Excuse me?” I asked, opening the door again.

  “The end-of-summer parade, carnival, whatever they call the thing. You said you’d be my date, remember?”

  My cheeks stung from the heat of my blush. “Um, yeah, sure. I mean, if you want. Totally up to you.”

  “Good.” His sly smirk melted my insides. “I’ll pick you up here. And don’t be a stranger until then, you feel me?”

  He walked away before I could respond, which was fine since I had no more intelligent or coherent words left. My body slumped against the door once it was closed. Feel him…yes, please. Everywhere. I officially had a date with Caleb. He’d even labeled it as a date himself.

  I shuffled to my room like a zombie and fell onto my bed, snatching my pillow seconds later and screaming into it while I kicked my feet to release a flurry of exhilaration. Life was looking up.

  With one glance around my room, all the motivation I’d lacked during the week came pouring out. All the empty boxes stacked in one corner while piles of shoes and clothing were scattered everywhere else had previously been overwhelming—especially considering I still needed to find a place to live, and quickly.

  It all felt so easy now, with my newfound eagerness to start the next step in my life taking control. I sat up and grabbed the packing tape from my nightstand, and with every box I built, I felt the burden of disgrace lift away, replaced by the anticipation of what was yet to come.

  As if he’d never arrived back to town, Caleb disappeared for the entire next week. His black Jeep still sat outside Haven, but I’d stopped in once or twice—or maybe a few more times than that, but enough to realize he wasn’t around. And when the weekend came, with a special guest DJ from the city hosting Friday night at Haven and still no Caleb, I gave up on looking.

  Wherever he was, he didn’t want to be disturbed. The complete radio silence was unsettling, and the fact that it bothered me troubled me worst of all. He didn’t owe me anything, and certainly not an explanation of his whereabouts.

  But then again, we were friends—his words—so a short text would’ve been appreciated, especially considering I’d sent him one (okay, two, but they were a day apart). I was slowly growing worried. What if Rafe had come back for revenge? Could Rafe even take Caleb in a fight? The thought was laughable, yet I found no humor in it.

  I spent Saturday grocery shopping and hanging with my dad. I’d called him a couple of days after our fight, but my attempt to apologize was received on deaf ears. “Nothing to apologize for,” he’d assured me.

  By Sunday, all thoughts of Caleb were cast aside by something much more important and exciting.

  “That was incredible!” I gushed, walking to the dimly lit parking lot.

  Cassandra was at my side, flashing a grin even wider than mine. Open house had gone off without a single misstep worth stressing over. The children were an awesome mix of sweet and rowdy, and the parents were not only friendly but more welcoming than I’d imagined them being, considering I’d just graduated that past spring.

  Cassandra stopped beside my Camry—the one I explained I’d traded my Mustang in for due to the expense. It wasn’t a lie and she didn’t press for more, assuring me it was a smart move. If only she knew just how right she really was.

  “I can’t wait until tomorrow morning. We finally made it,” she said, staring up at the sky. “I’m proud of us.”

  “Me too.” I leaned against my hood after dropping my bag in the backseat. “I saw Logan and his sister were here.”

  “Yeah, Oliver’s in preschool. I told you that,” she said, hopping on my hood and leaning back against the windshield, watching the stars appear.

  “So, did you talk to him?” I asked, sitting beside her.

  “Oliver? Of course. He’s the coolest lil’ kid. You’d like him.”

  I shot her a wry smile. “I’m sure I would, but I was talking about his daddy.”

  She exhaled deeply. “Yeah, but there’s nothing new to tell you, so no need to ask. I haven’t even seen him lately. The man is nothing more than a playboy cliché—exactly what I don’t need.”

  “Maybe, but I do think you need a certain something that only a man can give you.”

  “Hilary!” She slapped my leg.

  “I’m serious—if not Logan, then we’re going to find you a guy to help release some of that frustration, at least once,” I protested, adding slowly with a giggle, “Then we’ll talk again in another year when you’re ready for another!”

  “Very funny. And no thank you!” She slid down my car and headed toward her own. “Good night, perv!”

  I sat at a table toward the back of Haven a few hours later, eating a late dinner and secretly hoping Caleb would appear from the kitchen. I never had the nerve to ask about him, afraid his employees would tell him he had a stalker. But I apparently made myself easy to figure out anyway.

  “Pretty sure he’s gone for a few more days,” the waiter said, refilling my glass.

  I shot my head up in his direction. “Huh? Who?”

  He chuckled, causing my cheeks to flame. “The boss. Caleb, who you keep hoping to see.”


  I told a long drink of the cool water. “No, I’m just eating dinner. Why would you think that?”

  “Hey, it’s cool. I won’t say anything.” He held out his hand. “I’m Kurt.”

  I shook it reluctantly. His hair was long, just past his jaw, with one side tucked behind his ear, and he had bright grey eyes. His expression was soft and friendly, and although not my type, he was a good-looking guy.

  “How’d you figure me out?” I asked sheepishly.

  “Well, you’ve looked more at the kitchen door than your food—and not just today, but every other time you’ve been in this week.”

  I looked away, biting my lip.

  “It’s all good. The boss seems to have that effect on girls.”

  “Girls?” I shot him an inquisitive look.

  He stepped back, slightly nervous. “I mean, there’s a few that come around asking about him. Not sure he even knows it though.”

  “Right.” Of course there were. I wasn’t the only girl with eyeballs. Caleb was sexy in a way most of the single girls here only saw in the movies.

  “Well, can you please not tell him I was here?”

  “Not a problem, since I never got your name.”

  I dropped my head, eyes closing in embarrassment. I felt suddenly rude. “Sorry…Hilary. You from around here?”

  “Nah, just moved to town. A friend got me the job here with Caleb.”

  “That’s cool. He a good boss?” I asked, relaxing and popping a fry in my mouth.

  “As long as you follow the rules, yeah.”

  I smiled at that.

  “Hey, I uh…got a question for you.”

  “Sure.”

  “The other night, you were in here with a pretty blonde—is she single, by chance?” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking suddenly nervous, which was cute on him.

  Smiling up at Kurt, I replied, “Yes, she is. You want me to bring her in sometime while you’re working?”

  “You know if she’s into waiters or prefers the boss type?”

  I laughed. “Cassandra’s too sweet to judge you or anyone for having a specific job. But she’s not real big on dating right now, either.”

  How was I going to sell her on this? She’d say no before even meeting him, and then again once she saw his hair and guessed his age. He was tall, pure muscle, and at least thirty-five, which didn’t bother me so much but would definitely bother her. He may have been cute, but a little too rock-and-roll for her to take seriously. But still, he might’ve been exactly what she needed to give a certain someone a little nudge to make a move.

  I glanced over at the far end of the bar where Logan had been perched for over an hour, his briefcase at his side, papers surrounding him. This could be exactly what Logan needs to realize just how much he’s into her.

  Wiping my hands on my napkin, I peered back up with calculating intentions. “How do you feel about blind dates?”

  He puffed out a breath. “Considering I already know she’s cute, I’m down.”

  “Fantastic. I’ll talk to her soon. You free on Saturday nights?”

  “I can be.” He chuckled. “You always so confident?”

  “I wish.”

  Chapter Twelve

  The first week of school kept me too preoccupied to notice when Caleb returned to town, spotting him pulling out of Haven on my way to class one morning. A part of me wanted to drop in and welcome him back, but the other part—the logical one—decided to focus on lesson plans instead. Besides, he’d never bothered to return my text messages, so why should I have put forth the effort? I learned a long time ago that you can’t force what’s not meant to be.

  “Hey, Hilary. What’re you doing out here?”

  I peeked up from my iPad to find Luke, Caleb’s brother, standing next to the park bench I’d been perched on for the last hour—the same one I’d sat on with Felicia not too long ago. There was something about its exact location, with an enormous tree above for shade and it being just far enough away from the jungle gym, to offer a soothing tranquility. There were few things better than fresh summer air, and I was eager to suck it all up before it ended.

  “Hey!” I leapt up, embracing him in an overdue hug. “What are you doing here?”

  He sat beside me, stretching out his long legs and crossing them at the ankles. “Moving home. Got in last night. My dad’s been working his bribery skills on me all summer to persuade me to move back, and he finally succeeded.”

  Luke may have moved away with his mom years ago, but he was still a regular fixture growing up—at least, until he went off to law school a year ago after graduating college early, the smarty pants. His occasional weekends home when we were teenagers were some of my favorite memories, and the closest chances I had to see (or more, spy on) his brother.

  “You’re really gonna work for him, huh?” I asked, not at all surprised. Luke followed every rule he ever faced, and his dad had plenty of those.

  “The old man wore me down,” he said, chuckling. “And made me sole beneficiary in his will if I promised to take over the law firm after he retires.”

  “Sole beneficiary?” I made a face. “As in Caleb gets nil?”

  Luke just shook his head, completely chill.

  “And you think that’s fair?” I asked, suddenly defensive. “Caleb’s his son too. Has he even seen him since he moved back?”

  Luke positioned his body to face me, his arm extended over the back of the bench. “Caleb made it clear the day he strolled out of town that he doesn’t want shit from my dad. And no, Caleb’s apparently been too busy.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “So him making a decision as a teenager is end-all? That’s messed up, and you’re too smart to not know it too.”

  “What I know is that my brother skipped out of this place years ago and had no reason to come back except to rub it in our dad’s face.”

  “Rub what?”

  “All of it! His success, money, surviving on the streets. Listen, Caleb and my dad’s relationship is complicated. You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Trust me, I get complicated, but living on the streets? I thought you didn’t know where he went.”

  Luke released a frustrated sigh. “All I know for sure is that one of my dad’s old clients fed my dad information on Caleb for a while. And after that, whatever he got into, my dad cut him off, fully. He even ordered me to stay away from Caleb or he’d cut me off. And now Caleb’s back, shuns my dad, and wants to be my best fucking friend. I know you’ve always had a crush on him, but he’s done some shady shit. And if you ask my dad, he still is.”

  “Wow, that’s harsh. Always thought you were the nice one,” I emphasized, easing back against the bench.

  “That’s my dad, but that’s also Caleb. They’re exactly the same—always pissed about something. Too intense for me.”

  “Well, Caleb seems pretty chill since he’s been back,” I said, ignoring the flashing memory of Rafe’s head meeting the brick wall.

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong,” Luke said, becoming animated. “Caleb’s cool as hell. Always Mr. Smooth, knowing exactly what to say to get what he wants. Never has a problem schmoozing the biggest assholes, and ready to stab them in the back when he’s finished with them. He’s awesome to have on your side, but turn against him…” he warned slowly. “Well, I haven’t met anyone who didn’t regret it.”

  That didn’t completely surprise me, and definitely left me wanting to know more.

  I tucked my iPad into my bag, aiming for an indifferent tone when I asked, “He ever have a real girlfriend that you know of? I mean, since he left?”

  When I righted my bag and looked back at Luke, he was staring at me, looking unsettled.

  “Hilary, seriously, listen to me. Just like in high school, the rumors you’ve heard about him never taking a girl out twice…well, that still applies.”

  “How do you know if you weren’t around him the last few years?”

  He laughed. “Trust me, I know. Plus,
Caleb’s already slept with at least two girls we went to school with since coming home. Both have been on my ass since they saw me here a few weeks ago, blowing me up, asking if I’ll talk to him for them. He’s an okay brother, but I promise you, there’s horrible boyfriend potential. Save yourself the trouble, all right?”

  I nodded, too quickly to mean it. “Sure.” He dropped the subject, to my relief, mostly because I knew there was something more to Caleb—something even Luke didn’t see.

  We spent the next fifteen minutes catching up about our new careers. He was still working on his law degree, but seemed content starting out as a paralegal for his father. I loved seeing him happy. His smile was always so genuine.

  After we parted ways, I was walking down Main Street toward my car when I heard my name called. I turned to find Caleb standing outside Haven a couple buildings back.

  “Hey,” I said, meeting him halfway on the sidewalk.

  “Hey yourself.” A gust of wind blew my hair across my face, and Caleb smirked as I attempted to knot it behind my neck. He slid his fingers over a few strays, moving them from my cheek. “I saw you messaged. Sorry, I didn’t have my phone on me. Just saw them when I got in this morning.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “No problem. Not a big deal at all.” I had to press my lips together to hold back from asking him where he’d been, but he saw right through me.

  “Had a trip to Shanghai. Business deal going awry over there. Had to deal with it in person.”

  “Bad investment?” I asked casually.

  “Something like that.” The corner of his lip curved up. “You hold down the fort for me around here?”

  I laughed softly. “I don’t know about that. I’ve been busy. It was my first week at school.”

  “Right. How did it go?”

  “Good, actually.”

  He stared for a moment, that easy smile focused solely on me. “I take it you don’t like calla lilies?” he asked, hands deep in his pockets.

  “What?” I blurted out.

  He tipped his head forward, raising his eyebrows. “The flowers I sent you, to the school on Monday. You don’t approve?”