Hope (Things That Matter Book 2)

by Casey Diam

  So, I told her, “You won’t. I’m not going anywhere.” It was a lie. A path I couldn’t walk away from had been carved for me. “Let’s lie down. It’s okay. I’m here.”

  She obliged, settling into my arms after I swiftly stuffed as much sheet as possible between her butt and my front, leaving my ass completely bare, but that was way better than her bolting when she realized how turned on I was.

  “I’m still mad at you.”

  My lips curved against the silky strands on her head, which smelled like rose petals, too. “I know.”

  “Are you and Amber—”

  “No,” I answered before she finished. “There’s nothing between Amber and me, Paige, and there never will be.” I rubbed my nose on the back of her head and smoothed my hand down her chilled arm. “I know what else is going through this pretty little head, and I’ll give you some of the answers tonight, but the heavier stuff, I’ll leave that for another day. I honestly don’t know what happened at the club, but I know I hurt you. I’m sorry for that. I really am, but you’re safe now. I’ll be your dream catcher for tonight. So, I want you to free your mind. Whatever you were dreaming about earlier is gone, and you know what’s even better? One day, those dreams won’t come back. One day, they’ll just be memories. One day, you’ll dream about rainbows and ponies—”

  “I don’t want to dream about rainbows and ponies.”

  “What do you want to dream about?”

  She never answered, but I wanted her to say me. The thought made me smile. Then I really thought about it, and it scared the hell out of me. She was giving me something I never wanted. She was giving me something I was too scared to have. Paige was giving me hope.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Paige

  The comfy warmth that had been wrapped around me disappeared, and I shifted, seeking that strength and security around me again. When I didn’t feel it, I pulled the sheets tighter around me. Everything felt so nice and soft.

  My bed didn’t feel like this. My bed was cold and—

  This wasn’t my bed.

  My brain scrabbled and threw out random snapshots of the night. Nightmare. Freaked out. Caleb’s room. Caleb’s bed. I opened my eyes.

  Oh no. This is so embarrassing. Especially after how I was yelling at him, like, two days ago. Now, I’m in his bed. God, he must think I’m loony.

  And why was his bed so cozy? I was pretty sure we had the same bed and sheets.

  “Hello,” came Caleb’s husky voice from somewhere behind me. He cleared his throat. “No, it’s okay. I’m usually up by now.”

  My chest burned. This jealousy wasn’t even subtle.

  I turned around and saw he was sitting at the edge of the bed, his back to me. “Yeah, I was hoping you’d call.”

  Oh my gosh, if that’s Amber, I swear, I’m going to hurt him.

  A saner voice calmed me as I gazed at all the dips and rises of the muscles across his back. God, I’d almost forgotten how good he looked without clothes. My eyes traveled down to the waistband of his boxers, my mouth almost watering by that point. I licked my lips and swallowed. Instead of wanting to be mad at him, I wanted to caress any tension in his body, lure him off that phone. My body heated, and want spread from my lower belly down to a much needier place.

  Taking a ragged breath, I tapped him on his back. He twisted around, smiled, and then turned around all the way to face me. He lay on his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows and keeping the phone elevated between us. Then he put it on speaker.

  “I’ve been working there, hoping that, one day, I’d run into her again.”

  Mackenzie. My Mickey.

  Oh my God, I mouthed as the sound of my best friend’s voice filled the room.

  She sounded the same...

  “I’m sorry I called so early, but when can I see her? Is she available for breakfast, lunch, anything? I’m available whenever, just...”

  My mouth opened, but I couldn’t get the words out. I couldn’t think, period.

  “I think she can do breakfast,” Caleb said.

  I inhaled, my heart freaking ready to explode.

  “Oh my gosh, yes, that would be perfect. Where and what time?”

  Caleb raised his eyebrows, and I grabbed his wrist, squeezing. Finally, my brain decided to function again. I peered down at his phone. The time on it read a few minutes after seven.

  “Nine would be fine,” I told her.

  “Oh my gosh! Paige. You’re there. Oh my gosh, it’s you. It’s really you.”

  Overwhelmed by emotion, I covered my mouth for a second before I responded. “Hi, Mickey. It’s me, and it’s you.”

  “Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to see you.”

  “I know. I’ll text you the address, okay?” I said, trying to catch my breath.

  “Okay.”

  Caleb ended the call, licked his lips, and grinned at me while doing this little flirty thing with his eyebrows. “That went well.”

  Trying to suppress a delightful tingle in my heart, I smiled. “I can’t believe you did that, even after I yelled at you.”

  “I deserved it, and you deserve this.” He showed his phone where the call had ended. “And so much more.”

  “You could ride with me to the city if you want, and Ryan could pick you up, or I could have him drive you there.”

  “Caleb”—I threw the sheets off and moved over, tackling him to the bed when I jumped onto his back, my arms circling beneath his chest—“thank you. I’m almost not mad at you anymore. Almost.”

  I settled the side of my face between his shoulder blades, and the heat from his skin warmed my cheek. Having the strongest urge to turn my face and lick and bite into his smooth skin, I bit on my lip.

  What is wrong with me? He doesn’t want me like this.

  I hurried off him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tackle you like that.” I scrambled off the bed. “I’m going to go shower. Um...I can leave with, uh, Ryan.”

  Driving for a half hour, alone, in Caleb’s car to the city was not a good idea, not when all I wanted to do was sink my teeth into him.

  God, I’m such a creep.

  Slipping out of his room, I let out a breath. I was in the clear. Only I wasn’t. Calvin stared at me from the living room with a cup halfway to his mouth.

  A deer caught in headlights? Yeah, I was pretty sure that was exactly what I looked like.

  Everyone had been aware of Caleb and me fighting, yet here I was, looking like I was sneaking out of his room.

  Okay, I was sneaking.

  Ignoring Calvin, I hurried into my room and flopped onto my unmade bed.

  This was going to be a thing between Caleb and me that no one would understand. Except for Calvin. He was the only person who knew that Caleb was my rock. He had become my rock the first time he saw my weakness and tried to take it away, the first time he kissed me and took it away, even though temporarily. But, one of my weaknesses dwelled inside of him.

  I thought back on his words.

  “I honestly don’t know what happened at the club, but I know I hurt you.”

  He didn’t have to explain what had happened at the club because I knew exactly what had happened.

  He didn’t have to explain why he’d held a gun to that guy’s head the night I was attacked, because I knew why.

  Caleb had blacked out. It explained everything about the way he’d been acting, and from what I’d gathered from Calvin, this wasn’t like Caleb. Caleb was calm. Always thinking things through.

  Even yesterday, when Calvin had driven me to my therapy session, he’d confided, “Caleb’s never lost it like that.”

  And all I could think at the time was, Why would he now?

  So, I hadn’t said anything back to Calvin because I didn’t understand then what I understood now.

  “I honestly don’t know what happened at the club.”

  My rock was breaking.

  And that wasn’t good for either of us.

  ❧

 
; This restaurant was Caleb’s idea. He’d recommended it because it was hidden in the midst of the city, and it was also where a majority of law enforcement officers had their meals. So, I wasn’t surprised to see two officers heading into the restaurant at the same time I was, one holding the door open for me.

  The tables were all made of dark wood and had the same shade of the flooring. The incandescent lighting brightened the area along with all the windows stretching down the walls, giving the place a less depressing look and feel, though not by much.

  No better way to bring an old friend into my much gloomier world.

  It only took me a second to spot her. Her long black hair hung on either side of rounder cheeks, but it was my Mickey, my sometimes Mac and Cheesy. I smiled, a wave of nervous energy coming over me. Mackenzie stood, dressed in jeans with a pink-and-blue blouse.

  “Oh my God, KP.” Mackenzie smiled, calling me by the nickname she’d given me once upon a time. Her arms opened up to me for a hug. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

  “Mickey,” I returned, reaching my arms around her, this moment seemingly surreal. I’d never planned to go back until two days ago when the opportunity had presented itself.

  Mackenzie did most of the talking, which was a lifesaver. Even though I had been excited to see her, I hadn’t thought about what I would say that didn’t involve the things going on in my life. Things I didn’t want her to know. Caleb’s father was still looking for me, and I had no doubt that eyes could be on Mackenzie. But I couldn’t tell her today. Today shouldn’t bring that much baggage.

  And it didn’t.

  Mackenzie was studying medicine, which I knew she’d hated in the past, but she’d done what her parents wanted after all.

  Life had gone on, yet it seemed nothing had changed.

  In fact, it felt like it was just yesterday when we’d last seen each other.

  “I can’t believe you chose this place. It’s kind of dead. I would have chosen a more awesome spot for us to hang out.”

  “You would have?”

  “Oh, definitely. I know where all the cool kids hang out. Not that I’m cool anymore, but...yeah.” Mackenzie smiled, taking a sip of her water.

  “Well, I’m not cool anymore either,” I offered, looking at the half-eaten scrambled eggs on my plate. “Caleb chose this place. Sorry. He’s, uh...protective.”

  “Aw, that’s so cute. Now, it makes sense why there’re so many cops here.” She threw a glance around, playing with the long tresses of black hair hanging over her chest. She looked so adorable, her plumper cheeks adding to her natural beauty. “I recommended your awesome new books, by the way. He was all handsome and clueless when he came into the store. He seems like a really good guy.”

  “Yeah, but we aren’t, um...oh, wow, I can’t even explain us. We aren’t together like that. I mean, boyfriend-girlfriend.” I scratched at a spot on my forearm that wasn’t itching, unsure of why I was even trying to explain it.

  “Oh.” A smile formed on her lips. “Well, I think he likes you—a lot. I mean, he buys you books. No one else knew how much you loved books besides me.”

  “Yeah, it’s funny, too, because he calls me KP—” I stopped before I let the as a codename slipped out.

  “What? No way. So, you still love watching Kim Possible, huh?”

  I scrunched my face. She had no idea. “Embarrassing really.”

  Mackenzie laughed. “But that’s even better. He knows the real you.”

  Again, she had no idea.

  “How about you, Mickey? Is there any lover boy I should know about?”

  She played with her fingers on the table. “No.”

  “Hmm, I don’t know if this is good or bad because you were legit boy crazy.” I smiled.

  “Yeah, I was.” She giggled, though I still saw the wistful look in her ice-blue eyes. “Do you remember my parents’ mansion about an hour and a half north of here? The one on the lake?”

  “Barely, but I think so.”

  “There are parties. I don’t usually go, a bunch of frats pay for the place and throws them up there, and they’re starting up again next weekend. They call it The Four Weekends of Summer Party. It’s pretty much an end-of-summer event, and it goes on for four weekends until the semester begins. Anyway, you should...we should go. I mean, if you want to. I know it’ll be your birthday and you probably have something planned and this is the first we’ve seen each other in years but—”

  I’d forgotten it would be my birthday this weekend.

  “I’ll go with you.”

  The last time my birthday was celebrated had been with my sisters at one of our ultimate pajama parties. Ultimate because we’d had them with nothing less than about thirty girls from school. Boys hadn’t been allowed in the mansion.

  But, going with Mackenzie wasn’t about my birthday. This was about the reason she hadn’t been attending these parties, and from the way her face lit up, I knew I was doing the right thing.

  “Are you serious?”

  I nodded. “Positive.”

  “Oh my God!” Mackenzie clapped her hands together and wiggled in her seat. “I’m so excited. We’ll even have our own room. So, everyone drives up on Friday, and then on Sunday, everyone drives back down.”

  I was scheduled to work both nights, but as of late, I didn’t look forward to my shifts alongside Chelsey at Stilts. She had stopped bothering me about what had gone down with me and her boyfriend, Ian, but there was still this negative energy when I was around her, and I hated it. So, I didn’t care about giving up those shifts to go this weekend.

  Oh, right. I think I have a crew now.

  Biting my lip, I smiled. “How many extra invitations and rooms are available?”

  My eyes went up to the two men walking by our table. I couldn’t see the faces, but I remembered that baseball cap and that voice.

  “Charles said he would have that done by tomorrow, so we shouldn’t have any other delays.”

  Agent Langley.

  “Uh, did you drive here, Mickey?”

  “Yeah.”

  I dug out the forty dollars stuffed into the tiny pocket of my leggings and stood, unfolding it on the table. “Let’s go. This place is dead. Show me one of those cool spots you know about.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Caleb

  Brad leaned against the doorframe to my office as he said, “I saw your girlfriend. She was pretty hot.”

  I usually had the door to my office closed, but I’d been in and out all day, dealing with maintenance for a pipe leak in one of the suites.

  Inhaling a long breath, I continued staring at my computer screen as I typed, though my fingers were jamming down on the keys harder, judging by the echoes filling the tension in the air.

  “Dad wants you over this weekend.”

  “I’m busy.”

  “What, with your new girlfriend?”

  Sinking the line I’d tossed him when I waited for him with Amber at the café, I asked, “Yeah, so?”

  “Shit, maybe I shouldn’t have kept my distance. I’ll be sure to introduce myself next time. Anyway, you know what’s priority. Make it happen. Thanks for that new toy, by the way.” He sucked a breath through his teeth. “She’s a frisky little thing.”

  I stopped typing when Brad left. There was no word on the missing nurse from any of the guys, and Brad had just confirmed she was still alive. And, since Alex Connor wanted to see me this weekend, this couldn’t be good.

  I texted Calvin.

  Me: Get me Bailey’s number, but don’t let Paige know about it.

  The number came in a few seconds later. Like it had already been stored on his phone. I should have thought something about it, but shit, I should have had Bailey’s number a long time ago. She was the key person in helping us.

  However, Paige didn’t tell Bailey about me, so she would still think I was missing, which meant I couldn’t exactly summon her.

  I sent another message to Calvin.

&nbs
p; Me: Send a text from Paige’s phone to Bailey. Write this: Meet me in the parking lot outside of the café where we’ve met before in exactly two hours. Please come alone this time.

  My phone lit up.

  Calvin: I’ll text you when it’s done.

  ❧

  A silver Honda turned into the parking lot from the main road on my right. The one I’d been waiting for. It was the same car she’d driven to meet with Paige. Since it was almost five and the coffee shop closed at four p.m., the parking lot was empty, except for the unoccupied white car parked a few spaces behind me. I’d been sitting here, waiting for twenty minutes, and no one had approached the car, so I assumed someone had left it there and taken the metro to work. Either that or the car wouldn’t start. But I didn’t like that it was here, and it was causing my spine to tingle. But I couldn’t change the plan.

  Praying we weren’t being watched, I scanned the parking lot again for anyone wandering about. Then I sent a message to the phone number Calvin had given me for Bailey.

  Me: I know Paige. I’ve been helping her. She didn’t tell you about me. My name is Caleb Sawyer. I need your help.

  I watched as she pulled into a parking space, and I could see the orange glow of her hair through the windows of her car. She was alone, and she hadn’t seen the message yet. Leaving the car running, I pulled the hoodie over my head and pushed my door open. In a few quick strides, I reached the passenger side of her car.

  She was still dressed in a navy-blue uniform and staring at the phone in her hand. The small knob that should have been down on the door was sticking out, which was good for me. Bending, I stared through the window at her, knowing I would scare the crap out of her, but that was the least of any of our problems at the moment. She looked up and jumped in her seat, and I pulled the door open and sat. Even though I would obviously look nothing like that missing baby twenty-four years ago, I was guessing she wouldn’t shoot me either.

  With one hand, I swiped the hoodie off my head and looked at her. “I’m Caleb Sawyer.”

  Her mouth opened, but I didn’t wait for her to find the words. I slipped into business mode.

  “Don’t tell Paige we’ve met. You’re working with me now. Whatever she was planning with you a few weeks ago, to use herself as bait, forget it. I’m your guy, and by the time I give you all you need, I’ll even put my hands behind my back, so you can arrest me.”