Chapter 12

I took a deep breath and looked out the window as we turned into a driveway surrounded by a forest of trees. The driveway seemed to go on for at least a mile before we pulled up next to a large white house with tremendous glass windows.

The green lawn was perfectly kept with white stones that led right up to a huge square fountain that was lit up with bright blue lights. The sight was actually quite breathtaking and like nothing that I had ever seen before. Caleb must've had a lot of money. Something that I hadn't been aware of. I guess I should've known from his nice BMW.

Caleb peered over his right shoulder and grinned as he pulled up next to a yellow Four Wheeler and placed his car into park. The look on his face was cocky and proud. I didn't like it. It was as if he'd thought he'd won. "What do you think?" he questioned, while pulling the keys out of the ignition, and throwing them down to lay on his lap.

I leaned back into my seat and stiffly pulled my purse closer to my side for comfort. Then I turned my head to look back out the window. "It's... nice," I mumbled, already starting to regret my decision of calling Caleb. It always ended that way. "I didn't realize that you had such a huge house."

Caleb blushed as he ran his fingers through his hair. Then he nodded his head toward the front door which was a beautiful shade of powder blue. "Let's get out of here so that you can make yourself at home," he beamed. "Come on."

Home. My stomach dropped at the thought of Caleb's house being a home to me. I didn't want that and I hated the idea of it.

I carefully stepped out of the car and closed the door behind me. My eyes wandered over to the huge house and my heart started pounding loudly in my chest. The more I looked at the place the more that I realized that I didn't belong there. Truthfully the only place that I ever felt like home was with Jace.

Caleb grabbed my arm snapping me out of my thoughts. "I'm sure that you're going to love it here," he breathed. "There is plenty of-"

"Caleb," I cut him off. "I'm only staying for a few days." I pulled my arm from out of his grip and brushed my arm off. I didn't want him getting any kind of crazy ideas. I was okay with going with him at first, but not now. Not after seeing the victory in his eyes.

Caleb's jaw clenched as he reached for the brass handle of the door and pushed it open. He silently motioned for me to enter the house before he followed me inside and shut the door behind us.

The smell of Jasmine surrounded me as I looked around the spotless house and placed my purse on the red oak table that sat next to the door. I pointed over to the white suede couch and nodded my head as Caleb walked over to the kitchen and opened the fridge. "I'll just sleep here tonight," I said softly, as I made my way over to take a seat on the cozy couch, and  possibly my new bed for a while.

Caleb glanced over from the kitchen and shook his head. "Oh no. You are taking my room. I won't have you sleeping on that thing." He shut the fridge and held out a small tray full of fruit and yogurt. "Hungry?" he questioned. He leaned against the counter while waiting for my response.

I silently shook my head and let out a deep breath. I couldn't even think about eating at the moment. I could hardly even find the time to breathe.

"Okay then," he mumbled, his voice laced with aggravation. "Well tell me about this guy that you've been staying with. Did he do something to hurt you? Did he kick you out?" He paused to eat some fruit. "What made you decide to call me?" he questioned desperately.

Just the thought of being around Caleb was making me exhausted. I just didn't have the energy to keep up a conversation with Caleb and the last thing that I wanted to do was tell Caleb about Jace and my personal life. Jace never asked about Caleb so why did Caleb always have so many damn questions?

"I don't want to talk about it," I whispered, trying not to sound rude. "Also, I would rather sleep in a spare room."

Caleb's face hardened as he walked over and took a seat next to me on the spacious couch. He slammed the tray of fruit down on the table in front of us and leaned into the arm of the couch. "That's not surprising. You never talk to me about shit," he snapped. "How do you expect me to help you when you can't even tell me shit about your life?"

I stood up from the couch and stomped over to the door. I didn't have to take crap from Caleb. I just couldn't handle it. I grabbed for my purse and threw it over my right shoulder as I reached for the door handle. "I'm leaving. This was a bad idea."

Caleb jumped up from the couch and threw his arms up in defeat. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just happy to have you here." He pointed down at the couch and smiled. "Please come back. I won't make you tell me anything that you don't want to." He nervously played with the tray of fruit as he watched me set my purse back down. "I promise."

I stared at the floor as I crossed my arms over my chest. I needed to get out of there as soon as possible. "I will stay here for a few days and then I plan on getting a cheap car and looking for a little apartment," I said, being sure that he understood. "Can we just get through this without any more fighting? I really can't handle this right now. I mean it. I have a lot on my mind."

Caleb quickly took a bite of a strawberry and shook his head. "I already said I would leave you alone," he grunted. "Can I ask you one question though?"

I rolled my eyes in aggravation and nodded my head. All that I wanted to do was run away and go to bed even though it was too early. I just needed to be alone. "I guess."

He ran his hands over his face and studied my every move. "Are you going to keep working at that diner?" he asked, his voice slightly angry.

The thought of leaving the diner killed me. I had no other choice though. My parents would do anything and everything in their power to ruin not only me, but Jace as well. I had to protect him. "No. I will figure something out," I whispered, pain in my voice.

A grin crossed Caleb's once hard face, before he pushed himself to his feet, and strolled across the room and over to a closed door that stood right at the beginning of the long hallway. He slowly trailed his hand over the wooden door before he pushed it open and pointed inside. "This is my room, but I want you to take it while you're here." He smiled as I stepped inside. "The spare bedrooms aren't quite set up for guest. I've been a very busy man."

I nodded my head in understanding and looked around the expensive home. "I've noticed," I mumbled. "I never knew that you had so much...money." I stepped into the master bedroom and took a quick glance around. It was quite spacious and filled with endless expensive crap. It had a king size bed, a large oak dresser with a mirror on top, a hot tub, a gamer area and a very large computer desk. The computer that sat on the desk looked brand new and barely out of the package. A hot tub. Who lives like this? "Wow!"

Caleb leaned against the doorframe and playfully bit his lip as he played with his nails. I could tell he was enjoying every moment and basking in it. "I try not to talk about the money. There are too many people out there that like to take advantage of people." He stopped playing with his nails to look up at me. "You're different. I don't think that I have to worry about that with you." A smile crossed his face as he looked me in the eye. "All of this is yours. Enjoy."

I turned my head away from his gaze. I didn't like the way that it made me feel. He didn't have to worry about anything with me because I wouldn't be around for long. I just needed a few days to get my money and things together and I would be gone. I didn't need anyone to take care of me. I didn't want that. Especially from Caleb.

"You're right," I said stiffly. "You don't have to worry about me. Can I get a little rest before I go looking for work?"

Caleb crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head away from my view. Then he reached for the door and looked up at me. "Whatever you want. That's how it's always worked," he muttered, as he backed out into the hall and shut the door behind him.

The tone of his voice and looking at his face just made me want to scream. He always had a way of making me feel as if I could explode. Maybe that's why I could never stand to be around him for more than a few hours at a time. He would never understand me and I didn't expect him to.

I threw myself down onto the king size bed and squeezed my eyes shut. I hated the feeling of being there with Caleb. I hated hurting Jace, but I only did it because it felt like the right thing to do at the moment. Jace had done nothing but good things for me. This was the only thing good that I could do to repay him. Leaving was the best thing that I could do for anyone. I knew that and had accepted that long ago.

~•~

Despite being exhausted, I couldn't manage to take a nap. My mind spun with unwanted thoughts and all I could manage to do was toss and turn the whole time. The constant sound of Caleb's light footsteps pacing up and down the hallway didn't do much to help that situation either. The more that I tried to sleep the more exhausted that I felt, and the more that I grew annoyed of Caleb. Go sit down for crying out loud.

Feeling defeated, I hopped out of bed and ran my hands over my face. I didn't really feel up to doing anything, but I knew that if I wanted to get out of Caleb's place that I would have to start my job hunting right away. I didn't have time to waste just sitting around and moping, although that was what I felt like doing.

After working at Jace's diner for a few weeks I now had enough experience waiting tables that it would probably be easy to just apply at a few local diners. To be honest, I think that I even somewhat enjoyed waiting tables.

I forced my feet to work as I stumbled over to my Converse shoes and threw them on. It had to of been around 5:30 p.m. by now and it would start to get dark at any time. The faster that I moved, the faster that I could escape Caleb.

I swiftly reached out for my purse and threw it over my right shoulder as I yanked the bedroom door open and stepped out into the dim hallway, in hopes that Caleb wouldn't attempt to stop me. Great!

Caleb suddenly stopped pacing and stood frozen in place. He looked as stiff as a statue. He glanced up at me and his eyes went wide. "Hey," he stammered. "Are you going somewhere?" His voice came out shaky, as he looked me up and down.

I took a few steps toward the front door and pushed my purse into my ribs. "Yeah. I'm just going job hunting. I'll be back before you go to bed," I said quickly. "I have to hurry before it gets too late."

Caleb jumped in front of me before I could reach for the door handle. His chest heaved up and down as he blew his breath out. "Let me take you. It will be quicker to just go in my car. I have a stop to make anyhow."

I turned my head away from his creepy gaze and shook my head. He was acting more clingy than usual and I really just wanted to get away. "No," I blurted, not realizing how rude that it sounded. "I mean... I want to walk. I need the fresh air." I rushed over to the door and pulled it open. "Bye, Caleb."

Caleb was silent, obviously at a loss for words, as I shut the door behind me and I took off in a sprint.

The cool breeze playfully brushed against my face, making me feel relieved to get away, as I strolled down the sidewalk in search of my first spot.

Finally, I was alone and could breathe for what seemed to be the first time in forever. My eyes scanned the beautiful night sky, while taking in the sweet smell of freedom.

A few miles down the road, I finally spotted my first diner. It was a small brick building with a sign out front that read 'Blu's Diner.' I took a deep breath suddenly feeling nervous as I stepped up to the door. The glass door had a listing of the hours and it looked as if they were about to close at six o'clock. I only had about ten minutes before closing time and the place looked fairly empty.

I reached out for the handle and got ready to pull it open, when suddenly a young man stepped up to the door and flipped over a sign that read 'Closed.' Are you kidding me?

Desperate, I waved my arms at him and attempted to get his attention. "No! I need to apply for a job. I'm not here to eat," I shouted, hoping the young man would understand. I knew how it was when it was closing time and you were just ready to go home, but he had to understand. It was important.

The young man looked to be around my age, with short golden hair and big eyes. His gray eyes looked tired and annoyed as he glared through the window at me, shaking his head in annoyance. He stared at me for what felt like a lifetime before finally, throwing his arms up and reaching for the door handle.

He groaned, looking me in the face as he opened the door and stepped out of the way for me to walk in. "You're lucky I'm feeling nice tonight. He turned away. "I'll go grab my father."

I nodded my head and smiled at him thankful that he was giving me a few minutes of his time. "Thank you. I will be quick."

The kid pointed over at a stool and brushed his golden locks from out of his baby face. His face had almost an innocent look to it, but something told me that he wasn't quite as innocent as he looked. "Take a seat..."

"Avery," I said, as he searched for something to call me. "The name is, Avery."

"Sure, Avery, it is," he mumbled.

I quietly walked over to the red stool and took a seat. The whole diner looked a little worn down, but I guess that meant that it actually got some good use. It would probably be easy to make cash there and I really wanted the chance to find out. It definitely wasn't anything like Jace's diner, which made me sad, but it was hopefully far enough away to not get caught.

A few minutes later a middle-aged man with graying hair walked out and glanced in my direction. The look on his face said that he was just as tired as his son was and just wanted to get out of the diner and to get home.

He came at me with a steady pace and stopped at the stool in front of me. He huffed and looked me over. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I don't think that I have what you're looking for." He paused to turn away. "Thank you for stopping in."

He got ready to walk away, but I wasn't willing to let him leave just like that and without even giving me a chance to speak. "You don't understand. I need this job and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you understand that," I said firmly.

The man froze with his hand to his forehead. His face wrinkled up as he frowned and rubbed his eyes. "I wish that I could help you, but I really can't right now. I'm sorry." His voice sounded sincere, which surprised me.

My heart dropped when I realized that I didn't have a shot. He seemed certain that I wasn't needed and I didn't want to waste anymore of his time.

"Fine. I guess I will continue my search then." I jumped up from the stool, disappointed, and walked past him and his son as I reached for the door. "Thanks for your time."

"Wait," The owner called out. "I might have an opening in a week or two. I have a waitress that is planning on moving to Chicago soon. Come back then and we'll talk." He signed as looked over at his son. "We might be able to help you."

My mind spun just thinking about waiting a couple of weeks. I couldn't wait a couple of weeks to get out of Caleb's place. I needed to get out of there now. The wait seemed insane, although I was thankful for their help. I just smiled and pushed the door open. "Thank you. I'll come back in a couple of weeks."

I stepped out into the night and stood motionless on the side of the road. I felt lost and clueless. I really had no idea where I was and I didn't want to spend the whole night searching for the next diner.

At last second I turned back the way I came and decided to head back to Caleb's for the night. I would just have to spend the whole next day searching. I would do it the right way and call for a cab in the morning. Then I would go to Jace's house and grab my things. The sooner I got out of his life the better.

Wanting to check the time, I blindly reached inside my purse to grab my phone. It felt as if I had been gone for hours and it was really starting to get cold out.

When I finally got a grip on my phone, I flipped it open to see one missed call. My heart sped up as I read the name across the screen. The one name that was enough to almost bring me to my knees. Jace Montgomery.

I have to be strong...

The walk back to Caleb's house was slightly long and cold, but I didn't mind. I was numb anyways. It was a feeling that I was used to and one that I had almost learned to welcome. The familiarity of it was all that I had known most of my life.

I promptly stepped up to the front of the house and instantly noticed the little purple Sebring that now sat in the driveway. It hadn't been there when I had left and Caleb probably wasn't expecting me to be back so soon.

I stood motionless in the driveway, the cool wind whipping through my tangled hair while trying to figure out if I wanted to go inside or turn back around. Truthfully, the comfort of bed was sounding quite appealing at the moment and my legs were starting to feel a little sore from the walk anyways.

Finally making the decision to stay, I made my way past the Sebring and up to the porch that was slightly lit up by the blue fountain lights that remained on.

I ran my hand over the smooth wood of the porch as I made my way to the door and reached for the handle. The handle was cool to the touch and sent a chill throughout my body. I shivered.

I could slightly make out Caleb's voice as I slowly pushed the door open and stepped into the house.

"Shit. Put that away, Kat," Caleb muttered under his breath, thinking that I he was talking quietly.

I gradually turned my head to my right to see Caleb shoving something in his pocket and waving his arm in front of him as if he was trying to get rid of something.

"Avery. I didn't know that you'd be back so soon." He pointed over to the girl that stayed seated on the couch; her face was looking down toward the black carpet. "This here is my... friend, Kat."

The girl’s wave of red curls surrounded her as she briskly whipped her head up to look at me. I knew I recognized the name. Kat's baby blues went wide as she took in the sight of me. "Holy shit." She giggled.

Caleb looked between the both of us with a very confused look on his face. "Is there something that I should know about?" He looked worried.

I shook my head and pulled my hair from out of my face, before rubbing my hands together to get warm. "We've met before. That's all," I mumbled.

Kat adjusted her short red dress while laughing under her breath. She looked just as stunning as the last time I'd seen her. It bothered me.

"Yeah. It was quite a night." She paused and looked between the both of us before reaching for her black clutch bag. "Thanks for... you know. I'll contact you soon." She grinned.

Caleb nodded his head and then turned around to face the kitchen. The look on his face was cold and unusual. "Bye, Kat," he said stiffly.

Caleb's eyes seemed to stay glued to Kats every move as she walked through the living room, hips switching back and forth, as she made her way out the door.

We both jumped as the door unexpectedly slammed shut behind her. She was definitely up to something and I didn't even want to begin to think what that something could've been.

The room was silent for a moment as I sought to take things in. I had never seen Caleb act so strange and jumpy before.

The desperate look on his face had my heart racing as he fiddled with his hands. He was definitely hiding something big and I wasn't sure if I wanted to stick around to find out. My first feeling was to grab my things and go, but then again I wasn't quite so innocent myself. "I'll be in bed if you need me," I muttered.

Caleb watched intently as I walked past him and through the hall to the bedroom.

Once inside I shut the door behind me and threw my purse down on the dresser, ready to get some rest.

I slowly spun around in the mirror watching my purple dress as it flowed around me and cuddled my every curve.

I had never owned anything so beautiful in my life and I worked so hard to get enough money to purchase the dress. I worked for three weeks straight in my neighbor’s yard helping her pull weeds and plant all of her flower seeds.

I actually felt proud of myself for once and I only hoped that my parents would be proud of me as well.

After one last final spin, I took off down the hall and gripped the railing as I made my way downstairs and to my mother’s room.

My father would be gone for a few more hours and I really wanted to get the chance to share my happiness with mother. She always seemed less angry when he was around.

There was even a little part of me that believed she would be better if he wasn't around. Maybe even a good mother. The thought of that still gave me some bit of hope. It was all of the hope that I had left.

I just had my fifteenth birthday, and the dress that I bought myself was the only gift that I had gotten. I could tell that my mother felt bad.

As I stepped into my mother’s room, my legs gave out on me and I ended up crumpled up on the wooden floor.

The sight in front of me was enough to take my breath away and I felt all of my hope slipping away. My mother lay naked on the ground, her eyes wide open as her body twitched and she struggled to get air. I reached out with shaky hands and grabbed for her arm.

"Mother!" I cried. "Get up. What did you do?"

"You little bitch!"

I looked up to see my father step into the room and reach for my mother’s head. "See what you did," he spat. "She can't handle having you around. You made her want to kill herself."

I backed up against the wall and gripped onto the door. My heart stopped and I wanted to die.  I struggled to pull myself to my feet as I fought for air through my sobs. "No. I…no."

My father shot to his feet and was standing over me in an instant. He reached out and in one fluid movement, he had me knocked back down to the ground and lying flat on my face.

"Don't just sit there you, little whore. Call 911."

"Avery. Wake up."

I sat up in bed fighting for breath. My whole body was wet and my hands were shaking uncontrollably as I reached for my hair and tugged. I felt as if I was about to hurl or fall over dead. Whichever would happen first. "Jace," I cried.

"I'm not Jace." Caleb's voice soared.

I slowly brought my eyes up to see Caleb standing shirtless in just a pair of blue sweats.

His eyes burned into me as he cracked his knuckles and crawled onto the foot of the bed. "It's me Avery. I won't ever let Jace hurt you again," he spat. "I will keep him away-"

"No," I cut in. "No." I laid back down and pulled the quilt closer to my face. "Jace would never hurt me, Caleb." I shook my head as the tears continued to fall down my cheeks. It made me angry that he would even accuse Jace of hurting me.

Caleb gradually got closer to me until his body was just inches away from mine.

He pursed his lips and then reached out to caress my face. "You can tell me. I have people that can take care of him for you and then we can be together. Just the two of us." His voice came out confident and smooth as if he was sure that's what I wanted.

He was wrong. That wasn't what I wanted and I never would. I backed away from Caleb's touch and turned my head away from his gaze before rolling my eyes.

"No, Caleb," I growled. "You're not listening to me. You have no idea what I want or need so leave Jace out of this."

Caleb's eyes hardened as he reached out and firmly gripped my wrist. He briefly squeezed it before he released his grip and placed his hand next to his side, a look of hate in his eyes.

"I know what you need." He paused. "You don't know what you need." He stood back to his feet and ran his hand over his stomach. "I'll be in the kitchen eating. If I hear you screaming again I won't hesitate to come back in here and crawl in bed with you. I want to make sure that you feel safe." A slight smile crossed his hard face before he turned around and left the room.

A feeling of relief crossed over me as I sank back into the bed and snuggled up in the quilt. Caleb was making me feel really uncomfortable.

As I closed my eyes and tried to force myself back to sleep, I felt an empty feeling in my stomach. Not only had I gone all day without eating, but I was also beginning to remember how safe I always felt when Jace crawled into bed with me. It was a feeling that no one else had ever been able to give me. The thought made me sick to my stomach and a completely new set of tears were threatening to form.

Without thinking, I jumped out of bed and reached in my purse for my phone. I clutched it firmly to my chest and wiped away my tears with my free hand. I wanted nothing more than to talk to Jace, but I couldn't even begin to think about hurting him again. The thought was too unbearable and it left me feeling empty and ill.

I carefully crawled back into bed while running my fingers over the smooth phone. I pressed my head into the stiff pillow and then slammed my face into it to try to escape the hurt. I got startled when suddenly the phone vibrated under my touch. My heart did flips in my chest as my stomach dropped to my feet. I knew who it would be and I didn't know what to do. All I knew was that I missed him. I actually missed him.

I guess we'll make that two missed calls…