Part 26 (1/2)
”It probably won't.”
”Caleb is really awesome,” she said, surprising me. ”He would be happy if he got you pregnant, he'd be excited.”
”Maybe, but I'd be the one who was scared,” I confessed. ”And Caleb would forgive me for it.”
”I can't ever forgive Dante,” Cece a.s.serted stubbornly. ”Are you going to forgive Caleb for the paintings?”
I smiled for the first time since the restaurant. ”Do you think Caleb will give me the option to not forgive him?”
”No, he has stalker tendencies,” she joked, taking the tissue out of my hand and wiping her nose.
My best friend was beautiful, smart and talented. I liked Dante and hoped he could win her back, but she was also stubborn and held a mean grudge. But she'd always be loved because she gave an abundance of it in return.
”I'm sorry I'll miss my s.h.i.+ft as a bodyguard tomorrow,” she said.
”That's okay. I'll have Caleb bring me to your house to visit you.”
”You should make him take you to a chick flick as payback for hurting you.”
”He'd probably try to get frisky in the theater.”
Cece's attempt at a smile fell. ”I'm tired. Will you tell my parents I'm going to sleep?”
Caressing her face, I said, ”Yes, see you tomorrow.”
”Bye, Gianna.”
Jared and I went through a fast food drive-thru on our way to my house and sat eating our food in the parking lot. I finally got my burrito, but barely tasted it.
”I'm going to kick his a.s.s,” he said, tossing his half-eaten food into the paper bag.
”I think he's beating up himself enough over it, Jared. He doesn't need you pounding on him.”
My words didn't help to calm him down. ”I'm glad she dumped him. I know for a fact she was a virgin before she met him and he couldn't even protect her from getting knocked up.”
”Everyone knew she was,” I reminded him. ”Her boyfriend before Dante complained enough about it.”
”She should have waited until after high school.”
”Because you did?” I teased him, knowing exactly when he'd started having s.e.x with an ex-girlfriend a couple years ago.
He gave me a dirty look. ”Are you and Caleb back together?”
I shrugged. ”Sort of.”
He started his car. ”You and Cece should both think about waiting until marriage from now on.”
”Whatever you say, Jared,” I said, rolling my eyes at him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE.
”Sad things happen. They do. But we don't need to live sad forever.”
-Mattie Stepanek GIANNA.
”Where are we going?” I asked as we left Cece's house and Caleb didn't head toward the mall like I'd expected.
”It's a surprise,” he said. He didn't seem in the least bit excited. In fact, he appeared tense and slightly nervous.
”A good surprise?” I asked, not in the mood for anything less.
”Hopefully,” he answered vaguely.
Cece was still devastated about losing her baby and her parents worried she'd become depressed. Jared had taken me aside, asking for the name of my therapist. I'd supplied it, embarra.s.sed but wanting to help Cece.
When Caleb had come over this morning, he'd filled me in on how Dante was taking things. Basically, not good. He blamed himself, felt like his not wanting the baby had caused the miscarriage. He loved Cece, but Caleb wasn't sure he'd fight for her because of his guilt.
I wasn't positive Cece wanted him to bother trying.
When Caleb drove into the parking garage by his mom's apartment, it was easy to guess our destination. ”Is your mom home?”
It was Tuesday afternoon and she worked full time as an interior designer. He turned off the engine and I got out before he could open my door. I brushed off his disapproving look.
”She's working on some rich guy's house in Boulder.”
As we went up to the apartment, he leaned in to whisper in my ear, ”Remember the first time I brought you here?”
I scowled at him playfully. ”You were a jerk.”
He laughed, hooking an arm around the back of my neck. ”Yeah, but you loved it.”
”You're dreaming,” I teased. It was less than a year ago, but it seemed like forever ago. I'd had no idea how hard I'd fall for my annoying stepbrother.
He unlocked the apartment and held the door open for me. ”The first time I met you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen.”
”And now?”
His face went soft along with is voice. ”Now, you're even more beautiful.”
I walked farther into the apartment and dropped my bag onto the couch. ”I won't be beautiful forever, Caleb.”
His arms went around me from behind and he pulled me against him. ”Yes, you will.”
”What about when I'm a wrinkled old woman?” I asked, placing my hands over his.
”Beautiful.”