Flashfire

Ch13

Caleb emptied out his pockets on the table just as Paul was coming out of his room. He was dressed in a grey t-shirt with blue plaid pajama bottoms, barefoot. Paul swept his eyes over the table, and then looked at Caleb in surprise.

"You take up smoking, Caleb?"

"Huh? Oh, no."

Paul sat across from him. "Then what's with the lighters and gum?"

Caleb shrugged. "I wanted gum."

"And the lighters?"

Caleb merely grinned and offered up a shrug. Paul sighed.

"I'm glad you came over, Caleb."

"You are?"

Paul smiled sweetly. "I am. I've been—"

"Don't say it," Caleb said in warning.

"What? I've been worried about you."

Caleb shut his eyes. After a moment he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah well, I've been worried about me, too."

Paul respectfully remained silent. Caleb opened his eyes and rested his hand on the table.

"Do you ever remember seeing a car hanging around the bar?"

Paul furrowed his brow. "A car? What do you mean?"

Caleb fought the urge to roll his eyes. Had it been Liam sitting across from him, he would've jokingly described what a car was to him. But Liam wasn't sitting there, it was Paul.

"Black car, black tinted windows."

Paul looked confused. "No..."

Caleb laughed. He then got to his feet and ran both hands over his face a few times. Walking to the window, he peered down. He wasn't looking for the car. He wasn't sure what he was looking for.

"Hey," Paul said gently. "When was the last time you got a good night's sleep?"

"D'no," Caleb answered truthfully, and his voice came out a lot sadder than he had meant it to.

Paul paused. "Do you know why you're not sleeping? Specifically?"

"Specifically?"

"Yeah...like, anything in particular?"

Caleb turned around, looking quizzically.

"Look," Paul said gently, splaying his hands on the table as he looked at him evenly. "I'm not even going to try to pretend I know what it's like losing your significant other."

Caleb nodded curtly. Paul sort of scrunched up his face a second, as a sort of wince. "I also can't imagine what it would be like to go home to an empty place and an empty bed."

Caleb frowned.

"I mean, if it would help you out, I have a couch—"

Caleb chuckled then, shaking his head and looking at the tiled floor.

"I mean, I'm not trying to tell you what's best for you, but I just—I d'no, I think getting out of there for little bit might be refreshing—"

Caleb kept his head bowed. "Look, I appreciate it Paul, but I actually think it would make it worse."

Silence.

"I mean, there's things I need to do, keep up with."

Caleb could feel Paul's eyes on him as he spoke. "What is there to keep up with, Caleb? Aren't you going into foreclosure?"