Loving him was red

16. I almost do

Christmas passed by quickly, Daisy was stuck at her parents house filled with stupid Christmas dinners with business partners, including Justin's family.

She just wanted to get out of there, it was awkward, formal and exhausting to pretending to like and enjoy all that stuff. However, Emma enjoyed sitting in her chair and rolled down the hallways, entertaining Daisy enough to get her mind off Caleb and their fight.

Caleb spent Christmas in his hometown, surrounded by his little cousins that came over. There were three siblings, Patrick, who was 12, Martin a year younger and Maya who just celebrated 9 years old. He passed the time teaching the boys football and playing with them in the afternoons.

It was almost lunch when Maya, tired of playing with her barbies alone, went to the backyard where the guys were. She sat next to Caleb who was throwing her brothers the ball back and forth.

- I'm bored, Caleb.

- Do you want to play with us? - he asked, offering the ball to her.

- No, that's even more boring - Maya said, rejecting his offer while rolling her eyes. But added whispering and covering her mouth so her brother couldn't see what she was gonna ask - Do you have a girlfriend?

Caleb threw the ball out of their cousin's reach, making them run away from him to catch it.

- Yes - he whispered back, kneeling down to her level.

Maya raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth with surprise written all over her face.

- You do? - she asked, and quickly smiled again - Is she pretty?

- Really pretty - Caleb answered, picturing Daisy in his mind - I'll show you.

He took his phone out of his pocket and opened his gallery, showing his little cousin a candid photo of Daisy when they were eating ice cream.

- Do you like her? What 's her name? Have you...? - she made her two hands look like they were kissing.

Caleb nodded and put his middle finger in front of his lips telling her that it was a secret. Her cousing made a disgusted face.

- Ew

- Her name is Daisy and I really like her.

- Good, don't do anything stupid - Maya said giggling and went back in the house when her brother came running back with the ball.

Her words left him wondering. They hadn't talked since he stormed out of her apartment a few days ago. Caleb took her advice and after debating it a while with himself, he decided to call her.

Meanwhile, at her house, Daisy had just excused herself to go to the bathroom and left her phone at the table. 

When it started ringing, Justin saw the caller was "Caleb<3" and  Daisy's mom asked him to turn her phone off, he did it gladly and erased the call from her phone. Justin frowned, he knew that Daisy and some guy had been fighting in her apartment, and he remembered that Caleb had punched him and he held that grudge, now even more knowing that they were probably a thing.

 When Daisy came back oblivious, Justin didn't say anything and she went on with her day not knowing about Caleb's call.

But she couldn't help thinking about him. She opened his chat and stared at the screen with their previous messages. She almost texted him but she didn't know what to say and he hadn't reached out either. Or at least that's what she thought.

Daisy wanted to forget all they said when they last spoke to each other, she just wanted to know how his day had been, if he thought about her as much as she thought about him.