Infatuation (18+)

Part One: Chapter Four

Saturday morning, I go with Eleanor and her husband, Heath, to my house to pick up more things of mine. I asked Scott to not be there so it wouldn't be awkward.

As I open the front door and we walk in, Eleanor asks, "What else do you need from here again? Pregnancy brain has me forgetting half of what you told me we're doing today."

I give her a side hug. "Just a few things, like one or two boxes of stuff." After I left I remembered at least ten things I didn't grab while I was here.

"Maybe we can split up so I can go home and have a nap. The little guy won't stop kicking me today."

Heath says, "Darling, how about you sit down for a moment? I'm sure Lorelei and I can get everything easily between the two of us."

"The doctor told me I need to keep walking, it's healthier for both me and the baby."

I pull out a piece of paper. "Here, I wrote down a short list of what I definitely need. You two can start with that. I'll take care of the upstairs stuff first so you don't have to—"

A clamoring sound comes from the kitchen and we all turn toward it. "I thought Scott said he wouldn't be here," Eleanor asks.

I frown. "He did." I hastily walk to the archway for the kitchen and say, "I thought I asked you not to be—"

He turns around and it's not Scott at all. It's his brother Caleb. His lips curve into a smile as he places his glass on the counter. "Hey there, Rory."

I touch a hand to my chest and then wrap my arms around him. "I didn't know I'd be seeing you this soon."

He returns the hug, holding me a bit longer than usual. "Scott told me you'd be here today and I thought I'd use my spare key to sneak in and surprise you." He pulls back slightly, cocking his head. "You okay?"

I nod. "As okay as I can be."

"Do you need anything?"

I finally step back from the embrace, even though it felt nice. "Not at the moment. I'm only picking up a few things."

"And I need a nap." We both look toward Eleanor and Heath in the doorway. Eleanor smiles. "Nice to see you again, Caleb."

"Good to see you guys, too."

Caleb and I always got along great, which is nice with in-laws. He and Scott were only a year apart in age, which was a problem when they were younger, but once they were both in college they got closer to each other. Caleb is the older one, so sometimes Scott felt like he was in his brother's shadow. They're both on equal planes now, working as successful lawyers together.

"If you want to help, you can carry the boxes upstairs," I tell him.

Caleb says, "That's it? I could find the copper wires in the walls and—"

I push at his chest. "Stop." I turn to my sister who has her head tilted and a brow raised. "Uh, I guess you two can work on the kitchen stuff. It won't take too long upstairs."

Eleanor nods. "Come on, Husband, let's find this—" she glances at the sheet, "—flowered teacup set."

I shake my head and give her a kiss on the cheek as I walk by. "Thanks."

Caleb picks up the boxes Scott left out for me and we head up the stairs. "Where to?" he asks.

"Bathroom. I forgot a few things last time." I had to borrow Eleanor's hair brush because I left mine here.

He sets the boxes down in the bathroom first doorway and I take the top one to start filling it with some toiletries.

"So... how are you really?"

I sigh. "I'm... I don't know. I haven't fully processed this yet. It's a lot to take in. I'm just trying to take everything one day at a time, you know?"

He leans against the door frame. "I know." He presses a closed fist to his forehead, closing his eyes. "I hate that he hurt you."

This is something I could tell ever since I first saw him today. Caleb has been very protective of me, threatening Scott with bodily harm if he ever dared to make me feel anything other than safe and loved. He probably thinks he failed as an older brother.

"There's nothing you could've done honestly. Scott is who he is. Even if he didn't stray, things had been... different lately anyway."

Caleb stiffens and gives me an incredulous stare. "Really?"

"Yeah. Scott never talked to you about it?"

Caleb shakes his head. "I'd been under the impression that things were fine between you two, he never led on otherwise. Anytime he seemed under pressure, I chalked it up to the clients and cases."

Figures. Scott knows Caleb is intuitive, so him covering it up makes sense. "I thought that's what it was at first, but it became more than that." The more I thought about it this week, the more I could see what was wrong with us. "It was like an underlying tension where we were both in our own worlds and unable to express whatever we were feeling."

"I'm sorry it came to this."

"I am, too." It sucks how much life is changing so rapidly.

"Have you found a good attorney yet?"

"No... but I have a list of a few that my boss gave me." I scrolled through them yesterday and felt overwhelmed with the choices, so I closed the email and decided to look at it again later.

Caleb says, "I could've offered you some suggestions."

"Yeah, but that's a little more awkward for Scott for you to do that," I reply with a laugh as I close the first full box.

"How long will you be living with your sister?"

"Not long. The baby should be here in less than a couple months and I'd like to be out before then." As much as I'd love to snuggle with my nephew, I'd rather not lose sleep during the tumultuous early weeks with a newborn. "I submitted applications for a couple apartments close to where I work."

"Need a strong man to help you move?" Caleb flexes an arm.

"I don't know how thrilled Scott would be about that, you goof."

"Hey, blood may be thicker than water, but you're my friend and I'm not about to abandon my friend because society wants me to favor my brother."

It's sweet of him to offer, but I don't want to be the center of any potential drama. "I'll let you help as long as you get Scott's permission."

"You drive a hard bargain, but I'll ask him. And if he says no I'll find a way to make him say yes."

"Okay, deal. Now let's stop jibber jabbering and finish getting my stuff."

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A/N: Thanks for reading! And for being patient with this part being posted! What do you think of Caleb? You'll be seeing a lot more of him (and Blaine, of course) in the coming chapters. :)