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Chapter 38 - Clarity

Anne would insist upon calling my spending time with Caleb a date, and I couldn't budge her.

"I bet he comes over here in different clothes," she teased at about fifteen minutes to five. "And he'll smell good."

I uncrossed my legs and then recrossed them, my fingertips running across the tweed fabric of the armchair. I had changed, but I had drummed up the reason for that to be the fact that I had been thoroughly splashed by a muddy puddle due to L earlier when he had stomped out of the car at the Cornells, not because I was trying to impress anyone. "Well that's just because he's been working all day. I don't blame him one bit for wanting to put on clean clothes and spruce himself up a little. But it's not for me."

"Sure, Grace. Sure." Anne good naturedly rolled her eyes as Liam walked into the room despondent. "What's the matter, hun?" she asked him, touching his hand as he stopped by the sofa.

He sighed heavily. "I still can't believe L just left like that. I hope he didn't think I didn't want him here because of the insomnia thing. I just needed to sleep. He shouldn't have taken offense to that. Where will he go?"

Frustration filled me at the mention of that letter, that stubborn boychild who had stormed off because he didn't like the friends I kept. "Oh, don't worry about him. Really. It's not like he's shivering in a gutter somewhere. I promise."

No, he was likely in the lap of luxury surrounded by pastries baked by the phenomenal chefs at the Savoy without a care in the world. I wondered why he was bothering to stay in town anyway. It wasn't like he was worried about my well-being anymore. He might as well have gone on to Scotland at this point.

Liam looked a little less distraught. "Oh, well. Mum wants to make sure he's being well looked after. So, if you see him again, Grace, can you just tell her he's all right to ease her mind?"

"Well looked after?! Ha!" I laughed bitter and sharp as the doorbell rang.

Liam glanced at me confused but left us to go answer the door.

"You might want to tone the sarcasm down a bit, girl," Anne advised with a barely hidden smile. "People might get the impression that you miss him or something."

"Miss him?!" my voice hit a higher pitch. "Anne, do be serious."

"Uh, hiya Gracie."

I jumped to my feet at the sound of the hearty, friendly voice filling the front room. Caleb stood next to Liam in a flannel shirt with a bottle green jumper layered over it and a fresh pair of trousers. I also couldn't deny that he did smell pleasant, a spicy, woodsy scent that suited him well. I hated it when Anne was right.

"Oh, hi Caleb. Uh, here already?"

Liam looked at me even more strangely. "He lives across the way!"

Caleb chuckled. "Yeah, already here. I can step outside and wait until exactly five to knock if you'd like me to."

I reddened and picked up my coat hanging over the chair. "Oh no, that's not needed. Shall we go, then?"

Caleb glanced around the room and then towards the kitchen and stairway. "Is it just you lot here?"

"L's not here, don't worry." Anne joked, sobering when I shot her a black look. "He took Jude out. Nan's meeting with Mrs. Soudery over at the park for their usual "stitch and bitch", Daisy and Paul went out for Tandoori, Jamie's working and Mitsi's doing a shop." She finished and took a needed breath. Anne had transplanted her skill of knowing the whereabouts of the Wammy kids at any time to her new location. I wasn't surprised at her success.