Just Love Me Once Again

Page 13

Trixie.

A storm was seconds away, and electricity filled the air with anticipation. Chills ran over my skin, not from cold, but the thrill of a storm brewing. I loved summer rain.

Enjoying the view, I took a note that Caleb's window was closed, with no light to speak of coming from his house that sat less than ten yards away.

Moments later, the sky opened up with a crack, and the rain let loose.

I caught the sight of headlights speeding dangerously down the street, charging its way to Caleb's driveway.

The car fishtailed slightly before jetting out of my sight into the garage.

After a minute or so, a dim light fell across my floor with the illumination coming from Caleb's room. I caught the sight of a dark figure moving behind his blinds.

Trying to refocus my attention on the fantastical display of wind and curtains of rain, my heart skipped at the sound of Caleb's blinds lifting and the wash of light spilling between our two houses. I narrowed my eyes as I saw Caleb lift his window and lean out into the night storm.

Damn.

He appeared to be observing the spectacle, the same as me. I could barely make out his face, but I knew when he noticed me. A lightning struck, and I saw his grey eyes piercing me.

His arms stiffened as he supported himself on the window, and his head in my direction, unmoving.

I slowly backed up to close and secure the window. The last thing I wanted was to trip and give the emotions boiling under my calm exterior.

My phone vibrated with a message from mom, stating she and her husband will be spending the night with Aunt Mary, at her house.

That leaves me alone, with Caleb and his grey eyes, ten yards from me.

I called Natalie, is she can come for a sleepover.

"I'm sorry, Trixie. But Caleb is alone at home, and I am at his door now, planning to surprise him with my new Victoria's Secret lacy lingerie." She sounded too excited about this.

Not ready to hear anymore, I disconnected the call.

Keeping myself busy, so I wouldn't do anything stupid, I called Steve. But his phone went unanswered. Is he still mad at me for not telling everything?

I tried two-three times but nothing.

About an hour after I'd gotten out of the tub, I heard the sound of Natalie's car leaving. I sprang out of the bed to spy through the window. Noticing that the clock read midnight, I calculated that it'd been four hours since I had called Natalie.

Four fucking hours! What they were doing?

The breakfast bar and juice box I grabbed before leaving the house held me over during the lab work, but by the first bell, the hunger pangs started. Coupled with the fact that Natalie hadn't shown up or texted back this morning, I rushed in aggravation down the hall to the cafeteria for a vending machine run before class.

My concentration was flying in five different directions this morning.

After I broke a beaker and damn near burned my hand with the burner, I'd cleared out of the lab before I killed myself.

My jaw ached from clenching my teeth all morning. Images of Natalie legs hugging Caleb's hips kept assaulting me. What could have happened last night?

Rounding the corner, I immediately halted.

What!

Natalie leaned against the wall next to cafeteria doors, while Caleb leaned into her.

My heart pounded, and heat rushed through my body. I watched him catch her lips with his. He slowly pulled her body to him, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Nausea rose in my throat, and my eyes burned.

He did look like a good kisser, and I was breathless with the ache in my chest.

Oh, fucking Christ.

After a minute, Natalie jumped and giggled before running to the cafeteria.

My throat tightened, and my mouth was dry.

I raced to the nearest ladies room and locked myself in a stall. My back collapsed against the wall, and I slid down until my rear landed on the floor. Hugging my knees, I gave myself over to the tears. My breakdown was quite, the misery uprooted from my gut, and not my throat.

The worst part was I didn't know if I was angry, sad, desperate, or miserable.

By the time I got home, my mood had gone from bad to worse. I walked into my house, slammed the door and threw my keys across the room. The place was as quiet as a church, my parents are probably staying with Aunt Mary. Thanks to them, I have the house to myself. I didn't want anyone near me, not today.

I noticed the wind picking up, and the sky overshadowed with ashen clouds. The neighborhood trees were still a vibrant green, and the voltage that suddenly coursed through the sky. Knowing a storm was on its way calmed me, so I left the doors open.

Grabbing a whiskey bottle from my Mom's bar and I drank it in one go, closing my eyes and forcing the bile back down my throat.

I can't stand the hunger anymore, and I seize what's mine. I want it all, all of him.

What the fuck?

Was I crying?

Jesus Christ. Motherfucker!

Standing up straight, I looked down the empty bottle, which lied there for more than an hour. Nausea rolled viciously through my stomach, the alcohol shifting my body from a pleasant fog to agony.

Picking my toothbrush out of the holder, I jammed it down my throat and emptied everything I'd eaten today into the toilet.

Most of it was the alcohol of the last hour, and it burned like hell as I gripped the sink to the side and leaned over, wrenching.

I gargled some mouthwash, yanked off my T-shirt, collapsed against the bathroom wall to rest. I tried to get my head straight and my stomach to settle.

But as I stood up to leave the bathroom, the entire house went dead, lights out, music off. I shattered everything while finding the torch. In fifteen minutes, the house was ripped apart from top to bottom as I got lost and exhausted.

Blissfully numb and calm, I parked myself outside on the back porch with another bottle of from mom's supply and let the rain cool me down. I didn't know how long I was out there, but I was finally breathing and that felt good.

"Trixie?"

I twisted my head and immediately lost my breath. Caleb? Aw, Jesus Christ. No, no, no...