Just Love Me Once Again

Page 28

My stomach hurt way too much to move, open my eyes, or speak. Oh, God. No air entered my body. I forced my mouth open and fought to suck in oxygen. Nope, nothing. The cold floor touched one of my cheeks, and my hair touched the other.

Crap. It had taken me an hour to get all of my hair in that clip. Dear Lord, I think I broke something, like my liver.

"Jesus, Jesus. I hurt her." Adam mumbled from close by.

"Get away from her, asshole," Caleb barked. Warm fingers touched my face, brushing back my hair. He lowered his voice. "Trixie? Are you okay?"

Those warm fingers left my face and then covered my hand. I focused all of my energy on exerting pressure onto Caleb's. He applied pressure back. "I've got you. I promise."

"Trixie? Trixie!" Heels clicked rapidly toward me.

Another hand, cold and delicate, touched my face. I forced my eyes open and blinked the double vision away.

"Are you okay?"

No. "Yes." Against the scream of every muscle in my body, I picked my head off the floor. Caleb placed his hands on my back and helped me sit up, hovering centimeters behind me.

Mrs. Wilson's kind eyes softened. "What happened?" She checked out the hallway, taking stock of the situation. "Caleb, you're bleeding."

Caleb wiped his mouth. "Yes, ma'am."

"You're Adam, correct?"

Adam sat at my feet, eyes wide. "Yes."

Mrs. Wilson sighed heavily, shaking her head. "I'm not going to like this at all, am I?"

"Nope," answered Caleb.

"I tripped," I said.

Mrs. Wilson's lips tightened into a thin line. "And Caleb's mouth?"

"Me, too."

She stared at Adam. "And the nice bruise forming on your jaw is from?"

Adam absently rubbed his jaw, but he kept his eyes locked on me. "I got into a fight earlier tonight."

"But not here, right?"

"No, not here."

Mrs. Wilson closed her eyes and sighed again. "Everybody, why don't you return to the dance? I'd like to speak with Trixie and Caleb."

"Caleb," Natalie said. He forced himself to look at her. "I'll be waiting."

Mrs. Wilson stared at us like we were rats in a maze. "I should have seen this coming, but I didn't. So much of my intuitive powers. Anyhow, let's get the two of you to the nurse's office."

Caleb startled me by saying "No " at the exact moment as I did.

"I'm fine," he said.

"Me too," I added. "Fine, I mean."

"If you're sure." Mrs. Wilson lifted herself off the floor. " I expect the two of you to remain professional in your tutoring sessions. I've been extremely pleased with your attendance and progress reports from your teachers, Trixie. I see a negative change, and I'll be in the middle before the two of you can say group study. Am I making myself clear?

We both mumbled something and watched her fade into the dark gym.

Caleb nuzzled my hair. His warm breath sent shivers down my spine. "Truth, Trixie. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I whispered, enjoying the sensation of his lips skimming the back of my neck.

"Trixie?" The husky sound of his voice set me on fire.

"Yes?"

"I hate to end this moment, but I need to talk to Natalie."

I tensed. "One time offer, Caleb. You and me, but you should dump her. I'll wait outside. You've twenty minutes."

Caleb left me. I stood with my hair half fallen from my mother's clip, feeling suddenly alone. I unlatched the hook, letting the rest of my hair fall to my shoulders.

Caleb.

As I walked into the gym, I could barely see several feet in front of me.

The glittering disco ball created the only light available. Fortunately, my friends found me.

"Oh, my God, Caleb. Are you okay?" Dustin grabbed hold of me.

I nod.

"Are you falling for Beatrice?" Dustin suddenly looked serious.

Terror and joy fluttered inside of me. If I chose Trixie, I might push Natalie too far and destroy the only real friend I ever had. But the mere thought of Trixie's name made my heart skip. It brought a smile to my face. "Yes."

He hugged me. "I expect a report on this. Real details, not romance novel nonsense."

"What about Cisco?"

He sighed heavily, pulling away. "Don't worry, Cisco will be okay. Anyway, only three months to graduation."

"Caleb?" said Natalie from behind me.

"Natalie." I was confused about where to start.

"It's okay." She shifted from one uncomfortable foot to another like the sand running into the bottom of the hourglass. "Caleb..."

Before she could finish, I gathered up all my courage and said, "Natalie, I'm sorry. I never intended all this to disclose in front of you like this."

"You touched her, Caleb. The way you touch her, look into her eyes, that never happened with us. I have never seen you with this passionate love." Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Regardless of the words I'd planned on saying to him, the truth still stung. " Natalie, I'm sorry, but here's the truth..." This sucks. "I'm not in with you, and I'm not going to be. Part of me wanted us to work, but that's what we became -work."

Natalie nodded his head and then lowered it. Her shoulders drooped forward, and she stared at the floor for a second before wiping her nose.

Then she raised her head and straightened to her full height. She took a step forward me and whispered into my ear, "I did love you."

"Me, too." Once.

Trixie.

I should have dragged him from the gym. Instead, like an idiot, I gave him a choice. The choice to rip my heart out and hand it back to me, why I did that?

Fifteen minutes. Fuck it. He wasn't coming, and I wasn't going to stand here in the cold like a fool. I had a party to go to, a party where there would be plenty of boys, and plenty of shit to smoke, and enough alcohol to help me forget.

I pushed off the brick wall of the gym. The door flew open, almost smacking me in the face. I opened my mouth to yell at the asshole busting out the door but stopped the moment I came face-to-face with Caleb.

Holding his hand, I asked. "Tell me you chose me, Caleb."

He smiled. Those grey eyes, calling me to him. "I chose you."

For the first time in the year, I was happy. "You will never regret it. I promise."

I wanted him, all of him. I would never allow anyone else to touch me again without thinking about him.

I'd promise he would be more, and I needed to keep that promise.