Trespassing | ongoing

Chapter 5. An Agreement of Sorts

[a/n]: this story is set in 2013.

Chapter 5. An Agreement of Sorts

Caleb drapes a wool blanket around me as I sit beside the warm fire he has created. Once rescuing me from that insane man David, he brought me back to his cabin very reluctantly. We haven't spoken a word since he shot David and on the whole way back here, he kept murmuring things to himself, which made me very cautious and perplexed.

"I wasn't trying to come back to your 'territory' or anything, I was only looking for some water." I break the silence.

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "You left what, two hours ago? You have been walking in one giant circle and ended up comin' just a mile away from my cabin again."

"Well, sorry." I huff and pull the blanket closer to me.

"What was David asking for?" he inquires.

"He was looking for-" I stop myself during mid-sentence. "I never told you his name.."

His eyes grow wide just a centimeter until he blinks and regains his sophisticated stature. Unfolding his arms, his brows scrunch together and he waves me off, urging for me to continue and to forget what I just discovered.

"How do you know his name?" I persist.

"He lives around here, that's how." he curtly replies. "Just tell me what he wanted."

I roll my eyes, but continue nonetheless. "He was looking for some guy named Everett Barton."

Caleb's visible jawline clenches at the sound of this, and I grow very suspicious. He strides towards me and sits on the wooden floor beside me where the fire crackles and some sparks drift off the firewood. Glancing to Caleb, I observe his deep blue eyes gazing intensely into the flames of the warm and comforting fire.

"I never should have let you leave without that pistol.." he murmurs more to himself than me, and then adds some curse words under his breath.

"What do you mean? You couldn't have possibly known that David was going to attack me."

He peers away from the fire and meets my eyes. "Him or his pals are always scoping the forest out. I knew he would be out there, but.. I didn't know he would take his obsession as far as to actually hurt a lady, or anyone, for that matter."

"Who is he?" My voice lowers, as if we were high school girls talking gossip.

"He's David." he scoffs at my idiotic question.

"No, I mean, who is he?" I emphasize me question again.

"I know whatcha meant." he rolls his eyes, irritated that I never understand his "jokes."

"He's.. nobody, really."

"Really? He seems like a big somebody, if you ask me." I retaliate.

"Hey, now. No need for name callin', he might not be the slimmest guy out there, but he hasn't a pot belly." he jokes again.

"You mean, 'Might not have been, the slimmest guy,' right?" I correct him slowly, referring to the fact that David lives no longer.

He swallows visibly and stares back into the fire. "Right.."

"And what's with all the jokes? We have to discuss what happened, and just.. get over it. Where did David live; will his other men come looking for him; will they come try and find me and get the job done of killing me?" I blurt out numerous questions.

Caleb's eyes turn cold and almost appear angry. He snaps his attention to me with a scowl on his face.

"Maybe I try to joke because--" he stops mid-sentence and shakes his head. "Listen, there's no sense in trying to track down where David lives-- lived.. so let's just put that out there. Also, his 'men' might look for him when they start gettin' worried, yeah, but they won't know about you and they certainly won't be coming here without their leader by their side to give them orders, so you're fine, alright? Just relax."