Beyond Broken (The Bay Boys #3) (23 page)

He opened his eyes.
 
“Three, five, eight, three.”

Maddie typed in the code quickly, worried that the alarm would disturb the neighbors.
 
She waited a second, but the alarm continued.
 
“Caleb, it’s not working.”

“
Star
.”

Star?
 
What did that mean?
 
Her eyes scanned the keypad and then she saw a star symbol at the bottom of the pad and pressed it.

Blissful silence.
 
Maddie let out a shaky breath and then set her purse down in the entry way.
 
The inside of the house smelled stale, like no one had been living in it for a while.
 
When she looked at the entry table right next to the door, she saw a fine layer of dust accumulated there.

“Okay, let’s go inside, Caleb,” she said to him softly.
 
She held out a hand to help him up and he grasped it.
 
Maddie teetered on her small heels but managed to, at least,
assist
in heaving him up.
 
“Where’s your bedroom?”

“No,” he bit out immediately.
 
“No.”

Her brow furrowed.
 
“Where do you want to go then?”

He half-raised an arm, pointing towards what she guessed was the living room.
 
The house had an open plan layout and right beyond the faded grey couch, there was a slightly dated kitchen, with light wood cabinets and a dark green tiled counter.
 
Maddie set Caleb down on the couch, but he slid to the floor, leaning his head back against the bottom cushions.
 
Maddie stepped into the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets until she found a clean glass.

She brought him a glass of water, which he took a few sips of but then thrust back at her.
 
She sighed, nibbling on her lip, trying to decide what to do when he passed out again.
 
Maddie didn’t feel comfortable leaving him in this state.
 
She’d heard enough drinking horror stories in college to genuinely worry that he’d choke on his own vomit if she left him.

Maddie glanced around, noticing that despite the stale air, the living room looked lived in.
 
A pillow and a blanket were sprawled on the couch and an empty plate and glass decorated the coffee table.
 
Envelope and bills were opened and Maddie felt slightly guilty when she peeked down at one and saw a bill from the mortuary.

There were no paintings or pictures.
 
The small dining table on the far side of the living was completely cleaned off.
 
There were sagging cardboard boxes lined against the wall, which she’d also noticed in the hallway.
 
If she didn’t know any better, she’d think that Caleb was squatting here.
 
He seemed to take up the smallest space he possibly could in the house.

She went back to the kitchen and wondered if she should try to get him to eat anything, to soak up some of the alcohol.
 
Opening up the fridge, all she saw was a half-empty jar of peanut butter, some condiments, and a milk jug.
 
She rifled through the cabinets as well but only discovered protein powder, a box of crackers, and a few packets of old oatmeal.
 
She poured a glass of water for herself and then grabbed the box of crackers, bringing them over to the coffee table.

Hesitantly, she lowered herself onto the carpet next to him and snagged the blanket off the couch to drape over him.
 
He stirred a little bit, but didn’t wake up, repositioning himself so that his cheek rested on the couch cushion, facing her.

Maddie looked at him, her eyes studying his closed eyelids, the dark, strong curve of his eyebrows, the unshaven stubble on his jawline, the pinkness of his full, pouty lips.
 
He was so beautiful it made her chest ache.
 
She couldn’t help but reach out and touch his warm cheek.

A phone rang and she pulled her hand away quickly and guilty.
 
Caleb stirred again, the space between his eyebrows contracting, as she pushed off the floor to locate the phone.
 
There was a handset tucked into a corner on the kitchen counter and she picked it up hesitantly, wondering who would be calling this late.

But she relaxed when she heard Brian’s voice on the other side.
 
“I just wanted to make sure you two got in all right.”

“Yeah, we did,” she said quietly, sneaking a peek over at Caleb.
 
“I got him settled in the living room.
 
I think I’ll stay with him for a while, just in case.”

“Okay,” he said.
 
“Take down this number and don’t be shy about callin’ if you need anythin’, okay?”

“I will,” she said.

He paused.
 
“Thanks for doing this, sweetie.
 
He won’t tell you, but I’m sure he’ll appreciate it once he sleeps off his whiskey binge.”

“I hope so.”
 
She just hoped that she hadn’t crossed a line with him.
 
In the morning, it could go either one of two ways.
 
He could be grudgingly thankful and try to ignore what happened entirely.
 
Or he would try to push her away even more…again.
 
She knew which option she’d put her money on.
 
“Thanks for your help, Brian.
 
I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After she hung up and made her way back to the couch, she saw that Caleb had woken up again.
 
He was rubbing his forehead, but stopped when he saw her.

“What are you doing here?” he slurred.

“I helped you inside,” she told him patiently.
 
“Here, why don’t you try to eat something.”

Maddie offered him a cracker, but he wouldn’t eat it.

“You’re like a fussy two-year-old when you’re like this,” she informed him, munching on the cracker herself.
 
She’d skipped dinner after all.

Even drunk, Caleb shot her a dark look, which made her smile.
 
She figured if he could still glare at her in this state, he’d survive.
 
Maybe she wouldn’t have to spend the night sleeping on the floor and could go home to her own bed.

Still…

She debated getting something delivered since she didn’t want to leave him quite yet.
 
Glancing at her phone, she saw that it was only nine o’clock.
 
Had it only been an hour since she went to go check on Caleb in the garage?

“Would you like me to make you some coffee?” she asked him, thinking that would help sober him up.
 
She’d seen a coffee machine on the counter.
 
Caleb shook his head.
 
“Okay, well I’m going to order some food if that’s all right.
 
Maybe you’ll eat pizza if you don’t want a cracker,” she muttered, almost to herself.

“What are you talking about, woman?” Caleb groaned.

“Nothing,” she said, biting back a smile.
 
“Just rest.”

“
Trying
to.”

Maddie inhaled a deep breath through her nostrils.
 
Then she made a call to the local delivery pizza place her family had ordered from all the time when she’d been younger.
 
It had been years since she’d had it last.

Caleb unsteadily pushed up from his spot on the floor.

“What are you doing?” she asked, hurrying to his side.
 
He stumbled a bit and she reached out to steady him.

“I have to piss.”

“Charming,” she deadpanned as he shook off her grip and clutched at the living room wall for support.
 
She had visions of him falling in the bathroom and cracking his skull open, so she trailed him down the hallway until they reached a closed door at the end.

He saw her behind him and leaned heavily against the door frame.
 
“Wanna watch, nurse?”

“Just hurry up.
 
But if I hear you fall, I’m bursting in.”

Maddie thought he mumbled, “No need.”

Then he lumbered into the surprisingly neat bathroom and started unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans without closing the door.

She watched, dazed and confused, as he pulled down his black boxer briefs.
 
And then all the blood rushed to her face in one dizzying heartbeat as she glimpsed flesh.

Maddie yelped and swung around so fast that she almost tripped over her own feet.
 
Her eyes were wide as she listened to him do his business.

“I think I need help,” he slurred, an odd tone in his voice that she’d never heard before.
 
It was almost…teasing?
 
Caleb Montgomery was teasing her?

She managed to choke out, “Do not talk to me while you’re peeing.”

A few moments later, she heard him zip up his jeans and flush the toilet.
 
Figuring it was safe to turn around, she told him, “Wash your hands,” when he tried to escape out of the bathroom.

“Jesus,” he muttered, but turned to the sink, swaying.
 
She couldn’t quite look him in the eye and her gaze strayed to his zipper.
 
Gulping, she realized he hadn’t buttoned his jeans and she could see the band of his briefs peeking out.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she forced herself to look at the empty wall of the hallway.
 
When he was done, she followed him silently back to the living room.
 
She noticed they passed multiple closed doors along the way and asked, “Don’t you want to sleep in your bedroom?”

“No.”
 
As though to emphasize his point he collapsed onto the couch.

“Do you always sleep here?”

He grunted something and she sighed, pushing his legs off one end of the couch so she could sit down.

“You don’t have to stay,” he murmured, eyes closed.
 
“I’m fine.”

Maddie was still worried about him and could see that even though he was more communicative, he was
far
from sober.
 
As if on cue, he mumbled, “Fuck,” and shot off the couch, hurrying down the hallway.

Maddie bit her lip when she heard retching sounds.
 
She ventured towards the bathroom, figuring that it was for the best that he was throwing up.
 
At least it would get some of the alcohol out of his system.

She found him hunched over the toilet bowl, leaning his head against his forearm, which was draped across the white porcelain.

This was not how she thought she’d spend her Sunday night, taking care of a completely hammered Caleb.

Maddie touched his back and he flinched away.
 
“Don’t fucking touch me,” he hissed and she was so surprised at the venom in his tone that she slowly backed away.

“I’m just trying to help you, Caleb,” she told him, trying to stay calm.

“I don’t need your help.”

“Well, forgive me for disagreeing,” she snapped back, annoyance rising.
 
“You’re not okay, Caleb.
 
You’re
more
than drunk.
 
I’m just trying to make sure you feel better because that’s what I’d want someone else to do for me if I were in your situation.”

“I don’t need anyone.”

The sad part was that Maddie knew he believed it.
 
Besides his friends, did Caleb have anyone that truly loved him?
 
Brian, of course, cared in his own way, but what about family?
 
From what she’d heard from Thomas, Caleb’s parents hadn’t been in the picture for
years
.
 
Were they dead?
 
And his uncle had just passed away.
 
Who was left?

Possibly no one.

“Everyone needs someone,” she said softly, reaching past him to snag some toilet paper so he could wipe his mouth.

After he flushed and rinsed with mouthwash, he leveled her with a half-lidded gaze.
 
“Why do you care so much?”

“Because I care about you,” she told him honestly.

He looked away.
 
“You shouldn’t.”

He leaned heavily against the side of the sink and Maddie whispered, “Why do you think that?
 
Why are you any less deserving of being cared for than others?”

“You don’t understand.”

“So make me understand,” she pleaded.

“I’m…” he waved an uncoordinated hand in the air, almost knocking down his stick of deodorant.
 
“I’m…”

“You’re what?”

“
Tainted
.”

Maddie’s lips parted and she repeated incredulously, “Tainted?”

He nodded and for a moment, Maddie felt guilty, like she was pumping him for information because she knew that if he was sober, he would’ve been tight-lipped.

“For so long,” he whispered and the pain in his voice made Maddie tear up.
 
He put his head in his hands.
 
“Two years.
 
Two fuckin’ years
.”

Maddie sucked in a breath because she knew what he was referring to.
 
It had gone on for
that
long?
 
“Caleb,” she whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He flinched again and raised his head, his eyes dark, pupils dilated.
 
“
Please
, don’t touch me.”

She lifted her hands immediately, raising them so he could see her palms.
 
“I won’t.
 
I promise.”

“You know,” he said, looking at her.
 
“I know you know.
 
I wish you didn’t.”

“Know what?” she asked.
 
She needed to hear him confirm it.
 
She didn’t know why, because if he told the truth, it would hurt.
 
But she needed it.