Wake Up Call (23 page)

     I slowly brought my eyes up to see Caleb standing shirtless in just a pair of blue sweats.

     His eyes burned into me as he cracked his knuckles and crawled onto the foot of the bed. "It's me Avery. I won
't ever let Jace hurt you again," he spat. "I will keep him away-"

    
"No," I cut in. "No." I laid back down and pulled the quilt closer to my face. "Jace would never hurt me, Caleb." I shook my head as the tears continued to fall down my cheeks. It made me angry that he would even accuse Jace of hurting me.

     Caleb gradually got closer to me until his body was just inches away from mine.

      He pursed his lips and then reached out to caress my face. "You can tell me. I have people that can take care of him for you and then we can be together. Just the two of us." His voice came out confident and smooth as if he was sure that's what I wanted.

     He was wrong. That wasn't what I wanted and I never would. I backed away from Caleb's touch and turned my head away from his gaze before rolling my eyes.

     "No, Caleb," I growled. "You're not listening to me. You have no idea what I want or need so leave Jace out of this."

     Caleb's eyes hardened as he reached out and firmly gripped my wrist. He briefly squeezed it before he released his grip and placed his hand next to his side, a look of hate in his eyes.

     "I know what you need." He paused. "You don't know what you need." He stood back to his feet and ran his hand over his stomach. "I'll be in the kitchen eating. If I hear you screaming again I won't hesitate to come back in here and crawl in bed with you. I want to make sure that you feel safe." A slight smile crossed his hard face before he turned around and left the room.

      A feeling of relief crossed over me as I sank back into the bed and snuggled up in the quilt. Caleb was making me feel really uncomfortable.

     As I closed my eyes and tried to force myself back to sleep, I felt an empty feeling in my stomach. Not only had I gone all day without eating, but I was also beginning to remember how safe I always felt when Jace crawled into bed with me. It was a feeling that no one else had ever been able to give me. The thought made me sick to my stomach and a completely new set of tears were threatening to form.

     Without thinking
, I jumped out of bed and reached in my purse for my phone. I clutched it firmly to my chest and wiped away my tears with my free hand. I wanted nothing more than to talk to Jace, but I couldn't even begin to think about hurting him again. The thought was too unbearable and it left me feeling empty and ill.

     I carefully crawled back into bed while running my fingers over the smooth phone. I pressed my head into the stiff pillow and then slammed my face into it to try to escape the hurt. I got startled when suddenly the phone vibrated under my touch. My heart did flips in my chest as my stomach dropped to my feet. I
knew who it would be and I didn't know what to do. All I knew was that I missed him. I actually missed him.

      I guess we'll make that two missed calls...

                             
Chapter 12

      Early the next morning, I woke to the sound of Caleb leaving. A wave of relieve washed over me as I realized that was my chance of getting ready and out of here before he could return. After what happened last night, I really didn’t want to deal with him again.

      I slowly opened the bedroom door, poking my head outside; to be sure, that Caleb had really gone. When there was no sign of him, I sauntered out of the bedroom and down the hall to the bathroom.

      I flipped on the light switch, realizing that in the whole eighteen hours that I had been at Caleb’s house that I hadn’t even bothered to use the bathroom. The sight astounded me.

      It was complete with a two-headed shower, a gray granite sink, decorative mirrors that lined three of the four walls, and another Jacuzzi that sat in the back corner. The glass on the shower was crystal clear and looked as if it were brand new. It was incredibly beautiful and over the top.
This is crazy!

     I tiredly stared at my reflection in the mirror and frowned. Pulling my eyes away from the mirror, I slowly let out a deep breath and leaned into the sink for support. I still felt a little weak from my lack of sleep and was finding it hard to function right.

     Turning on the faucet, I ran my hands through the frigid water and splashed it over my heated face. Even though it was cool in Caleb’s house, I still managed to sweat through the whole night. My skin felt hot and my stomach felt ill.

      After quickly showering and dressing, I threw on my leather boots and wandered into the living room. I looked around for a few moments before sighing and walking toward the couch.

      I got ready to take a seat, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed something sticking out from under the far left corner of the couch. I mindlessly bent down to reach for what appeared to be some kind of tin tray, but quickly realized that I really had no right to go through his things. I didn’t want him in my business so I certainly had no right to be in his.

      Taking a deep breath, I reached for my phone and called for a taxi. As usual, they had a free driver and said that they would send one right away.

     I would have at least ten minutes before the taxi would arrive and my curiosity was starting to get the best of me. As hard as I fought it, a part of me believed that there was more to Caleb than he had led on. The strange way that he acted around Kat made me nervous.

     I steadily made my way back over to the couch and bent down to reach for the tray. Once my hand reached the tray, I paused for a moment to look around, even though I knew that Caleb wasn’t even home.

      I carefully started sliding it toward me when suddenly I was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. I quickly pushed it back under the couch.

      Caleb stared over at me, eyes wide, as he slammed the door behind him. He hastily made his way over to stand in front of me. "Avery," he hissed.  "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't go through my personal things when I'm gone."

     He leaned above me and pulled my hand away from the tray, his heavy breathing brushing against my ear. "I think I hear your taxi outside. You should hurry," he said stiffly.

      I pushed myself back to my feet while looking Caleb in the eye. The look on his face was scared, but vicious. I didn't like it. "Sorry," I mumbled. "I didn't think it was such a big deal. I just thought it was garbage or something."

      Caleb nodded his head, reached over to the couch, and grabbed the strap of my purse. His hand shook as he held it out to me with an apologetic smile. "I'll see you when you get back. Good luck on your search."

     I grabbed my purse from out of his loose grip and threw it over my right shoulder. Then I turned and faced the door. “Thanks," I said. I gave him one last look before hurrying outside.

      The taxi sat outside just as Caleb said. When I approached it, I noticed that it was a different driver. One that I had never seen before.

      Sighing, I hopped into the cozy backseat of the taxi and closed the door. I just didn’t have the energy to deal with anything and didn't have much hope in finding a job.

      A young man, maybe in his mid-twenties, turned around, placing his arm over the leather seat. He had light chocolate skin and big hazel eyes that seemed friendly and outgoing. He flashed me a carefree smile and lifted an eyebrow. “Where to?”

       I leaned into the leather seat and threw my purse down next to me. That was when I realized that I had no idea where to even start. "I'm actually not quite sure where I'm headed yet." I frowned and looked out the window.

      The driver laughed, causing me to look up at him. He didn’t seem annoyed one bit by the situation. In fact, he looked amused. “Maybe I can help.” He grinned.

       I smiled back feeling a bit relieved. Other drivers had given me hard times in the past, and I didn’t expect this one to be so understanding. “I’m looking for a new job.” I looked up into his bright eyes and brushed a strand of hair out of my face. “Preferably a diner.”

        He smiled wider, if that was even possible, and shifted the car into drive. “Cool. Cool. I have a few ideas.”

      I exhaled and leaned back into the seat. “That’s great. Thank you.”

      After a few minutes of driving, the driver suddenly pressed on the brakes and peered over his shoulder. I sat up, wondering what he was doing.

       “Damn! I just remembered that I have a good friend that owns a diner. I could take you there if you’d like. We haven’t spoken in a few months, but we’re pretty close.”

      Feeling a bit of hope, I leaned forward in my seat and gripped the back of the driver’s seat. If he had a friend with a diner, there would be a good chance that he could talk the person into giving me a job. "That sounds great... um… what's your name?"

      "Dexter, but you can call me Dex." He smiled sweetly before pressing on the gas and taking off again.

      "Alright, Dex. Tell me about this friend with a diner.”

      Dex looked at me through the rearview mirror and popped a fry into his mouth. "To be honest I have no idea how the business is going, but he's got a little diner called
The Indy Go
. I promise that it's-"

      "No," I blurted and the car went silent. I shifted in my seat a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I appreciate your help, but can we go somewhere else?"

     My heart instantly started pounding in my chest and suddenly it was hard to breathe. Out of all of the people in the world, he just had to be friends with Jace.

      Dex looked a little perplexed as he scratched the top his head and pulled into a small parking lot outside of a diner called
Jan's Place
. He shifted the car into park and leaned back to look at me. "Don't worry. I won't even ask what that was about…" He trailed off, looking out the window. “What’s your name?”

       "Avery," I said softly. “And thanks for not asking.” I blew out a breath of relief.

      "Avery. It's none of my business. I'm just here to help with whatever you may need," he said, matter-of-factly. "Good luck in there. I'll be out here waiting."

      I nodded my head in understanding and stepped out of the taxi.

      Finally, someone out there didn't ask too many questions. Everyone else in my life seemed to pry into my personal space. Stacy, Winston, Maple and even Jace.

     
Oh god!
The thought of them brought a pain to my chest. My heart sank when I realized that I actually for once in my life had people that cared. I had Jace, Stacy, Winston and Maple. I had them all and I walked out on them.

      I stumbled gripping onto the door of the diner for support. My whole body felt weak as my head spun. I hadn't even realized until then that I actually had a decent life for the first time ever and I blew it. Those people were there when I needed them and
they never once judged me. People that I had known for just five short weeks cared more about me than my family ever did or could have.

      I leaned against the glass door of the diner with my head in my hands, trying to pull myself together. I had too many thoughts running through my head and I had no idea what to do with them all.

      I had spent the last fourteen months running from my parents and just when I thought I was in the clear, Aunt Pam showed up to ruin that.
That stupid, vile bitch
.

      "Avery… Avery."

      I snapped out of my thoughts to see Dex standing outside of the taxi with his arms crossed over his chest. He stood six feet tall with a lanky build. The look on his face was friendly, but concerned. "Are you alright?"

      I shook my head and steadied myself back to my feet. I didn’t want him knowing that I was having a nervous breakdown. I needed to be strong and show the world that I could make it on my own.