Falling For Caleb (Falling Book 7)

by Tracy Lorraine

  “We’re on it,” I say as I start pulling Taylor in the direction of the elevators. He pauses briefly to say hello to Molly, but in seconds, we’re heading to the top floor of the hotel to hopefully make Beth’s day. As for Mum? Well, we’re about to see how this is going to go down.

  “Caleb, about time. Where is this photographer you promised?” Mum barks the second I walk into the room.

  “He’s here,” I say, stepping aside to reveal Taylor behind me.

  “What’s he doing here? I thought you said he wasn’t coming.”

  “Mum,” both Beth and I snap at the same time at her attitude.

  “He’s a photographer, Mum. And a bloody good one.” At that announcement, Beth is out of her chair, much to the hair stylist’s annoyance, and launches herself at Taylor. They’ve met a few times before and although she never said anything I’m pretty sure she was well aware of my feelings for him.

  “Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate you being here.” Once Beth’s let go of Taylor, she turns to me. “You’re a little bit awesome, you know that, right?” I shrug my shoulders at her in response. “I’m glad you’re here, Taylor,” she says as she walks away. “And not just as the photographer. Mum…” she prompts as she walks past her.

  “Thank you, Taylor,” Mum adds, just about managing to crack a smile.

  * * *

  The ceremony is short and sweet. I’d love to be able to say what actually happened, but I spent the entire time staring at Taylor’s ass. Those trousers just hug it in the most incredible way. I’m dying to get them off him. I can see he’s more stressed than usual and I can only presume that’s because of his mum. We haven’t had any time to talk since he arrived and it’s killing me that he’s so close.

  The whole day goes by in a blur of wedding formalities, amazing French food and even better French wine. I get a few fleeting moments with Taylor but nothing like I want.

  “Hey, Mum. Having a good day?” I ask when I see her sat alone for the first time all day at the bar.

  “Yes. Just look how happy they are,” she says with wet eyes as she glances over at Beth and Daniel, who are talking to Steven, Daniel’s brother, and his wife. “All I want is for my kids to be happy—to find someone they love and spend their lives with them.” I look back at her then down at her empty glass, wondering how much she’s had. “I’m so sorry, Caleb. I’m embarrassed of how I’ve acted, how selfish I’ve been. I’ve been watching you today and it’s clear how happy Taylor makes you. You obviously do the same for him as well. Not everyone would have hopped on the first plane to be here at the last minute today, especially with how I treated him last time I saw him.”

  “He’s special, Mum.”

  “I can see that. He was showing me some of the photos he’s taken. They’re beautiful.” I feel myself swell with pride for my man. “I think this all worked out as it should, don’t you?” At that moment, I feel heat behind me. Mum looks over my shoulder and smiles before getting up off the bar stool and walking away.

  A large pair of hands land on my shoulders and spin me around.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey. How did you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  “Win my mum around?”

  “It wasn’t hard. I mean, I’m awesome so it was inevitable it was going to happen eventually,” he says, a cocky smile on his face.

  “You’re a nightmare,” I say as I slap his shoulder.

  “I’m your nightmare.”

  Chapter Six

  Taylor

  “Alright, alright, break it up you two. Grandma’s eyes are about to pop out of her head and I need my photographer back,” Beth says, making me pull away from Caleb’s lips.

  I look over her shoulder to see her grandma grinning at us. It seems she was enjoying the show. “I don’t think she has an issue; look at that gleam in her eye.”

  “Ugh, Taylor,” Beth complains but smiles and grabs my hand at the same time. “It’s time for our first dance. Come on.” I put down the drink I’ve had about two sips of before following behind her like I have all day. And, just like I have all day, I feel Caleb’s eyes burn into the back of me. I swear he didn’t watch a second of his sister getting married earlier. Every time I looked back, his eyes were glued to my arse—not that I’m complaining. It’s nice to know he’s so into me that even his sister tying the knot can’t distract him.

  When I turned up earlier and found him in his slim fit suit I was taken right back to the first time I laid my eyes on him at Molly’s party. He looked just as breath-taking today as he did that night. I’d been on edge since hanging up the phone earlier. What I nearly said out loud to him shook me. The words almost flowed from my lips so easily. I’ve never said them out loud to anyone other than my mum and Lilly, and the meaning was very different. Does the fact that the words practically fell out of my mouth mean they’re true? Am I in love with Caleb West?

  * * *

  The rest of the weekend in Paris is incredible. I’ve never had the opportunity to travel much outside the UK. I’ve only actually flown once before and that was with Lilly a couple of years ago for a week in the sun. It if wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have had a passport and I wouldn’t have been able to come here. I can’t lie; attempting to find my way around Heathrow airport alone was a bit of a challenge, but knowing who was waiting for me at the other end of the short flight was enough to keep me going.

  Caleb and I spend the weekend seeing the sights Paris has to offer. I’m thrilled that it’s also his first time here. It meant we could discover everything together. The city is exactly as I expected it to be, and I’m gutted when the time comes for us to leave our hotel for the airport. I could easily spend the whole week here.

  “Have you got everything?” Caleb asks as he wheels his case to the door.

  I look around our room to check I’ve not left anything behind before taking one last look at the amazing view. I let out a huge breath as I turn to head for the door. I’m really not ready to leave our little paradise yet.

  “Yeah, I’m good. When we get back, can we book a holiday? Just us two; I don’t care where. I want to discover new places like we have here, make some memories together.” I don’t add that I have so many bad memories from my childhood that I’m hoping the new ones with him will push them out.

  “Sounds like a plan. Come on, let’s go.”

  Hand in hand, we head down to the hotel reception to say goodbye to Beth and Daniel, who are staying here a few more days before heading off on their six-week honeymoon tour around Europe. I’ve never really spent much time thinking about travelling before, but having had a taste of Paris, I’m seriously jealous of what they’re about to embark on.

  I give Beth a kiss on the cheek and shake Daniel’s hand before standing back to allow Caleb to have some time with his sister. As we stand there, his parents come to join us along with Molly, Ryan, and Lois. Last to appear are Steven and his family, and once we’ve all said goodbye to the happy couple, we jump in taxis and head for the airport.

  “Would you like a drink, Sir?” the flight attendant asks once the seatbelt sign is off.

  “I’m fine, thank you,” I answer sadly. I look to my right to see a random stranger sat there. My last-minute booking on this flight meant I had to sit away from the others. After being with Caleb almost 24/7 over the past couple of days, the separation has hit me kinda hard—harder than I was expecting, anyway.

  I find the others in baggage reclaim. I came with hand luggage—it wasn’t like I had time to pack anything. It’s Penny who sees me first, and I’m amazed by the smile she gives me when our eyes meet. It seems that saving the day by appearing with my camera has softened her somewhat.

  “How was your flight?” she asks when I get close enough to hear her. Anyone eavesdropping would think we were on different flights.

  “Long,” I reply, even thought the flight wasn’t much more than an hour, “and lonely,” I add.

  “Well
you’re back with us now.”

  Caleb turns towards us after grabbing a bag off the conveyor belt and his face lights up.

  “Hey, we tried waiting for you when we got inside but the attendant moved us on,” he says as he runs his hand down my arm. Just that small gesture has goosebumps pricking my skin.

  “No worries. Are you all set?” I ask, looking at the pile of cases around his feet.

  After stopping for lunch, Caleb’s parents, Molly, Ryan and Lois all head off.

  “I told you she’d warm to you eventually,” Caleb comments as we watch them all walk away. He’s right, because I just got a pretty big hug off his mum, something I never thought would happen after that first time I met her.

  “Come on, let’s go home.”

  “About that…”

  “You kicking me out?”

  “No…I was…uh…wondering…wanna move into my room?” Caleb asks in a rush.

  A smile breaks across my face. It would be impossible if I wanted to try to play it cool right now, because I have no control over my joy.

  “You’re asking me to move in with you?”

  “Yep,” he confirms.

  “Fucking right I will,” I announce before dropping my case and pulling him so we’re chest to chest. The kiss I give him is entirely too inappropriate to be happening in the middle of an airport, but I couldn’t care less. After two and a bit years of trying to break him down, I’ve finally done it. I knew he wanted me all along.

  I’m flying high all the way back to our flat. My smile hasn’t faltered, much to Caleb’s amusement. Unfortunately though, everything comes crashing down very fast when we look up to our front door.

  Our usual sleek black shiny door with chrome fittings is now boarded up with some police tape strapped across it.

  “What the fuck?” we both ask in unison before rushing forward.

  I don’t wait for any instruction or even think of any consequences as I launch myself at the wood covering our door.

  The force of my body smashes through it easily and I get a look at what is beyond.

  “Fuck,” is all I can say as I look at our trashed apartment. Everything’s either smashed, ripped apart or turned over.

  “Fuck,” gets repeated behind me as Caleb gets his first look at all his stuff. I may call it our flat, but in reality, everything in here is his. I just help pay the rent.

  We both walk into the room and silently take in the devastation before us.

  “You’re back,” I hear someone say from the doorway. When I turn around, I see it’s our neighbour. “We tried to get hold of you both but neither of your phones were on.”

  “We were at a wedding in Paris,” I say when it becomes clear Caleb isn’t going to respond. “What happened?”

  “No idea. I came back in yesterday evening and saw that your door was swinging on its hinges. I called the police; they sorted this out,” he says, gesturing towards the boarded up door. “But they really need to speak to you both. They said they didn’t think anything was missing. The obvious things like your TV and computer are still here—a little worse for wear, mind you.” I look over at where the fifty-inch TV usually sits to see it all bent and buckled on the floor.

  “Who the fuck?” Caleb mutters quietly to himself as he looks at all his stuff.

  A face pops into my head.

  “MOTHERFUCKER!”

  I pull my phone from my pocket and try to power it up, but it’s fucking dead. After rummaging through my case, I find the charger and plug it into the wall. After a few seconds, it starts up and I scroll through my contacts until I find the number for the phone I gave my mum.

  It doesn’t ring. It goes straight to voicemail.

  “FUCK,” I shout again, just about resisting the urge to launch my phone across the room. It’s already broken enough from the last time I tried that. “I’m so sorry,” I say sadly to Caleb, who is looking at me blankly.

  “It’s not your fault,” he says reassuringly.

  “It is, though. It’s fucking him, I know it is. I brought this to you.” I rub my hands over my short hair before running them down my face.

  I take a step back until my arse hits the wall. I lower and put my head in my hands. Caleb decides he wants me, and this is what I give him. He doesn’t deserve this; he’s too good for me. I’m a walking fucking disaster.

  “Here,” our neighbour says, reminding me that we’ve got an audience. “The coppers said for you to call this number when you returned.”

  I watch as he backs out of the flat, leaving us alone.

  “I’m sorry,” I repeat.

  Caleb walks over to me before lowering on to his haunches. “Stop that. It’s not your fault.”

  “Yes it is. If it wasn’t for me and my fucked up family, this wouldn’t be happening.”

  “Stop it,” he snaps, his anger surfacing. “If it was him, his actions are nothing to do with you.”

  “But Mum—”

  “You were doing what you thought was best. Everyone would have done the same thing in your position.”

  I look up at him sadly.

  “Caleb?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I think I’ve fallen in love with you.”

  It’s clear from the look on his face he wasn’t expecting that.

  “I—” he starts but I cut him off. I’m not finished.

  “But if you don’t want me and everything that comes with me,” I say, gesturing to the devastation around us, “then you need to tell me now, because if this goes on any longer, I won’t be able to walk away from you.” The final part of my statement comes out muffled because Caleb gently places his hand over my mouth.

  “Shut up, you idiot,” he says, dropping forward on to his knees and replacing his hand with his lips.

  When he pulls back, his eyes are dark and his chest is heaving up and down with his increased breaths. He opens his mouth to say something but we get interrupted.

  “Ah, you’re back. We were just popping in to check on the place.”

  When I look up, I see two policemen looking down on us.

  They stay for about an hour, questioning us and going through everything. I tell them all about my suspicions that it was my stepdad and they say they’ll try to pick him up.

  Once they’ve gone, we phone a locksmith and attempt to sort through the flat and write an inventory of what is damaged and completely fucked for the insurance company.

  It’s well after midnight before we call it a day. Caleb orders us Thai takeout, and we sit and eat it out of the tubs on our living room floor, seeing as the sofa cushions have been shredded and had all the stuffing pulled out of them.

  We may be surrounded by chaos but there’s something so calming in this moment. I look up to Caleb to find him already looking over at me. He has a small smile on his face and a glint in his eye.

  “I got interrupted earlier,” he says, placing his now empty tub down on the floor and turning to look at me. “But what I was going to say was that I think I’ve been falling in love with you for a long time now. I was just to pig headed and stubborn to admit it.”

  My heart thuds in my chest, threatening to escape. “Please say that again. I just need to make sure I heard correctly.”

  Caleb’s smile widens as he throws his leg over mine so he’s straddling me. “I,” he says, leaning forward and placing a simple kiss to my lips. “Love.” He kisses me again. “You.” I don’t give him a chance to kiss me this time, because I grab onto him and flip him on his back. I settle myself between his legs, lean forward and kiss him. Here, surrounded by this disaster, I kiss him like it’s the first and last time I’ll ever get the chance. Smashed up flats, fucked up family, hell, the fucking world is forgotten in those minutes as I try to show him just how much I meant those words earlier. Because I do, more than anything. I may not have much to offer him, but love is something I definitely do have. And right there, on our living room floor, I set about showing him properly.

  “I�
��ve never made love to anyone before,” I admit, running my fingertips over his chest and stomach.

  “Me either; it was nice.”

  “It was nice?” I ask, totally affronted by his comment.

  “Yeah, nice.” He rolls over onto his side and looks at me, he can’t contain his smile and bursts out laughing. “Your face! It was incredible, Tay.” He stretches up and gives me a kiss. “Stop pouting, I said it was incredible. Give me your lips.”

  He pulls back after a few seconds, his eyebrows drawn together, deep in thought. “I’ve been thinking…how about we find somewhere new to live?”

  “But you love this place.”

  “Yeah, but it’s mine. I want something we choose together. Plus, it’s never going to be the same now.” I instantly go to apologise again but he won’t have it.

  * * *

  I call work first thing the next morning, explain what’s happened, and tell them I’ll be back in a few days. Thankfully, Simon tells me to take as much time as I need. I don’t intend on taking the piss, but there are a few things I need to sort out—Mum being one of them.

  I discover that the hotel key card that I’d left on my bedside table for her room has disappeared, even more evidence that it was my stepdad.

  “Good morning, Sir. How can I help?” the lady on reception says when I approach.

  “Hi, yeah, there was a Mrs Bentley-Cox staying in room 304. Could you tell me if she has checked out, please?”

  “I’m sorry, Sir. I can’t give details about our guests.”

  “I booked the room; look at the details. She’s my mum and I need to know if she’s gone or not.”

  “Sir—”

  “Please.” I must look pathetic enough that she caves and tells me Mum checked out of her room yesterday morning. Just as I suspected.

  “Oh, hang on, Sir,” the receptionist says as I turn away. “There’s a note to say she left something here for you.”