I felt his eyes on me the whole time I was pulling clothes out of my dresser. The blush worked its way up from my toes all the way to my head. I still wasn’t used to having a guy see me naked. I got my panties and pants on without a problem, but my bra and shirt were another story. Caleb saw me struggling to snap my bra and walked over to take it from me. “Here let me help.”
He slowly helped me get my shirt over my head and gently pulled my arms through. He looked up at me, “Let’s get this wrist rewrapped and put some ice on it.”
We moved out to the living room. He went to get some ice out of the fridge, wrapping it in a dishtowel. He sat down on the couch next to me, and held the ice to my wrist.
“This isn’t your first time dealing with a sprained wrist,” I guessed.
“Not exactly,” he said shaking his head. “I’ve probably had at least three. By tomorrow, the swelling will have gone down and it won’t be as painful to move around.” His fingers lightly grazed my knuckles.
“That’s a start, now I just have to worry about the bruises.” I sighed. “I’m hoping by next Monday they’ll be light enough for me to cover them with makeup.”
There was a sadness in his eyes as he looked at the bruises. He ran his lips lightly over the side of my face. “No matter what, you’re still beautiful.”
I smiled at him. The ice had started to melt through the dish towel, so Caleb got up and dumped the remaining pieces and the towel in the sink. He walked back into the living room, sat down next to me again, and helped me wrap my wrist. “Angie, how would feel about staying at my place for the rest of the week? That way we can have privacy, and you wouldn’t have to worry about anyone on campus seeing you until next Monday.”
I hadn’t thought about that. I really didn’t want anyone to see me if I could avoid it, but was I comfortable staying at Caleb’s? We’d slept in the same bed twice and showered together, and Caleb hadn’t tried anything either time. He always let me decide how far to take things, so surely it wouldn’t be any different at his place?
I looked over at him. “Are you sure I won’t be in the way?”
He pulled me to him so that I could rest my head on his shoulder. “How many times do I have to tell you? I want to take care of you.”
I nodded my head. “Okay.”
“Well let’s go pack you some clothes for the week and get the hell out of here.”
I smiled at his enthusiasm. I knew he was trying to make me forget about everything for a while, and I loved him for it. I needed to get my mind off of what happened and work on moving on. I’d been doing it alone my whole life, but now I had someone to help me.
We packed up my clothes and headed out to the car. Thankfully it was spring break so there was no one around when we walked outside. When we got to Caleb’s apartment, he carried my bag inside while I followed behind.
He put my bag in his room, so I sat down on the sofa and waited for him to come back out. “Baby, do you need anything? I was going to run to the grocery store if you don’t mind. We didn’t expect to be here this week, so there’s not really anything to eat.”
“No, I’m good.”
“Are you going to be okay for a little bit?” he asked.
“I’ll be fine. I might watch TV or take a nap while you’re gone,” I assured him.
He bent down and kissed the top of my head, I don’t think he wanted to kiss me on the lips for fear he would hurt me…at least I hoped that was why. “I’ll be back soon.”
He grabbed his keys off of the counter and out the door he went. I turned on the TV and lay down on the couch to watch some crap reality TV. It wasn’t long before I fell asleep again.
When I woke up, I was a little disoriented. The last thing I remembered was watching TV, but now I was in bed. I looked around, trying to figure out where I was. Realizing I was in Caleb’s room, I heard the door open and looked up to see him standing in the doorway. He smiled at me when he saw I was awake, and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed.
“How was your nap?” he asked, as he picked up my wrist to look at it.
“Good, I guess. How did I get in here?”
He shrugged. “When I got back from the store, you were asleep on the couch but you didn’t look very comfortable, so I carried you in here.”
I sat up and wrapped my arms around his waist and cuddled into his embrace. “What did I do to deserve you?” I mused.
“I think you have that backwards.” He squeezed me tighter. “Are you hungry?”
I thought about it and realized I was starving. I nodded. “How long have I been asleep?”
“A while, it’s about five-thirty.”
I pulled away from his embrace. “Holy shit, how did I sleep that long?”
He cupped both sides of my face and I saw that the sadness had returned to his eyes. “I think that your body was trying to help itself heal.”
I felt the tears building up. “You’re probably right.”
He kissed my forehead and stood up with his hand out. I put my hand in his and he helped me up. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat. I made dinner.”
He led me out to the kitchen, where he already had dinner waiting on the table. I had to smile at how thoughtful he was. It was a new feeling for me—to have someone taking care of me for a change.
We ate dinner and talked about the most trivial of things. Caleb hadn’t mentioned my dad again, and I was thankful for that. I wasn’t really sure if I was ready to talk about everything. I’d told him most of the story last night, but I was sure he had questions—ones he didn’t want to ask until I was ready.
When we finished dinner Caleb still wouldn’t let me do anything, so I sat and waited for him to finish cleaning up while I iced my wrist again. Once Caleb had put everything away, we decided to watch a little TV. Even though I had slept most of yesterday and today, I found myself nodding off against his shoulder.
“Come on, sleepyhead, let’s get you to bed,” he said as helped me up off the couch.
I yawned. “I don’t know why I’m still so tired.”
“I think you’ll feel better in the morning. You just need a good night’s sleep,” he assured me.
We went into Caleb’s room and I felt a little nervous about sleeping in his bed. The first time I’d slept in a bed with a guy was the night he stayed at my apartment. But this was his room, his bed. What did this mean for us? He pulled off his t-shirt and jeans, and headed to the bathroom. While he was in the bathroom I went through my bag, looking for the pajamas I’d packed. I found them and changed quickly before Caleb came back into the room.
When I came back from the bathroom, Caleb was already in bed, and the covers were pulled back ready for me to climb in. Caleb opened his arms and I immediately climbed into them, laying my head on his chest. He pulled my bad wrist across his chest.
He kissed me on the top of my head. “This is my new favorite way to sleep.”
I smiled and closed my eyes, and it wasn’t long before I was asleep.
The next few days were the same—get up and sit around while Caleb waited on me hand and foot, then at night I would fall asleep in his arms. I slept better with him next to me than I had in years.
As much as I loved how caring and thoughtful Caleb was being, I also felt like I should be doing something to help around the apartment. Every time I tried to do something he would steer me back to the couch, telling me to sit down and relax.
By Tuesday I was able to move my wrist without a lot of pain, and the bruises were starting to turn a greenish color. The cut on my lip was healing as well. By Wednesday morning I was finally starting to feel comfortable in my own skin again.
Caleb was in the kitchen making breakfast when I heard my phone go off. I’d left it charging in the bedroom, so I gave Caleb a kiss on the cheek before walking down the hall to grab it off of the nightstand.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Is this Angelina Powers?” the voice on the other end asked.
> “Yes, who’s this?”
“Miss Powers, this is Officer Simons. I took your statement at the hospital the other day,” he said.
“Okay…”
“I’m calling to talk to you about your father.”
I sat down on the edge of the bed. “What about my father?” I asked nervously.
“Well, Miss Powers, your father had his bail hearing yesterday. He pleaded not guilty, and was able to post bail this morning,” he responded.
I felt the blood drain from my face. “What…what do you mean? He got out?” I stuttered.
“I know that this isn’t exactly the news you wanted to hear. Unfortunately since this was his first offense, the judge believes he isn’t a flight risk,” he explained.
“He can’t be out,” I whispered.
“If it were up to me he would be locked away for the next ten years. Angelina, please remember that if you need anything, you have my number, so please give me a call. You might have to testify, but I will contact you if that is necessary. The restraining order is still in place, so if you see your father within 100 yards of you, please call the police,” he reminded me.
After hanging up with Officer Simons I sat there, unable to move or speak. My fear was getting the best of me—fear that my father would somehow figure out where I was and come for me. Somewhere in the back of my mind I’d known Caleb would eventually come looking for me.
I heard him call out, but it wasn’t until he kneeled down in front of me and cupped my face with his hands, that I snapped out of it.
“Angie, baby, what’s wrong?” Caleb asked with a worried frown.
I finally realized that I was shaking and there were tears rolling down my face. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him to me. When I still didn’t answer him, he picked me up and lay me down on the bed next to him. He just held me, stroking his hand up and down my back in a comforting gesture.
I felt myself start to relax in his arms. I turned so I was face to face with him. “They let him out,” I whispered.
He sat up and his eyes flared, “What do you mean ‘they let him out’?” he bit out.
“They…they said that since…since it was his first offense, they didn’t consider him a flight risk so they let him out.” I started to shake again. “And, I might have to testify.”
It took a visible effort for Caleb to calm down and lie next to me. He was trying not to lose it. He pushed my hair behind my ear. “That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. But baby, remember, you don’t have to go back there again.”
The tears started again. “What if…if…if he comes looking for me?”
He pulled me into him. “Oh, baby, I’m never going to let anything happen to you.” He pulled away and looked me in the eye. “I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, and I mean whatever it takes.”
There was no doubt in his eyes, and I felt my whole body relax. That’s when I realized what was happening.
I was falling in love with Caleb Jacobs…and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
I leaned back into the comfort of his arms, as he continued to rub his hand up and down my back.
We lay there for a while, and I tried to come to grips with the fact that my life had completely changed in the last few days. I knew with everything in me that Caleb would protect me no matter what. It was what I did about the rest of my life that I wasn’t really sure about. Where was I going to live once college was over? I didn’t have the money for an apartment, or the time for a full-time job to pay for one. Plus, I wasn’t sure I would be able to face him again if I had to testify.
Even though I had never asked my father for anything, I’d always hoped that deep down he really did love me. It was hard to accept that I’d been wrong. I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t realized how long we had been sitting there.
“Angie, are you alright?” he finally asked.
I looked up at him, “Yeah, I was just thinking about everything.”
“I can see the worried look in your eyes. What else is bothering you?” He said cupping my face with his hand.
I sighed. “Everything. Even when my father was being an asshole, I still never felt alone. I had a home to go to. Sure, most of the time it sucked, but it was still a place for me to go. Now I’m alone and don’t even have a place to call home.”
“How can you think that you’re alone?” he asked incredulously.
“I don’t have any other family,” I said sadly.
“Baby, you are surrounded by people that care about you. Me, Emily, Heather, Jillian, Josh, not one of us is going to let you be alone. You’re staying with Emily this summer remember?” he tried to reassure me.
“I know, it’s just a lot to take in right now, and the thought of having to face him again in court scares me to death,” I admitted.
“The three of us will figure it out when Emily gets back, but I can guarantee that you won’t have to do it alone. Right now, let’s just enjoy the time we have together.” He kissed me before standing and reaching his hand out to help me up.
“Let’s get you something to eat, and then we’ll figure out how to spend the rest of our day,” he said with a smile.
It was hard not to smile back. I loved spending time with him—even if it was just hanging around his apartment.
We went out to the kitchen, and it looked like Caleb had made an entire breakfast buffet. He knew breakfast was my favorite meal. What did I do to deserve a guy like him? I wasn’t sure, but whatever it was, I would do it over again in a heartbeat.
By Friday, Angie seemed to be in a better place. Physically, her bruises had faded to a yellow color, her lip had healed, and wrist was getting better. Emotionally was another story. She was still afraid of being alone, and I knew it would take a lot to convince her that she wasn’t—I would always be there.
When I promised her the other day that I’d keep her safe, I meant every word. No matter what happened, her happiness and safety would always be my first priority. She was amazing and I couldn’t deal with the thought of anything happening to her.
I wasn’t sure if it had happened slowly, or if it was there from the beginning and I was ignoring it. The truth was, I was falling in love with Angie. I never thought I would fall in love. I’d avoided personal connections for the last two years. I also realized that until Angie, I’d never really understood what true love was. The thought of having my heart broken again scared me, but I couldn’t stop these feelings. The more time I spent with her, the more she meant to me.
I hadn’t really kissed her since the night before she was attacked, and I missed the taste of her mouth on mine. I’d been afraid to hurt her earlier in the week, but now that most of her injuries had healed all bets were off. With that in mind I turned my iPod on and headed into the kitchen, where she had finally convinced me to let her do the dishes from dinner.
I walked up behind her and put my arms around her waist. “Hey, baby, almost done?”
“This is the last one.”
I rested my chin on her shoulder and all I could smell was her perfume. She smelled fucking fantastic. I couldn’t help myself and brought one of my hands up to her hair, pushing it to the side and over her shoulder. I trailed my lips down the back of neck. Her skin tasted amazing, and it was killing me having her around all of the time and not touching her. She tilted her head to the side to give me better access to her neck. I started to use my tongue to trace a path up her neck to her ear and she made the sexiest little moan, which had me hard in seconds.
I nipped her ear softly with my teeth, and she turned around and crashed her lips to mine. I pulled her tighter to me and deepened the kiss. The taste of her tongue on mine had me picking her up and carrying her to my bedroom, without breaking our kiss. I gently lay her on the bed and crawled over her. She was so fucking sexy, staring up at me with desire in her eyes.
“I missed this,” I whispered before moving my lips back to hers. I let my tongue slip back into her mouth
and slide against hers.
She pulled away. “Missed what,” she said unevenly.
I leaned back into her until my lips were touching hers. “The taste of your lips, the way your breasts fill my hands perfectly, and the sexy little moans you make.”
“You did?” she asked, unsure.
I slid my hand under her t-shirt and slowly ran my hand up and down her ribs before running my thumb over the underside of her breast. When I moved my thumb up to her nipple and teased it through the thin fabric of her bra, she let out another sexy moan. “More than you know,” I groaned.
I wanted her shirt off, but I noticed she had turned her face away from me. “Angie?”
“I just thought that after what happened, you didn’t want to be with me that way anymore,” she said sadly.
Was she fucking serious? I pulled back and guided her face toward mine with my hand. “Not want you? You can’t be serious? Do you know how hard it’s been to be with you twenty-four hours a day for the last week and keep my hands to myself?”
She looked confused, “So why didn’t you touch me then?”
“I wanted your body to heal, and I didn’t want to hurt you,” I replied honestly.
She smiled then and lifted to press her lips to mine. That was better…well almost—she still had her shirt on. I rolled until she was on top, straddling me. Grabbing the hem of her shirt I pulled it over her head. Her breasts were amazing, the perfect size.
I reached behind her and unsnapped her bra. Slowly, I brought my hands up to her shoulders and slid the straps down her arms, causing goosebumps everywhere I touched. My dick felt like it got harder, just looking at her naked chest. I slid my hand around the back of her neck and guided her lips back to mine. While our lips were still connected, I moved so she was under me, and my hand skimmed across her chest to her breast, lightly rubbing circles over her nipple with the palm of my hand. She bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself making too much noise.
I leaned down to her ear, “We’re alone, so you can be loud if you want to.”
Forgiven (Forgiven Series) Page 15