Balance (The Balance Series Book 1)

by Janelle Stalder

  Strange. He wasn’t one to dwell on thoughts of any girl, but ever since that brief meeting, he’d been having a hard time getting her out of his mind. It was seriously starting to put him on edge. What the hell was wrong with him?

  Kellan turned down the music, looking at Caleb in the rear-view mirror. “So what did you think of the little intern today?”

  Caleb pressed his lips together. Somehow Kellan always seemed to voice the things that others were thinking about around him. He didn’t know if it was coincidence, or if it was one of his brother’s preternatural gifts. Either way, it pissed him off.

  Caleb shrugged.

  “I haven’t met her yet,” Collin said, turning inward in his seat.

  “She’s pretty. Isn’t she, Caleb?” He was looking at him again, his grey eyes watching closely.

  What the fuck was his problem?

  “She’s pretty,” he agreed, just to shut him up. Pretty didn’t seem to suffice. The girl was – beautiful. Caleb grimaced at the thought. He’d never thought of anything in the world as beautiful, other than his mother.

  Vivian French was a puzzle. The moment he had met her eyes, something inside him had awoken. A sensation he had never felt in all his years. As though he’d taken his first breath of air. It had made him both angry and curious about her. Still he couldn’t stop wondering about the tiny human.

  “Unfortunately she’s not really my type,” Kellan was saying, garnering Caleb’s attention.

  “Why’s that?” Collin asked.

  “Too timid. She’d be perfect for you though,” he said to their middle brother.

  “We haven’t gone out and enjoyed some mortals in a while,” Collin said, facing forward again. “Maybe we should arrange something. Tell them it’s your birthday or something, and go out to party.”

  “I will never turn down a chance to party,” Kellan said in a serious voice. “What about you, little brother?”

  Caleb looked out the window, bored with their conversation. He wished they would just stop blabbering so he could be alone with his own thoughts.

  Thoughts of her.

  “What about me?” he asked.

  “Are you going to come out with us? Get a little action?” Kellan said.

  “Count me out.” He hated participating in stupid human customs. Alcohol just dulled the senses, and he liked to have full use of his. The loud music in bars and clubs simply irritated him. He missed the days of soft jazz and quiet atmospheres.

  “Why do you even bother asking him?” Collin said.

  “Because, you never know, he might change his mind.”

  “I won’t,” Caleb said.

  “You might.”

  I pulled into the parking lot feeling prepared for another day. I was less nervous this morning since I had already made friends, and proved I could handle the work they gave me. I could only hope that I would keep this feeling of confidence throughout the day, regardless of who talked to me.

  Murray shot me a big smile as I walked in the doors.

  I should bring him a coffee tomorrow morning, I thought to myself.

  Lily came in shortly after me, and I told her about the incident after she’d left the day before. At first she laughed at me, and then she displayed genuine shock when she heard that Caleb had been there, and had actually stood there with the two of us.

  “That is so unusual,” she said, shaking her head. “Usually he just walks by everyone. He’s pretty hot, isn’t he?” she asked, smiling. “In that mysterious, scary sort of way.”

  I shrugged, turning around to my computer. She snickered behind my back. My indifference was clearly not convincing. Ashley didn’t believe me either when I tried the same act on her at ten. I ignored them both and continued with my work.

  I wasn’t going to let either of the Banks’ boys get to me. Doing my job here was my main focus; that and making a good name for myself. I didn’t want to get involved in any office gossip or scandals.

  By midmorning I was well on my way to fully grasping the way things worked around the office.

  The rhythmic hum of the copy machine practically sent me into unconsciousness as I stood there feeding it what felt like a hundred papers. Just as I finished I heard someone behind me clear their throat. Startled, I watched in horror as the whole stack dropped, papers flying in all directions.

  Long fingers flashed by me, gathering the papers up before I realized what happened. They handed them back to me and continued to walk away. I stood there in shock, watching as his lean form disappeared from sight.

  He hadn’t actually looked at me again with those piercing blue eyes, but his mere presence seemed to have the same effect as if he had. I didn’t even like Caleb Banks, I reminded myself, shaking out of my daze. I felt a little bad for not saying thank you, but then again he hadn’t given me the opportunity.

  If he could be rude, so could I.

  I sat back down at my desk and brushed off the whole incident. Ashley just raised one eyebrow at me, but didn’t ask. At noon, we all walked in silence to the cafeteria and grabbed our lunch. Just as we sat down, Kellan appeared at our table with what must have been Collin beside him.

  Collin had a rounder face than the other two, but his hair and eyes were a similar colour to Kellan’s. He also had that same satisfied look on his face like Kellan, but with less mockery and more genuine friendliness. I remembered him instantly from the night I was almost run over. His smile was identical to the one he had worn in the passenger seat that night. I looked down quickly hoping Kellan wouldn’t mention my odd behaviour the evening before.

  “Hello, ladies,” he said.

  Both Lily and Ashley sat up straighter, as the boys waited for one of us to reply. I was determined it wouldn’t be me. Finally Ashley spoke up in a calm voice.

  “Hey, Kellan, what’s up?” she asked so naturally that I almost envied her.

  “Not much, we just wanted to come by and say hi. Collin wanted to meet the new intern,” he said grabbing my attention.

  Damn. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t already met me when I almost dented the front end of their Mercedes. Kellan was probably doing this to embarrass me. They both were, I thought again. Looking at their two faces, I knew I was right. I felt like a kid sister being picked on by her older brothers. It was so unfair. I smiled weakly at Collin and nodded my head in hello.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Vivian,” Collin said, his voice a bit raspier than Kellan’s. I smiled again, finding my own voice had chosen to fail me, as usual.

  “Well, if you girls are free this weekend, we’re going to that new club that opened up downtown for my birthday, and you’re all more than welcome to come,” Kellan said, smiling at Lily.

  The girls both showed interest in the idea and said they’d think about, but I kept quiet. Thankfully they finally walked away and it felt as though I could breathe again. All three of us let out our breath and laughed at each other.

  “We’re ridiculous, you do realize that?” Ashley said, shaking her head. We chuckled again and started eating. “I can’t believe he invited us out with them. I wonder if that Liam guy will be there, you know the one I’m talking about?” she asked Lily.

  “Yes, he’s Caleb’s friend I think,” she replied. “We’re going to have to get you ladies some fake IDs.”

  Panic flared in my chest. I didn’t want to go to some club with these boys, or worse get fake IDs. I know most kids my age wouldn’t care about something like that, but I knew I would spend the whole evening being deathly afraid that someone would figure it out and kick me out in front of everyone. It was quite possible I’d die of embarrassment. Lily held her hand up as I began to object.

  “Don’t start, Vi. I don’t want to hear it. Kellan Banks just invited you to his birthday party, and there is no way you are not going. I know someone who makes excellent fake IDs, so it won’t be an issue. I will physically drag you there if I need to, so don’t tempt me,” she threatened.

  My shoulders slumped in defea
t. I didn’t even have an outfit for something like this. It looked like I’d have to call Blake before this Saturday. Maybe Amanda could come with me. It would definitely make me less nervous having her around.

  “Do you think you could get one for my friend too?” I asked.

  Lily looked absolutely thrilled that I wasn’t arguing, and agreed if we got her our pictures she’d have them to me by Friday. The two of them started to babble in excitement, most of it too fast for me to catch. As they talked, I felt that sensation when someone is staring at you, and turned to see Stacey and her sidekicks shooting daggers our way.

  “I wonder if he invited them too,” I said. Lily and Ashley looked over and smiled.

  “I doubt it,” said Ashley. “No one likes those girls.”

  The rest of our day flew by and before I knew it I was home and in the comfort of my bedroom. I called Amanda right away and told her about the plans for Saturday.

  “Are you kidding me?” she screamed over the phone. “I’m so pumped! Let’s go to the mall tonight and get outfits and photos done at that booth they have there.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” I agreed. “I’ll come by and pick you up in ten minutes. Call Blake and tell him to be ready too. We’ll have dinner there.” We hung up and I quickly changed my clothes for my shopping trip.

  “My picture is awful,” I complained as we headed to the coffee shop by the food court.

  “It’s supposed to be awful, it’s your driver’s licence,” Blake pointed out.

  I sighed, shoving the tiny photo in my purse. “I guess so.”

  “I need you to tell me all about these boys,” Amanda said, a certain extra hop in her step as she walked.

  “There’s not much I can tell you,” I said, looking to Blake for support. He shrugged his shoulders, helpless to explain Amanda’s enthusiasm. “I don’t really know them, other than what the girls at work have said.”

  “Well you’ve talked to them, haven’t you?” she asked, paying the lady at the cash.

  “Briefly,” I grumbled, moving up the line to place my order.

  “Getting you to talk about guys is like pulling teeth, I swear,” she huffed.

  “They’re…” I tried to think of something to say. It was hard to put into words what the Banks boys were like. They had a certain air about them that was different than most people. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. “Well, Kellan is pretty cocky,” I managed.

  “I hate those kind of people,” Blake said with a frown.

  I tilted my head side to side. “Yeah, it’s pretty annoying. But at the same time he’s playful, so it’s not as bad. If that makes any sense?” I grabbed my order and we started walking again.

  “Okay, and the other brothers?”

  “Collin seems the nicest,” I said confidently. “He’s has a genuine warmth about him.”

  “Hold on, ladies,” Blake said, grabbing my arm to stop me from walking. “I see that new book I wanted. Wait here.” We watched as Blake ran across the hall to the bookstore.

  “He has the attention span of a fly,” Amanda muttered.

  I nodded.

  She looked to me. “Do you like any of them?”

  My head snapped in her direction. “Any of who?”

  She laughed. “Who are we talking about, Vi? The Banks boys, do you like any of them?” She held out her hands. “Just so I know if I’m stepping on your territory, of course. I don’t want to fight over some guy.”

  I scrunched up my nose. Amanda and I had never fought over a boy. I couldn’t even imagine doing so. Her friendship meant way more to me than some crush ever could.

  “Definitely not,” I said, just as clear blue eyes filled my mind, mocking me as they silently called out liar.

  I did not like Caleb Banks. That was simply not possible. Yes, he was insanely good looking, but he was also cold and rude and….a Banks! That alone was reason enough to stay as far away as possible from him.

  “Are you sure?” Amanda said, her mouth tipping up in a knowing grin as she watched me closely.

  Sighing, I headed to the bench, plopping down. We might as well get comfortable, because knowing Blake he was going to be in the store forever. Whenever he said he just needed to grab one thing, it always became ten.

  “I guess…” I bit my lip, trying to figure out how to confide in my best friend. “It’s not that I like him,” I said. My fingers toyed with the plastic lid on my coffee cup. “He just…somehow he manages to be in my mind a lot. I can’t explain it.”

  Amanda chuckled. “It sounds to me like you’re attracted to this guy, and just can’t admit it.”

  I shrugged, pouting. “There’s no denying he’s attractive. The whole family is. But there is something different about him. He’s so rude, and he gets under my skin to the point where I just want to tell him to go to hell.”

  “And yet?” she prodded.

  “And yet…at the same time I can’t help but want – something else as well. I don’t even know what it is. I can’t explain it.” It was useless. I literally had no idea what I was doing when it came to boys, or how to express my feelings.

  “Are we talking about Kellan then? He is the rude one, isn’t he?”

  I took a deep breath, letting it out in a huff. “No, not Kellan. Caleb.”

  “Caleb? Is he the younger brother?”

  I nodded.

  “Interesting,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows. “Vivian French has a crush. Someone alert the media.”

  “Shut up,” I said, nudging her with my shoulder. “I do not have a crush. Aren’t you listening? The boy is so rude, Mand. Like, seriously cold and snobby.”

  “Yeah, that can be annoying. You know what they say though, there’s a fine line between love and hate. As much as you think you can’t stand this guy, it can just as quickly turn around.”

  “I doubt it,” I muttered.

  “You never know, Vi. To be honest though, I’m just happy you’re finally looking at guys again. After that last disaster of a relationship, I was starting to think you were scarred for life.”

  I looked at her with a sad smile. “I’m fine, really.”

  “I know you are. But as your best friend, it is my job to make sure you don’t become a crazy cat lady.”

  We both laughed.

  “I appreciate you having my back.”

  Amanda threw her arm around my shoulder as we watched the other shoppers passing by. “What are friends for?” she said happily.

  I pulled into work the next day, excited to tell the girls what I had bought the night before. A sleek, black Mercedes pulled in beside me, so close I didn’t think I’d be able to get out. Why couldn’t people learn to park properly?

  Slowly, I squeezed myself out of my car, desperate not to hit the other one with my door. I reached in and grabbed my purse, gingerly trying to pull it through too. I swear, I was starting to sweat as though I were Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible. Except, instead of hanging from ceiling, I was simply trying to not dent the expensive car beside me.

  From the driver’s side of the other car, Caleb Banks stepped out smoothly, without one look in my direction. My irritation increased immediately. I should have known, only he would be this rude. Finally I managed to shimmy my bag out and slammed my door shut. As I approached the front door, Caleb held it open for me, again without so much as a glance at me. I walked through without an acknowledgment or thank you, and stalked off to my desk.

  Why did he have to be so aggravating?

  Lily was thrilled that I had gone to the extent of getting photos and an outfit for the weekend. Blake had picked a black, satin dress for me that came up around the neck and ballooned out. I had decided against buying high heels, to Blake’s dismay. Mostly because I didn’t want to look too dressed up, but also because I was not good in those female devices of torture. Ballet flats would make the dress look a little more casual anyway, and then I wouldn’t be crippled by the end of the evening – if I lasted that long.


  I was still super nervous about the whole thing, but Amanda’s excitement and the other girls’ was starting to wear off on me.

  By mid-morning I was in dire need of some caffeine, so I headed to the cafeteria to grab a coffee. As I stood in line, I thought back to the morning and my brief encounter with Caleb. Now that I thought about it, the expression that had been on his face right as he stepped out of the car had actually looked amused. I couldn’t be sure, because my memory wasn’t the greatest, but I could have sworn he had a slight smile playing on his lips before he walked away from me.

  There seemed to be something with the Banks boys and torturing me.

  As I waited, I considered it further. Maybe I was wrong. Why would he have done that to me on purpose? The first thing Lily and Ashley had said about Caleb was that he ignored everyone, so why would he pay me attention?

  Even if that attention happened to be annoying me to death.

  While tossing both ideas around in my head, I didn’t realize it was my turn to pay. I was so out of it that it took me a good minute to try to find my change in my wallet. Before I could scrounge out the two dollars and sixty cents, a thick arm dressed in crisp, expensive fabric flashed by my face. A woodsy, male scent surrounded me as I felt the person standing close to my back.

  “I’ll get that,” a deep voice said, handing the cashier a bill before walking away.

  I looked around, surprised. Caleb was already disappearing around the corner before I could even register what had happened. The lady behind the counter just shrugged and handed me my drink.

  When I got back to my desk, I slammed into my seat with a huff.

  “What happened now?” asked Lily.

  I shook my head as if to say ‘nothing’, and got back to work.

  “Oh, come on,” whined Ashley. “Nothing funny ever happens to us, unless you’re around. Tell us.”

  I glared at the both of them.

  “I just don’t understand what his problem is,” I burst out. The last couple of days had finally taken their toll on my patience.