Falling Completely (Starling Falls #1)

by Aidan Willows

  I stared at her in disbelief, my mouth hanging open. “How did you..?”

  “Oh, Lieutenant Jameson. You should know by now, I know everything that happens in this town.” She straightened some papers on the desk “He’s waiting for you. Also, if that ache in your shoulder gets any worse, make sure you go see a doctor.”

  I stared at her again, secretly wondering if she was a witch or psychic or something.

  “No. I’m not psychic or a witch. In you go. The chief’s got a meeting in twenty minutes.”

  I shook my head as I walked past her desk “Miss Martha, you astound me.”

  “I know, dear. I am pretty astounding.” she said confidently.

  I knocked on the door and waited. “Come in, Caleb.” A deep voice called out from the other side of the door.

  I opened the door to see the Chief Washington signing papers at his desk. Chief Arthur Washington was an older version of his son Andre. Just as tall and broad, he was clean shaven and had a constantly furrowed forehead.

  He and my Uncle were good friends, having grown up on the same street and had played football together at school. He and his family were often at our house for barbeques and parties. Growing up he had been like a second father figure to us and he had been the reason behind me wanting to become a firefighter.

  He definitely didn’t believe in nepotism, if anything the man had trained me and his son twice as hard when we had joined the academy.

  He stood up and came round to give me a hug and firm slap on the back. “You gave us a scare, son. You must have given your Uncle and Aunt a few more grey hairs when they got the call saying you were in hospital.”

  “It looked worse than it was, Chief.”

  “You sure you’ve been cleared for work? The Doc says everything is where it should be?” he asked looking me up and down.

  I laughed “Yes, Chief. Just came from the hospital, got a clean bill of health.”

  “Good to hear, son. Alright, back to work then. I want you to run drills with the candidate. He shows a lot of promise, he’s eager and but too reckless.”

  “Okay, Chief. I’ll work on that with him.” I told him as I left the office. “By the way… Miss Martha…”

  “Oh no.” he stopped me “We never talk about Martha’s abilities.” He looked at me seriously “Ever.”

  Slightly freaked out, I nodded briefly and left the office. I walked past Martha’s desk and smiled at her. “Bye Miss Martha.”

  “She likes Gerber daisies and Oreos.” Martha said not looking up from her paperwork.

  “Pardon?” I turned back and asked.

  “The lovely young woman you want to be your girl. Forget about buying her fancy roses or expensive chocolates. She likes Gerber daises, in different colours, and Oreos.” She looked up and smiled at me serenely before answering the phone, which had started ringing.

  Not having a response to that, I just nodded my thanks and walked back to the bay.

  Hey, at least it’s a better option than standing outside her window with a fucking boom box.

  Chapter 16

  Maliya

  The ladder wobbled and I held my breath waiting to fall to my certain death.

  Death by trying to change a porch light. Certainly would be memorable way to go.

  The ladder stabilised and I breathed a sigh of relief. That could have been an embarrassing situation.

  I removed the light bulb cover and bulb from the fixture and swore when I realised I needed a screwdriver to unscrew the damned screws that held the fixture base to the wall.

  Why can nothing in life ever be easy? Stupid light. Stupid Caleb. We were getting along perfectly fine with our non-functioning porch light. Then in comes Mr Firefighter Man and his grumblings about dangers in the dark.

  The only dangerous thing to have happened on this porch was him dry humping me into oblivion.

  I was wondering if Aunt Trudy actually had a toolbox in the house, when a familiar voice behind me spoke “What the hell are you doing?”

  I let out a small scream and lost balance on the ladder; I braced for the impact of hitting the floor, but found myself being wrapped in a pair of disturbingly comfortable muscular arms, as the ladder clattered on the floor of the porch.

  How can a pair of arms be so hard and so cosy all at the same time?

  “How the hell do you move so quietly? You scared the crap out of me! What are you even doing here Caleb?” I huffed and squirmed, trying to get out of his arms.

  He squeezed me in his arms and placed a kiss on the fading hickeys on my neck before he placed me on my feet.

  “Good morning to you to, babe. It’s Saturday. I told you I would come change your porch light.”

  “And I told you I didn’t need your help, I was doing just fine changing the bulb by myself, until you snuck up on me and took a few years off of my life.” I grumbled.

  I am a strong, independent woman dammit. I can figure out how to change a bulb by myself.

  “Angel, you didn’t even have the ladder braced properly. And you need a screwdriver to change this type of light.”

  “I will have you know, that I had just realised that and was going to go look for one. So you can go now. Bye-bye.” I said walking around him and into the house.

  I stared around the house as I re-entered, wondering where to begin searching for a toolbox. I went upstairs to the empty room Aunt Trudy had been using to store boxes. No luck there.

  I went to the utility room. Nope. I steadily made my way through every room in the house. Seriously lady? How do you not have a freaking toolbox in your house? I sighed and realised I would have to drive to the hardware store to rectify this problem.

  Wait. Does this town even have a hardware store? I sighed again at the thought of having to go on a quest to find a store. Yay. What a great way to spend the day.

  I grabbed my purse, phone and keys and opened the door, stopping abruptly when I saw Caleb on the ladder changing the bulb. Where the hell did he get a screwdriver from?

  I gave myself a second to appreciate the view of the muscles on his arms working, as he screwed the bulb back in place.

  “What are you doing?!”

  “Baking biscuits.” he said curtly.

  “Not funny. I said I didn’t need your help, Caleb.”

  That was actually kind of funny…

  “I’m plenty funny babe. And I heard what you said, I just chose to ignore it. You were being stubborn. You could have been in there a lifetime looking for something I already had in my car.”

  He has a point you know, you can be very stubborn.

  “Shut the fuck up voice.” I muttered quietly

  “Did you just tell me to shut the fuck up?” he asked looking amused.

  “Uhm… no.” I said awkwardly, staring down at the ground.

  He climbed down the ladder and walked over to me with an infuriatingly smug smile on his stupidly handsome face. “All done.”

  “Well. Thanks, I guess.” I stopped not knowing what to say next and judging by the silence on his part, neither did Caleb.

  I was looking around the porch, not wanting to look into his eyes in case they caused me to do something stupid, like try to climb him like a tree, when I noticed two bags near the porch steps.

  “What’s that?” I asked him pointing at the bags.

  “Oh. Right.” He said as he turned to pick up the bags and he thrusted them at me. “Here.”

  I shot him a puzzled look as I opened the bigger bag. I inhaled sharply.

  In the bag was the most stunning arrangement of multi-coloured Gerber daisies in a clear vase. Checking the other bag I saw about ten different packages of Oreos, in a variety of flavours.

  I let out a small laugh “Did you talk to Niki?”

  He looked confused. “No.”

  “How’d you know these were my favourites?”

  He exhaled in relief “Uhm. A hunch?” I didn’t believe him, but let the subject go.

  Niki is going to b
e getting a long talking to later about minding her own freaking business.

  “Ten packets of Oreos is excessive, Caleb.” I said, as I reached into the bag and took out a packet of Double Stuff Oreos, opened it and stuffed a whole cookie in my mouth.

  He smiled widely “I wasn’t sure which one was your favourite flavour.”

  “All the flavours. All of them are my favourites. You chose well.” I said, with my mouth full, as I offered him a cookie from the packet.

  He shook his head in refusal “I’m not really into cookies.”

  I gaped at him in shock. “See, now we really can’t be friends.”

  He took a step closer “Good thing I don’t want to be friends then.” Oh God. Not this again.

  I took a step back “Caleb. Nothing has changed since Thursday. I’m only here for a year. I don’t want to start anything.”

  “That’s a bullshit excuse babe, and you know it. I’m not asking for forever here. Let’s just go out and see where this goes.” He said twirling a strand of my hair around his finger.

  Would one little kiss be so bad?

  YES! It would be bad. Very bad.

  I have a feeling a kiss from Caleb would be the making out equivalent of eating chips. One is never enough and before you know it you’ve devoured an entire bag and are left with food remorse.

  What the fuck are you talking about?

  Honestly, I’m not even sure any more.

  Caleb’s proximity to me had my mind all jumbled and his playing with my hair was making it hard for me to concentrate.

  I gently pushed his hand away and shook my head “I’m sorry, but no.” I said quietly.

  Caleb exhaled and took a step back “I’m not giving up, Liya. I’ve never been this attracted to any other woman and I know you want me too. That night on the porch when you were screaming my name proved that.”

  “I didn’t scream your name.” No… you just moaned it repeatedly…

  He snorted “I’m sure I could make you scream it. Want to go inside and see?” he asked with a wicked glint in his eye.

  “No! I’m busy… I’ve got to go see someone.”

  “Really? Who?” he demanded as he crossed his arms and frowned.

  I paused, wishing that I knew more people in town. “Uhh… Trudy. I have to go see Trudy. At the nursing home. And I’m running late as it.” I said as I pushed past him and practically ran to get to my car. “So, thanks for the bulb and flowers and cookies. See you. Bye.”

  He remained stood on the porch, looking frustrated yet amused as he shook his head slightly.

  As I put the key in the ignition, I prayed that Daisy would behave herself and start without a problem. Pixie from Jeremy’s garage had come round to look at the car yesterday morning and said she was able to fix the problem, but I hadn’t actually driven her to check that she was working properly.

  I sighed in relief as she started smoothly. I backed onto the road, determinedly avoiding Caleb’s penetrating gaze.

  --------------------------------------

  “Don’t you have any friends your own age to be bothering?” Trudy asked as she put down a set of cards. “Your life must be pretty pathetic if your best option for company on a Saturday is a game of Gin Rummy with your 82 year old grandaunt.”

  I threw down a card and picked up another from the deck. “You were the safer option.” I muttered.

  “I may be old, but my hearing isn’t that bad Malinda. What’s that supposed to mean?” she said as she placed her final set of cards down.

  Damn she is kicking my arse at this game.

  I collected all the cards together and shuffled them, not bothering to correct her.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It must matter if you’re hiding out at a nursing home. Who’re you avoiding, girlie?” she probed persistently.

  I sighed. “Do you actually care?” I asked her tiredly as I dealt out the cards for another round.

  “No. But it beats the gossip around here. Nothing interesting ever happens.” She picked up her cards “This hand sucks by the way, you didn’t shuffle properly.”

  Rolling my eyes, I took the cards back from her and reshuffled them. “There is a guy. Man. Person. He wants to go out on a date or something. He seems intense. He wants something I can’t give him.”

  “Hm. Something you can’t give him? Or something you won’t give him?” she asked me looking up from her cards.

  “Something I shouldn’t give him.” I told her firmly.

  Aunt Trudy looked at me thoughtfully.

  “This man a good guy?”

  “He seems to be.”

  “Is he easy on the eyes?”

  “Yes.”

  “He knows how to kiss properly?”

  “Yes.”

  “He any good in the sack?”

  “We never actually got that far, but I think he definitely would be.”

  “He got a brain in that head of his?”

  “Yes.”

  “He treats you right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well then you’re an idiot if you don’t give him a chance, child.” she said as she started playing.

  “There’s more to it than that. You don’t -” I began but Aunt Trudy cut me off.

  “I’ve been around a lot longer than you. I’ve used every excuse in the book to not get close to people. It doesn’t get you anything apart from lonely. You’re only young once, child. Take every experience life throws at you and then ask it for more. Taking a chance can be scary. But you know what’s scarier? Regret.”

  I looked at Aunt Trudy and was trying to find the words to respond, when my phone chirped. I opened it to see a message from Addie.

  Addie: Hey you! Girl’s night tonight. The Whiskey Jar at 8. Be there or I will come find you and drag you here. Tell Niki she better be here too.

  “That your fella?” she asked me clearing the cards on the table.

  “No. His sister. She wants to go out.”

  Aunt Trudy looked at me “I’m tired, I want a nap. You better get going.”

  I looked at Aunt Trudy and saw her clearly for the first time. Niki was right, there definitely was more to her than meets the eye.

  “I’m starting my new job on Tuesday, but Niki will come see you in a couple of days.” I told her as I stood up, putting on my jacket.

  She looked at me straight-faced “Oh good. The chatty one. I’ll be waiting with bated breath.”

  I laughed “Bye you evil crone.”

  She waved a dismissive hand “Get going already you little harlot.”

  I bent down and gave her a brief hug. “Be good.”

  “Why on earth would I want to do that?”

  Chapter 17

  Caleb

  I walked into the house and kicked off my shoes, the run I’d taken had done little to help the frustration I felt at Liya’s rejection.

  “Don’t you have your own house to go to?” Addie asked as she came down the stairs, in a pair of jeans that were too tight and a top that definitely didn’t have enough material on it. I frowned at her outfit.

  “Yes. But the food there isn’t anywhere as good.” I said, ruffling her hair.

  “Caleb! I hate when you guys do that! It took me ages to get my hair how I like it.” she said as she went over to a mirror on the wall and started to fluff up her hair.

  “Where are you going?” I asked her as she primped herself.

  “Out.”

  “Addie.” I said in a flat voice.

  “Caleb.” she replied mockingly in the same tone of voice I had used.

  I watched her carefully, not saying anything. She rolled her eyes. “Girl’s night if you must know. Didn’t Liya tell you? What’s going between the two of you anyway? Are you together now?” she enquired while applying some red stuff to her lips.

  My curiosity piqued “No. We’re not together yet. Wait. Liya’s going with you?”

  “No. Caleb. Don’t you even think about it!” Addi
e said warningly. “If you crash my girl’s night, I’m going to be pissed off!”

  I smiled at her and started walking to the kitchen. Addie followed me “Caleb! I mean it.”

  “Chill out, Princess. How can I crash your girl’s night? I don’t even know where you’re going.”

  “You better not Caleb. I swear I’ll kick you so hard...”

  Aunt Maggie came out of pantry with some tins and a packet of dried pasta.

  “Caleb. When’d you get here, honey?”

  “Just walked through the door.”