I open up the text message and see it’s from my boss, letting me know he doesn’t need me in this weekend. I shove the phone back in my pocket, wondering why he bothers to let me know. We never work on a weekend, haven’t done since I started at his garage almost eighteen months ago.
There are only three mechanics there, including my boss and his son, Patrick, and work is steady. We have enough to keep us going throughout the week, but not so much that it warrants us coming in over the weekend. I asked him why we needed three mechanics a couple of weeks ago, telling him that Patrick and I would be able to cope. He wasn't getting any younger, so I figured some time off would do him good. He just shrugged, saying you never know when a big contract would come in.
Seeing that my sister is getting impatient, I round the car and climb in. We’re at Penny's house within a couple of minutes, and she wastes no time clambering out of the car and hurrying up the driveway, where she is met by her friend and vanishes behind the front door with not even a goodbye or a thank you.
I know I’ll see her later, and she’ll be all cutesy and irritating as usual, despite her hurry to get away from me now. She’ll spend the next hour or so getting ready and then they’ll sweet talk Penny’s mum into dropping them off at the party. While the party is open to all family members of those who’ve just completed their final year, the parents rarely attend, and I doubt this year will be any different.
The only reason I’m going is because I’m Lizzie’s brother. If it weren’t for being related to her, I wouldn’t have had the perfect excuse to ask Crissie to go out with me. I mean, I probably would have asked her at some stage—the girl intrigues me—but this party presented itself at just the right time.
Putting my pride and joy into gear, I pull away and head towards Crissie's house. My mind goes back to our lunch date two days ago, and I smile as I remember how nervous she was. It took me a while to get her to open up to me, even just a little.
I know she’s an only child and is very close to her parents. She has a huge extended family; I think she said she has upward of forty cousins, mainly on her father’s side, as he is one of eight children himself. She has always lived in Chester and can’t think of anywhere else she would rather live.
In that respect, I’m the same. I’ve always lived in Chester and love the history of the place, but my family is nowhere near as huge as hers. There’s just Lizzie, our parents, a handful of extended family, and me. Lizzie is a pain in my arse most of the time, but I wouldn’t change her for anything.
Taking a left at the traffic lights, I know I’ll be at Crissie’s place any minute. I slow the car as I peer at the house numbers, coming to a stop when I see the house she told me to look out for.
You can’t miss it. It’s the one with the two huge conifers either side of the door and a statue of a lion by the front gate.
Yes, there’s a lion all right, and it’s bloody huge! I recall when she told me about the statue, and it did seem she was a little reluctant to tell me. Now I know why. That thing would embarrass the hell out of me if it was out the front of my house. All we have is a few rose bushes—my mother’s pride and joy—and a perfectly manicured lawn—my dad’s handiwork.
Smiling, I grab my wallet and keys and get out the car. Walking round to stand on the pavement, I look at the house and see the curtain move, and I instantly know I’m being inspected, probably by one of Crissie’s parents.
Suddenly, I feel very self-conscious, and as I look up at the house, I hope Crissie will just appear and save me from going inside. After a few minutes, when that doesn’t happen, I know I’m going to have to grow some balls and go in there.
They’re her parents. Nothing to be afraid of.
Yeah right, who am I trying to kid?
Chapter 4
Crissie
“Crissie, your young man is here.”
“He’s not my young man, Mum. He’s just a friend.”
“A very attractive friend.”
I turn from the mirror and see my mum leaning against my bedroom doorframe, her arms folded across her chest, a small smile on her face as she watches me. Trust the first thing my mum mentions about Caleb is how he looks. I want to object, to tell her she doesn’t know what she’s talking about, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Clearly, I’d be lying, and my mum would know it.
“Don’t tell me you’ve not noticed how handsome that young man is?”
“I guess he’s okay.” Shrugging, I glance back to the mirror and check my makeup for what must be at least the tenth time. I don’t have to look at my mum to know she’s still smiling at me. I’m her baby girl and this is my first official date. How could she not smile. Although, I’m surprised she hasn’t given me the talk yet.
“I’m so proud of you, honey.” I hear her voice break, and I look over at her, seeing her swipe a tear from her eye. Oh no, no, no. It’s taken me forever to get this makeup right. I will not cry and ruin it.
“No crying, Mum. If you cry, I’ll cry, and if you ruin my makeup, I’m moving out.” My words work, and I watch my mum straighten, take a deep breath, and smile again. She walks towards me, and I stand as she takes both of my hands in hers.
“I know you’re sixteen, and you know all this anyway, but please be careful tonight.” Here comes the talk. “I’ve put a little something in your bag, just in case, but go out there and have fun.”
That was the talk? It wasn’t too bad.
My mum squeezes my hand and kisses my cheek as she grabs my bag, securing the strap around my wrist. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I flick the clasp and open on the small silver clutch bag, my face flaming red when I see the square, foil packet.
“Mum, I’m not going to need that. It’s a first date.”
“I know, honey, but I'd rather you keep it, just in case.” My mum sighs and pulls me into a hug. “You’re growing up, Crissie. You’re a young woman now, but you’ll always be my baby girl.”
I know she’s crying again, and I pull away as she quickly turns from me, swiping at her eyes. I smile as I check my appearance one more time, before I hear a knock on the door. I’m about to leave my room when I hear the door open, and two male voices begin to speak.
Shit! Dad has answered the door. This isn’t going to be good. Most dads are protective of their daughters, but mine takes it to a whole new level. If I don’t get down there quick, Caleb is going to do a runner and never look back.
Hurrying out of my room, I stop at the top of the stairs, and as if we were in one of those cheesy American movies, my eyes connect with Caleb’s and the next few minutes are like they’re going by in slow motion.
I begin to walk down the stairs, my eyes never leaving Caleb’s as he smiles at me. I can vaguely hear my dad still talking, but it’s far off in the distance as my feet hit the hardwood floor. I stop briefly, taking in my date’s appearance, and, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say my mouth just started watering.
Perfectly styled dark hair, black polo, and dark jeans are what greets me, along with bright, blue eyes and extremely kissable lips. I know I should say something, anything to get things moving, but all words have failed me. The guy really is handsome, and for tonight at least, he’s my date.
“You look beautiful.” I hear the words pass his lips, but it takes several moments for my brain to realise he’s talking to me, and as soon as I do, I feel the blush on my cheeks as I give him a small smile.
“Thank you, Caleb. You look...” Shit, I can’t say he looks good enough to eat. What can I say? “Nice.” Yeah, well done, idiot. He looks so much better than nice.
Caleb’s smile widens as he takes a step closer to me and extends his hand. I look down at it briefly, before I reach out to take it, immediately feeling better when his fingers close around mine.
I know my parents are just a few feet away, but right now, right here, no one else exists but Caleb and me. I could easily get lost in this moment, until Caleb breaks the spell by speaking with my parents. “I
’ll be sure to have her back no later than midnight, Mr and Mrs Walker.”
“Thank you, Caleb,” my mum replies. “You two have a good night.”
Again, my feet don’t want to move until Caleb gently tugs my hand and we head towards the door. I force my brain into gear as we descend the steps and walk down the path towards his shiny Ford Focus. When we reach it, Caleb turns to me and looks me up and down, and I can see he’s smiling. Suddenly, I’ve never been happier about a dress purchase.
“You really do look beautiful, Crissie. I love the dress.”
I blush again at his words and can tell he has taken a step closer to me. I lift my chin, so I can look at his face, and I gasp at what I see. The smile is gone, and his usually bright eyes are dark as he stares down at me. I can’t look away. His gaze has me under his spell, and, even though we’re stood on the pavement and my parents are probably watching us, there is only one thing running through my mind.
Kiss me.
It’s as if Caleb can read my thoughts as his head lowers and his lips gently press against mine. My head begins to spin, and I feel like I'm floating as my hands fly up and grip his arms to keep me upright.
This is it. My first kiss.
Caleb’s hands come up and hold my face, his thumbs gently stroking my cheeks. I can feel the tension in his arms as I squeeze his biceps, taking a step closer until I can feel his body against mine. I want nothing more than for him to kiss me in the same way I’ve seen in the movies, but he makes no move to change our position, keeping hold of my face as he breaks the kiss.
His expression is softer now. The brightness has returned to his eyes and there’s a soft smile on his lips. It takes what seems like a long time before my breathing evens out and I am able to return his smile.
“I hadn’t planned on doing that until later this evening,” Caleb says as he releases my face and lets his hands slide down my arms to take my own. “I hope you don’t mind that I kissed you?”
The uncertainty I heard in his voice the other day, at school, is back, and I know he is looking for reassurance that he hasn’t moved too fast.
“I’m still here, aren’t I?” I reply with a smile. “Shall we get going?”
Caleb beams at me and lifts my hands to his mouth, placing a kiss across the knuckles. When he releases me, he unlocks his car and opens the door. As I climb inside, I stretch my arm out to stop him closing it.
“Just so you know, Caleb, I’m glad you didn’t wait until later.” I’m amazed at how shy I sound, considering I just let him kiss me on the street, outside my house, in broad daylight, but I’m feeling brave, and that’s something I have a feeling Caleb has brought out in me.
Smiling again, Caleb leans down towards me and whispers, “So am I.” He quickly presses his lips to mine before closing the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts until he jumps in the driver’s side and sets off to the party.
Chapter 5
Present Day
Peering at my reflection, I smile. I remember that day like it was yesterday. The nerves. The excitement. Seeing Caleb all dressed up.
That kiss.
That kiss was so sweet and gentle, and, probably because it was our first, it will always be my favourite of all the kisses we’ve shared over the years.
The feelings I experienced as I stood there looking up at him, as he held my face like I was some kind of precious cargo, was something I didn’t understand at the time. Now, twelve years later, I know exactly what it was that caused my pulse to race and my heart to beat almost right out of my chest.
Love.
My sixteen-year-old self had fallen in love with Caleb Roberts right there on the pavement outside my childhood home. It took me a while to realise that was what I was feeling. I tried to deny it many times; convinced myself I was too young to fall in love. In fact, it took me almost three months before I could admit to myself, and to Caleb, that I loved him, but when I did finally believe it, everything changed for us.
The declaration we made to each other on my seventeenth birthday will always be my fondest memory of our time together. That night, we made love for the first time, and it was sweet and romantic, and Caleb stole my heart again with how gentle he was. I had expected it to be painful, but there was no pain.
All my friends had told me that the first time you have sex, it’s painful, but there was none of that with us. It was only two people coming together as one. Two people showing how much they love each other by trusting the other with their body and soul.
It was in that moment, right then as we lay together, I knew Caleb was it for me. There would never be anyone else I could love as much as I loved him.
Things really couldn’t get any more perfect.
Chapter 6
Crissie
August 2006
My eyelids flutter closed as I fight to stay awake. My body is screaming at me to let it rest, but that’s the farthest thing from my mind. All I want to do right now is just lie here, wrapped in Caleb’s warm embrace as my heart rate comes back down to normal.
I breathe in deeply and then exhale, Caleb’s unique, spicy scent overwhelming my senses. My head is resting against his chest, my hand on his stomach as he gently strokes my back. His touch is gentle, and it’s making me relax completely against him, helping me to even out my breathing.
Opening my eyes, I smile as I spy the bare skin of Caleb’s stomach beneath my fingertips. I flex my fingers and see the muscles contract under my touch as his arm tightens around me, making me shift closer to him. I feel him place a soft kiss against my hair, before he sighs deeply. His free hand reaches over to take mine, linking our fingers together, then resting them on his stomach.
I can’t quite believe everything that’s happened between us tonight. When Caleb asked me to come round to his new flat for dinner, I thought we’d end up with takeaway pizza, or maybe a microwave meal. Caleb cooking for me wasn’t something I had expected.
Up until tonight, I didn’t even know he could cook. Apparently, his mum had insisted he learn for when he moved into his own place, and he had certainly listened to her instructions. The coq au vin and herby mashed potatoes he’d prepared for us were delicious. He’d even gone so far as to light some candles, providing a romantic atmosphere, or so he said.
I don’t know if it was the atmosphere, the sweet words he’d said to me as we watched TV, or the impromptu dance to one of Cal's favourite bands, Lonestar, in the middle of his living room that inspired me to tell him how I feel, but whatever it was, the moment felt right.
I hadn’t planned on telling him I love him tonight. I’d been terrified he wouldn’t feel the same and decide to end things there and then, but he hadn’t. Instead, he’d just looked me right in the eyes, smiled, and told me he loved me too.
All I could do was look at him as the tears slipped from my eyes, before he gently kissed them away. His tender actions tugged at my heart, and I’d wrapped my arms around his neck and told him to love me. After asking me several times if I was sure, I finally convinced him I had never been more certain of anything. Caleb had led me to his bedroom and proceeded to do as I’d asked.
Now, we’re lying here, as naked as the day we were born, and I have never felt so happy. My heart is full to bursting, and I know that’s because of the man whose arms are wrapped around me.
“I never knew it could be like that.”
I hear Caleb’s words and shift slightly so I can look up at him, seeing him peering down at me. “What do you mean?”
“So special. So overwhelming. The connection between us was so strong. I’ve never felt anything like that before. It’s like you were meant for me.”
I feel my skin flush at his words as I tilt my face up and place a kiss against his jawline.
“Well, I have nothing to compare it to, but it felt pretty special to me too.” I see him smile slightly, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“I wish I’d waited like you did. I mean, I’ve only bee
n with two other girls, but right now it still feels like it’s two too many.” He returns his eyes to mine, his expression sad. Pushing up onto my elbow, I pull my hand from his and cup his cheek. The beard he has only recently decided to grow is rough against my fingers.
“I don’t care about that, Caleb. It’s all in the past.”
“I guess you’re right. It’s the past. You’re my future, Crissie.”
For the second time that night, tears begin to stream down my face. How can it be possible to have such strong feelings for someone after only three months? My heart feels like it’s about to burst with how much love I have for this man.
I’m his future, and he’s mine.
All I can do is look at him, the lump in my throat preventing any further words from leaving my mouth. The tears slip silently down my cheeks as Caleb leans in and presses his lips to mine. I close my eyes and move my hand behind his neck, pulling him forward so I can hold him against me. I need him as close to me as possible right now, if only for reassurance that he really is here.
I tangle my fingers in his hair and tug, hearing his answering groan as he shifts position, pressing me into the mattress. My body comes alive as I let myself get lost in Caleb Roberts.
Chapter 7
Crissie
“Good luck today, honey. Call me when you know.”
“Will do, Mum. Love you.”
“Love you, too, Crissie.”
I smile at my mum as I leave the house and practically skip down the path towards the waiting Focus. Caleb is leaning against the car looking delicious as ever in black jeans and a white t-shirt that shows off his athletic physique. I’m slowly getting used to my reaction to him. It’s one that never gets old and always puts a smile on my face.
Takes You Page 3