Chasing Red (Chasing Red 1)

He was mine.

Oh God. When did I start thinking he was mine? Caleb was sneaky, slithering unnoticed under my skin, where he’d set up camp and claimed a part of me.

Like a virus, I thought darkly. Caleb was a virus. And he’d better not be thinking of doing anything other than comforting Beatrice-Rose or else…

I cleared my throat to alert them of my presence.

“Red?” Caleb asked.

Yellow. I couldn’t get over it yet.

“Hey. Here’s the first aid.” I handed the kit to him and turned to Beatrice-Rose. “How are you?” She sat on the toilet seat with Caleb kneeling in front of her. He was holding her hands.

I clenched mine. I’d never seen him hold anyone else’s hands except mine. I knew he had to clean her cuts but still. It was unreasonable, but I wanted to pull him away from her.

“I’m better. I’m sorry you had to see that. I’m not usually like that around strangers.”

I nodded. I really didn’t want to see them so close together. “I’ll just clean up in the kitchen.”

Sweeping the floor was a mindless task that gave me room to be alone with my thoughts. I didn’t like it, but I swept the floor twice. Caleb liked to walk barefoot in the apartment, and I didn’t want him to step on broken glass.

“Red?”

I turned around and found Caleb standing beside Beatrice-Rose, his arm wrapped around her shoulders again. She leaned against him, her head lowered so I couldn’t see her eyes.

“I’m just going to drive Beatrice-Rose home. I don’t think she’s in the right condition to drive herself. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

No, it’s not okay.

I ignored him, looking at Beatrice-Rose instead. Whatever game she was playing, I still felt bad about her cuts and what was happening with her dad so I said, “I hope you feel better.”

She looked up and gave me a strained smile.

Caleb stepped toward me. He was removing his arm from Beatrice-Rose’s shoulders when she squeezed his arm, stopping him. He looked at her with exasperation and then sighed.

“Let’s go,” she pleaded quietly. “Please, Cal.”

Before they left, Caleb looked back at me, clearly hesitant.

“I’ll be home before you know it.”

But he wasn’t.

He didn’t come home that night.

Chapter Thirty

Caleb

I should have kissed her goodbye before I left.

This was not good. This was not how I’d imagined my night would go. Damn.

I just wanted to spend the night with Red. Alone. Watch one of those scary movies on “our” list. Order pizza. Kiss her, touch her if she’d let me again. I couldn’t get enough of her.

I wondered if she was one of those girls who covered their eyes and squealed while watching horror movies. Or did she stay silent, staring at the screen unblinkingly. Whatever her reaction was, I wouldn’t be finding out tonight.

I glanced at Beatrice-Rose, who stared out the passenger window silently, a small smile on her lips. “Are you feeling better?”