Unconditional

“Yes, of course, I’ll be back. I don’t like that I have to leave you at night, but it’s really important.”

“Superhero stuff?”

He smiles and nods, that twinkling in his eye that makes me think that he is really made of magic. He’s the handsomest boy I’ve ever seen. “Superhero stuff.”

“Can I come too?” The shiny silver of his badge catches my eye and I reach out and run my finger over the metal.

“No, too dangerous for you. But you’ll stay with Aria, okay?”

“Will you wake me up when you get back?”

“It’ll be very late.”

My lip trembles and the tears form in my eyes. “Please? I want to know that you came back.”

“I’ll always come back, Maddie. I promise.”

“If you don’t, I’ll be all alone. Who will take care of me?” I lower my chin sadly as the tears slip down my face.

“You’ll never be alone.” He shakes his head at me and lifts my chin, wiping the tears from my eyes. “I’ll wake you up when I get in, alright?”

“You promise?”

“Promise.” He taps my nose and pushes his index fingers into my cheeks trying to get me to smile, and I do after a few moments, breaking out into a full-on grin and then a laugh as he stands up. He waves at me before he’s gone out the front door. I run to the window and watch as he pulls off, waving at him the entire time as he disappears into the night.

I peek my head out the window and I see the usual cruiser sitting just off the driveway. I grab my phone and dial the number I know by heart and I’m instantly irritated when he doesn’t pick up the phone. He knows I worry when he doesn’t answer, and I know sometimes he physically can’t, but I’m pretty sure this is not one of those times given that he just left the house. So not only am I the worried girl I’ve always been when I can’t reach Cal, but now, I’m the worried girl who thinks it’s because he’s ignoring her after what happened earlier. My phone comes to life in my hands and I eagerly answer it. “You left without saying bye? Are you joking?” I snap as soon as I answer.

He sighs and I can hear the hum of the engine, making me think that we’re on speakerphone. Shit, I have no idea if anyone is in the car with him.

“I’m sorry, Maddie. It was an emergency and I knew you were sleeping.” He pauses and then continues. “I’m alone in the car.”

I nod like he can see me. “Are you coming back?” I whisper, my memories weighing on me like a ton of bricks.

“Always.” The one word seeps into my bones and warms me after all of his coldness today.

“Will you wake me when you get in?”

“It’ll be late.”

“You know I don’t care.”

“Maddie…”

“What, Cal? So, you go to your very high-risk job without so much as a goodbye and now you won’t wake me up when you get home safe? I didn’t agree to those terms,” I sass.

“Fairly certain the terms changed today,” he grumbles and it feels like a punch in the gut.

“Is that what this is about?”

“What the hell else could it be about, Madeline? I can’t believe I let that happen. It can’t happen. Never again.”

My hand tightens around my phone and my pulse quickens in response to the anger coursing through me. “And you had to do this over the phone? What, you couldn’t face me?”

“Not at the moment, no.” I don’t say anything and the silence between us stretches to what feels like a full minute. Would things be awkward between us after what happened? “I don’t want you going out.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s already late.”