On the drive home, Simon called Grant to let him know we were leaving early. Apparently, Grant was having a miserable time at home and he was more than happy to leave early. I suspected it was because Sarah hadn't gone with him.
When we got back to Simon's house, Sarah had given up on watching movies and was just moping in her room. She jumped at the chance to go back earlier than planned.
Simon's father was back at the office working again so we weren't able to say goodbye to him. His mother and sister were disappointed we were leaving early but were understanding. I apologized profusely for my forgetfulness. They assured me repeatedly that it was fine, Kendra gleefully reminding us that she would be coming to visit Simon soon.
We packed up our things quickly and soon we were back on the road, having swung by Grant's house to pick him up. The tension was thick in the backseat and the conversation was stilted. I couldn't help saying Simon's name every now and then, just to search his eyes to make sure I could still see his clear blue eyes. It was completely different from the mood of the drive down to Connecticut just a couple of days ago. It was amazing what a few days and some killer shadows could do to dampen a mood.
CHAPTER TWENTY
It was a relief to finally make it back home and escape the tension of the car. It was six o'clock and just starting to get dark when Simon pulled into our driveway. He took my suitcase and Sarah's out of the trunk and bounded up the stairs with them. Sarah and I followed him while Grant grabbed his bag and went into his apartment, slamming the door behind him.
Sarah immediately went to the bathroom after we entered the apartment and Simon set our suitcases by the door. Simon and I stood by the open door awkwardly. All of our easy affection and banter from before last night had vanished. Luckily, I didn't have to worry about Simon wanting to stay because the boys were headed to the East End. Grant had called Joel and told him they were coming home early and asked if he wanted them to play tonight. Joel had jumped at the chance, sorely missing the crowd the band brought in, so Simon had to head down to the bar after dropping us off.
"Thanks for coming home with me this weekend," Simon said, breaking the silence.
"Thanks for inviting me. I had a great time," I replied quietly, staring at the collar of Simon's jacket instead of his eyes. "Sorry that we had to leave early."
Simon reached out to cup my cheek, shifting it gently so that I was looking at him. He smiled at me sweetly. "Don't worry about it. I have enough great memories of this past weekend. A few hours don't matter."
My heart physically ached at his words. Simon was being so sweet and understanding. He didn't realize yet that there would be nothing between us. I couldn't risk putting Simon in any more danger than he already was. My only connection to him would be trying to save him from his vardoger. After that, I would have to sever all ties with him. I had a feeling that it would take more than a fake boyfriend named Bob to make that happen.
"Well, have a good show." I didn't know what else to say.
Simon leaned down and kissed me gently. I knew I should pull away but I promised myself that this would be the last kiss. I wanted one last kiss to remember. I allowed myself to respond and Simon pressed in closer, our lips clinging to each other as he deepened the kiss.
I slowly pulled back and my heart clutched as Simon smiled at me. I wished that he would always look at me with love shining in his eyes, but I knew that was impossible.
"The only thing I'll be thinking about onstage is that kiss."
I bit my lip, not knowing how to answer. Simon brushed my cheek with the back of his hand. "Call me when you're done with your assignment. No matter how late it is."
I nodded, not knowing whether I would call him or not. Even though I couldn't pursue a relationship with him, I still needed to keep in contact with him until I was able to destroy his vardoger.
Simon left, closing the door behind him. Sarah came out of the bathroom and flopped down on the couch, turning on the TV.
"That was one uncomfortable car ride," I said. "How are you?"
Sarah shrugged, flicking through the channels on the television. "I'm okay. I'm just glad to be home."
As much as I wanted to comfort Sarah, I had more pressing things to do. Like try and save Claudia. I had texted Jenny on the drive up, asking her for Claudia's number with the excuse of having everyone over for dinner next week and wanting to invite Claudia. It was a weak reason but Jenny seemed to accept it without question. Probably because she had no reason to think I would lie.
I left Sarah to mope in the living room, watching a sappy movie on Lifetime, and closed my bedroom door behind me. I dialed Claudia's number and nervously waited for her to pick up.
She picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"
"Hi. Claudia?"
"This is Claudia."
"Claudia, this is Caitlin." I sounded tentative and I cleared my throat, trying to sound as normal as possible. "Jenny's friend? Er, Simon's friend too."
"Oh, hi Caitlin!" Claudia's voice brightened with recognition.
"Hi." I wondered how many times I was going to say hi. "I know this is kind of sudden, but I was wondering if we could meet up. There's...something I want to discuss with you, but I think it's best if we meet in person."
"Sure," Claudia replied, but she sounded far from sure. She sounded suspicious and I took this as a good sign. A normal person would wonder why a relative stranger would call up, demanding to see them. Although I had no idea how a vardoger would react, for comparison's sake.
I was relieved that I didn't have to say more to convince her to meet up with me. "Great. Can you meet me on the quad? Do you know where Downing Hall is? We could meet at the steps."