The last thing I thought I would ever be was a clingy boyfriend.
I dated girls, I hung out with girls, I slept with girls—but that was about it. There was never anyone I was even close to being serious with, and I was fine with that.
Ignorance is bliss and all that crap.
Why did Red make me want more?
I’d finally convinced her to let me drive her to school. Barely. She didn’t give an inch. If she did, she made me work for it. Some mornings I’d find her gone, so I made sure to wake up earlier than usual.
I used to hate waking up early, but now I liked it because there was something to look forward to.
I glanced at her as I drove us to school. I could only see her beautiful profile: the catlike slant of her eye, the slash of her cheekbone, the fullness of her bottom lip, her dark hair whipping in the wind from the open window. And my heart ached a little.
What is it about this girl?
Red tore my world apart, brick by brick, and revealed something more. Something inside me I had long forgotten. Something I yearned for.
“What are you doing after class tonight?” I asked. “And don’t say work because I know it’s your night off.”
When she didn’t respond, I threw her a glance. She was biting her lip, looking indecisive. Her hand was tightly wrapped around her seat belt. I spotted a small cut on the skin of one of her knuckles. I had noticed her skin was sensitive and easily bruised.
My chest tightened.
I wanted to shield this girl.
More than anything in my life.
But why? Why her? Why now?
Was it because she was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen? Was it because she was the first girl to turn me down? Was it because she was a challenge?
I’d seen her wake up early every day, go to school and work, and even though exhausted after a full day, she’d make sure I had something to eat. The light would be on in her room late at night, and I knew she was studying. Through her door, I could hear the soft background music she played, hear her muffled voice as she memorized her notes, but what I never heard was a complaint. Not even once.
She worked hard without expecting much in return, and when she received more than she expected, she was distrustful. It was like watching someone at war with the world every day. And maybe she was. Maybe that was why she’d set her defenses so high, never dropping them for even a moment. Maybe she didn’t even know how to let them down anymore.
She was like a puzzle that was missing a few pieces. Maybe I’d carve my own pieces to complete her.
I was treading dangerous waters, and I was clueless how a real relationship worked, but I was never one to give up easily when I really wanted something. And I wanted a relationship with this girl.
She didn’t want to commit to me. She wanted it slow, so we’d take it slow.
“I’m studying for exams tonight,” she finally answered me.
“What exams?”
I could feel her dark eyes boring into me, and I was reminded of her forceful personality. Sometimes I wanted to protect this girl so much that I forgot how strong she really was. “What’s this about?”
She sounded distrustful. It wasn’t like I planned on eating her tonight.
Well, not yet.
“We have a basketball game tonight. Wanna watch me play?” She hadn’t seen me play before, and I wanted to show off. “They’re also setting up a drive-in theater in the campus parking lot. Come with me,” I said, my eyes shifting from the road to her.
“I don’t know, Caleb…”
She was already giving in. I could hear it in her voice. I gave her a goofy grin. Her mouth twitched. My girl rarely smiled, but when she did, I felt like Superman.
“Don’t you want to show off your boyfriend to the world? Everyone wants my attention, but you get all of it, Red.”
She snorted.
“What a prize you are,” she said sarcastically. “And you’re not my boyfriend.”
People tended to misinterpret me. Just because I was a guy who smiled a lot, that didn’t mean I took everything in stride. I get hurt easily. I’m just really good at hiding my feelings with flippancy.
What she’d just said… That hurt. I didn’t know if she meant it or if she was joking. She must have noticed my change of mood because she turned toward me and studied my face.
“I’m sorry. I was just joking,” she said quietly, her voice apologetic, her eyes beseeching.
How could I be mad at her when she was so sweet? I wasn’t mad anymore, but I wanted her to work for my forgiveness. I always worked harder when it came to her, and I wanted her to do the same for me. I wanted to feel like I was worth it to her.
“Caleb?”
I gave her a small nod, my expression neutral. I couldn’t wait to see what she would do next.
She gently touched my arm, and I felt a jolt when her skin touched mine. She must have felt it too because she pulled her hand away.
“All right, I’m going to your practice, but only if Kara goes with me.”
“Kara?” I raised my brows. Cameron’s Kara?
Red explained how she had met Kara at work, and how they’d bonded and were close friends now. I felt pathetic because I was a little jealous.
I knew Kara through Cameron. When they broke up, Cameron refused to talk about her. Even now, he couldn’t say her name.
“So you’re coming?” I sent her a goofy grin. Her mouth twitched into a smile. I did a fist pump and yelled at the top of my lungs, “Go, Caleb. Go, Caleb, go! Go, Caleb. Go, Caleb, go! Aaaaah! CALEB!”
I would have danced if I wasn’t driving. I had her laughing after my cheer.
I felt like I was flying.
After I parked the car, I climbed out quickly to open her door, but she beat me to it. She started walking away from me like I had leprosy.
“I’ll see you later,” she said over her shoulder. “If Kar agrees, okay?”
She didn’t wait for my answer and opened the entrance to the classroom building. It nearly hit my face as it started to swing closed.
“Wait.” I jogged to catch up to her. I noticed her looking around warily. Was she hiding from someone?
A few students were lounging in the corridors, some in front of their lockers, grabbing and storing books, checking their phones, and others in groups chatting. No one was paying attention to us. What was she worried about?
“I’d like to walk you to your class,” I said.
“No!”
I frowned. “Why not?” Even to my ears I sounded like a petulant child.
“Caleb, I’ll see you later, okay?” Her voice was firm as she waved goodbye and walked away as fast as she could.
Why did I feel like she didn’t want to be seen with me? Was she ashamed of me?
Me—Caleb Lockhart, MVP and most prized catch on campus—shot down by an antagonistic girl.
I knew girls loved to talk about their feelings. Red was the only girl I knew who didn’t. Something must have happened to her to make her wary. Maybe an ex-boyfriend? Just the thought of her having an ex-boyfriend made me want to kill someone.
I’d never been possessive of anyone or anything. I wasn’t a possessive person. Was I?
If not, why did I want to punch that guy’s face when I saw him checking her out as she passed him? I gave him a hard glare so he’d get the message.
Shit, I was definitely possessive of her. First time that’s happened.
It wasn’t like she encouraged me. Far from it. But here I was chasing after her, feeling like a desperate, jealous, insane person. This was getting so messed up.
“Red!” I yelled down the hallway.
She turned to look at me, horrified, and then she started half jogging and half walking away from me. I caught up to her easily.
“Why don’t you want to be seen with me? Are you ashamed of me?” I asked incredulously. I couldn’t, for the life of me, understand her.
And I must have been screwed up in the head, but I loved that. I loved that I couldn’t figure her out, that she was giving me a hard time.
“Everyone is looking!” She gritted her teeth.
“So?”
“So!”
I snatched her backpack from her, wrapped my hand around her arm to keep her from walking away, and scooped her off her feet.
“Everyone!” I yelled in the hallway. “She’s mine. If you touch even a hair on her head, I will hunt you down. Now spread the word far and wide.”
I heard people laugh and cheer. Someone yelled, “You’re the man, Lockhart!”
Red’s eyes were as big as saucers, and her mouth was open in horror.
“What did you do?” she moaned, covering her face with her hands.
“I’m protecting you.”
“Bullshit. You were staking your territory, and I told you how I feel about that.”
I loved it when her eyes blazed.
“You’re mine. Face it.” I put her down.
She eyed me for a moment, still looking like she wanted to kill me, before blowing out a breath and turning away.
I watched her walk away from me.
Would she turn around and look at me?
Was I just kidding myself that there was something more here? Maybe it was all one-sided. Maybe she didn’t feel the same way I did. Maybe I was fooling myself.
I waited. Waited. I wasn’t asking for a whole bucket of water. Just a drop. Just a drop was more than enough. Just one look.
Turn around and look at me.
But she didn’t.
I was about to turn away, feeling a heaviness in my chest, when I saw her stop. She just stood there a second, two, three.
And then she turned, just a little so that I saw her glance at me. There was a small smile playing on her lips before she disappeared down the corridor.
I think my grin almost broke my face.
God, I wanted her. I wanted her like I’d never wanted anything before in my life.
I yearned to be a part of her world. I wanted to be hers.
And after that glance, after that small smile from her, it looked like there would be more. Definitely more. Man, I’m in trouble. It wouldn’t be easy, and I knew the ride would be rough, but that was okay.
She was worth it. I just knew it.
