He got me a hamburger, and I ate it quietly while we mingled with everyone—well, while he mingled. Everyone flocked around him. I realized it wasn’t just his perfect looks or his popularity that made people want to be around him—it was his charisma. He was so…genuine.
Caleb was like the sun. He was so warm, so big and bright that you couldn’t help but come closer. But what would happen if I got too close?
“Caleb,” a female voice purred.
I turned to see the blond girl who’d reminded me of an alien sashay toward Caleb.
“Daidara.”
Was that what they named them on their planet nowadays? The familiar way Caleb smiled at her made my stomach roil. It was obvious they had slept together.
So what? Caleb was a womanizer. It shouldn’t surprise me. But my heart suddenly felt heavy, and I wanted to go home. I climbed back up to the bridge to look for my clothes, but I couldn’t find them anywhere, so I went to where Caleb had parked his motorcycle. I’d just wait for him there until he was ready to leave.
A number of vehicles were parked nearby, and people were milling around them. Across from me was a group of college guys leaning against a blue truck. They laughed among themselves, but one of them caught my attention.
He didn’t join in their laughter, strumming a song on his guitar instead. His head was bowed low, caught in the music. Then he looked up, his head turning in my direction.
It was too dark to see his face clearly, but I could tell he was looking at me. Something about him compelled me to look back. He tilted his head to the side, as if waiting for me to say something. I turned my eyes away.
I crossed my arms, feeling a little cold and wishing Caleb would finish up.
“Looks like you need this,” a raspy masculine voice said from behind me.
I turned around and blinked at the heart-stopping face. It was the guy with the guitar. His features were sharp and beautiful, and his smile was crooked as he casually reached for my hand, turning it palm up and placing a blue towel there.
Someone shouted, and he looked over his shoulder. He shouted back before facing me again. “I’ll see you around, Angel Face,” he said. Then he jogged back to his friends, his guitar slung behind his shoulder.
That was how Caleb found me. He frowned as he turned to look at the guy who had given me the towel. When he turned to face me, his eyes were cold.
“Cover up, will you?” he muttered.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
He shrugged, grabbing the towel from my hands and handing me my clothes. I put them on silently. Caleb walked around me, and I had a feeling he was blocking the guys from looking at me while I got dressed.
“Let’s go,” he said bluntly.
He swung onto his bike, looking dangerous. He wasn’t smiling anymore. My good mood evaporated.
I climbed on the bike behind him, awkwardly wrapping my arms around him. He tensed when I touched him, and I quickly pulled away, stung by his reaction.
He stopped me, holding both my arms and wrapping them around his torso. When I felt the heat from his back, I inhaled sharply. I fought the urge to get as far away from him as possible.
The ride was quiet this time. When we got back to his building and rode the elevator together, it was awkwardly quiet. I could feel him thinking. What if he changed his mind and wanted to kick me out now? I didn’t care. I’d leave in a heartbeat. I would live on the streets if need be, or in a shelter. Anywhere.
He entered the code to his apartment. When the alarm beeped green, he opened the door for me, but I didn’t step inside. Throwing a glance at the elevator, I debated whether I should make a run for it.
“Red.”
My breath caught at the look in his eyes. The green surrounding his pupils had deepened, darkened. He stood close enough for me to touch, but he was the one who reached out and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.
“Come inside,” he whispered. “Please.”
Like a snake mesmerized by a charmer, I stepped inside, watching as Caleb closed the door behind him.
I could feel his eyes on me, hear his soft breathing—and the loud beating of my heart. When I lifted my eyes to his, I gasped at the intensity I saw there.
“Thank you,” he whispered.