My heart stops. No. No, no, no. Stacy has long, black hair. Could it be? No, it couldn’t. Why would they be together? Maybe it was another girl. Another time. Before we got together. I feel like I’m going to be sick.
“I thought maybe it was his ex or something, but then I saw them together again tonight.”
My stomach churns. I’m so close to puking. We weren’t together today. For the first time in forever. My eyes start to sting. Why? Why would he do this to me? No, something inside me says. This is Caleb. He would never hurt me like this.
“Maybe I’m wrong,” Gabe says. “But I thought you should know.
“No.” I’ve said it over and over in my head, but this is the first time I manage it out loud. “Thanks for telling me, Gabe. I appreciate your concern, but it couldn’t have been Caleb. He wouldn’t do that to me.”
Gabe’s smile is sad as he backs away from my window. “I’m sorry. I hope you’re right. Sleep well.” Like he’s so good at, Gabe walks away from me.
***
“You’ve been awfully quiet today, Kitten.” Caleb says to me as we’re walking. Our hands are linked. I’m savoring the feel of him. Trying to suck confidence from the way he holds me that this is real. That he’d never go behind my back with the person who hates me more than anything.
I hate the thoughts that have invaded my head all day. What if they were working together? What if this was Stacy’s idea of a joke? Be nice to me and let me think my life is normal before taking it all away from me? I hate doubting him. Doubting myself too. I deserve this and him and nothing will take him away from me. “Sorry. I just didn’t sleep too well last night.”
Caleb rakes a hand through his hair. “Yeah, me either. I had another headache and some really crazy dreams last night.”
I tilt my head at him. “Dreams?” He’s hinted to them before, but never gone into any detail about them.
“Crazy stuff… It’s… nothing. Don’t worry about it.” I let it go. I have too much on my mind to worry about nightmares.
“Can I ask you something?” Caleb says. I nod my head and he continues. “That guy? Gabe. You don’t see him anymore, do you?”
I almost trip, but catch myself. It’s a coincidence. It has to be. He might know I saw them together, and he’s scared I’ll tell you. “Um, no. Not really. Why?”
Caleb stops, so I do too. “Listen, I know this is going to sound crazy. I swear I’m not some possessive boyfriend, but there’s something off with him, Abby. If he tries to come around you, I want you to stay away from him. Can you do that for me?”
Why, Caleb? Why do you want me to stay away from him? “He’s my friend.” Is the answer I give.
“Kitten…fine. Whatever. Can I see you tonight? I’ll come to your work and then ride home with you.”
Why? So you’ll be there if Gabe shows up? What is wrong with me? Why do I doubt him so easily? What kind of girlfriend am I? He wants to see me and I want to see him. That’s what I should be focusing on. “Of course. It’ll be fun.”
We’re quiet then, until we hit the stop sign. “Are you ever going to let me walk you to your door?” he asks, brushing my cheek with his thumb.
I want to be excited, like he wants to meet my mom because he cares about me and not because she’s the vamp freak. “Caleb…”
“Shh. No biggie.” And then he gives me that look. Like he’s soaking me in. When his lips take mine, I forget everything, but him. Us. Because someone who kisses me so thoroughly? You can’t fake that. Can you?
***
“I see you’ve taken this book seriously, Abby. I found it shoved in your closet,” Mom says the second I walk through the front door. “You know, if you didn’t want to read it, you could have just said so.”
I drop my backpack to the floor in front of the door. I do not need this today of all days. “Really, Mom? I could have just said so? Yeah right, but I will now. I don’t want to read it.” This time, there is no guilt mixed with my words. I don’t care if her feelings are hurt. If she’s upset, because I’m upset. I don’t know who to believe and it’s all because of Mom and stupid books like Modern Vampire.
“Excuse me, I need to go to work.” I start to walk past her.
“What’s gotten into you lately? You know how important this is! If you can’t take it seriously, you won’t go back to your job. You only keep it if I can trust you.”
I whirl around. “Oh my God! Does the universe freakin’ hate me?” Why does everything have to happen at once? I’m tired… so tired of everything. Of being hurt, of being scared of being hurt. Of vampires. “Did you know I have no friends, Mom? That I lie to you so you wouldn’t feel guilty that everyone at school calls me the vamp freak? That they all tease me because I have a crazy mom?”
Her hand flies to her mouth and it’s shaking. I’m shaking too.
“So go ahead. Take the only thing in my life that’s normal away from me. My only freedom from being the vamp freak. Or the ungrateful daughter who had the nerve not to want to carry a stake around with her. What’s it matter now, anyway? Vampires have already ruined my life. Maybe it’s time I stop pretending I can ever have one.”
She’s crying and I almost stay. Almost apologize, but I don’t. I run upstairs to get ready for work. Until she tells me I can’t go, I’m going to go.
Chapter Sixteen
I toss the last plate in the bin, not sure if I’m excited Caleb should be in in a few minutes or not. I mean, I am. It’s Caleb, but my thoughts are all mixed and jumbled. Vampires, Moms, mean girls and other boys are clouding what I feel. How he always makes me feel and I hate it.
I pick up my dish bin and turn toward the kitchen when I hear the front door jingle. I don’t know how I know, but it’s him. I can feel it. My skin starts to tingle and my insides turn to goo. Yep, it’s Caleb and just knowing that starts to make everything better.
“Abby!” My grip on the dish bin slips when I hear him frantically yelling through the small diner. The dishes crash to the floor as I whip around and gasp. Something is wrong. Terribly wrong. Happiness from just seconds ago is replaced by dread, making me dizzy.
Caleb’s eyes are wide, his head jerking around as he scans the restaurant. I can hear him breathing from twenty feet away. “Abby!” he yells again, before his eyes connect with mine.
He runs toward me. The few patrons are all staring now, watching us. Liz looks just as curious as everyone else.
“We have to get out of here!” Caleb reaches for my hand, but I jerk it away. He’s freaking me out. It’s almost like he’s on something. Does Caleb do drugs? I don’t think so, but right now, I don’t know what to think.
“Shh. You’re going to get me into trouble.” I know it’s about the stupidest thing I can say. The damage is done. My boyfriend is spazzing out at my work and my boss is right here, but I don’t know what else to say. “Go outside. I’ll meet you later.” Maybe… Dirt is caked on his shoes. His eyes are wild now, like I’ve never seen him before. No, I have seen him like this, I realize. Seen those crazed eyes before and it was in my dream.
“We can’t. We need to go now. Your mom was right. Vampires!” His hands rake through his hair. “Gabe! I saw him. Blood… Stacy… He wants you, Abby.”
The customers to my left shift uncomfortably, looking nervous before they get up and leave. There is a table of two in the corner, their eyes wide and darting around. They shake their heads, looking at me. Liz is behind me.
“Listen, kid—” Liz starts to say, but Caleb cuts her off.
“I don’t have time to listen!” He yells.
I can’t breathe. I suck in a breath, but it’s like there’s none there. I reach up, trying to remove the invisible hands that strangle me. Not sure what else to do, I start to cry.
One of the men stands up as though he’s going to do something.
Caleb steps forward. I can’t bring myself to pull away when his hands gently hold each side of my face. “Don’t cry, Kitten. We’ll get out of here. I know you’re freaked out, but I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you. I won’t let Gabe hurt you.”
I can hardly hear him. The only noise in my head is what Gabe said. He worried Caleb was playing me. He’d seen him with Stacy. This has all been a game. A trick. He wants to make a fool out of me in front of everyone. Everyone will now know Mom believes in vampires and they’ll think I’m crazy too.
A cry breaks free from the back of my throat.
I pull away from him. “Go away, Caleb. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t do this, Kitten. Please let me keep you safe. I saw him with f**king fangs in Cavanaugh’s throat!” Caleb reaches for me, but I scramble backward. Stacy… It’s the two of them. But why? I know why she would do this, but why would he do this to me? I start crying harder now. He looks so convinced. Like he thinks this is real that I almost want to go to him, but that scares me more than any of this. If I go to him, that’s admitting something I can’t admit. It’s saying I think vampires are real. It’s saying my biggest fear has come true and I’m crazy like her.
The man from the table makes fists, rushing toward Caleb.
Caleb reaches for my hand again, but I rip it out of reach. Caleb’s hands instead go to his head as he clutches his hair, pulling at it. He pushes against his temples, a strangled cry breaking through the now silent diner. “Oh, shit. He’s here. He’s messing with my head, Abby! The headaches, the dreams, the noises outside my cabin. Fuck! Get out of my head!”
The guy shouts at Caleb again. “Kid, I’m going to call the police. You’re upsetting my wife! Why don’t you take it outside?” Liz, I suddenly realize, has been pulling at Caleb’s arm, trying to move him to the kitchen. He brushes her off, ignores the man. I’m so humiliated.