AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If only Caleb thought the same way, man.” I chuckle. “She’s got it in her head that she has to push me away.”
“Then, you go to her and you convince her otherwise. Dani and I have our fair share of problems, believe me, but… I live each day with her as if it’s my last. You two should do the same.”
Christ. He’s right. As usual.
Caleb Fawn might be a high-maintenance and downright frustrating woman but she’s my woman. Always has been — whether she cares to admit it or not.
“So, tell me, Fox…” I say, “did I do something stupid?”
“Only if you don’t fix it.”
I chug the rest of the bottle and set it down on the table beside the old photograph. “Your house kinda sucks, dude,” I say. “I’m a little disappointed.”
“Have you found the theater yet?”
I pause, impressed. “You have a theater?”
“Later. Now, you should go back to Caleb. I don’t like the idea of either of you being alone with the Harts out there looking for you.”
“She’ll be fine…”
“Box.”
I sigh. “All right. I will return to my wife.”
“Well, that sounds weird.”
“I don’t know.” I smile. “I kinda like the sound of it.”
Chapter 13
Caleb
My husband is a fucking idiot.
God, I hate the sound of that…
ILOVEYOU? I-fucking-LOVEYOU? Since when did we ever say that each other? Even on our wedding night, the L-word didn’t come up once and I liked it that way. Not that I never felt it for him, but I don’t waste time on redundancy. It goes against my training. Every second counts during times of war. One second wasted could mean your death and the deaths of everyone around you. If something is a given, you don’t take the time to express it because the ones that matter should already know and the ones that don’t probably aren’t worth the effort.
Then again, he’s right. We’re not out in the desert anymore.
The L-word doesn’t matter when nothing else works. I came from a family that looked perfect on the outside. Love this. Love that. But there was darkness lurking around every corner waiting to remind you it exists. For years, I thought that’s how the world worked.
Then, I met Fox. He had his own bit of darkness following him around but for the first time in my life, I knew what it was like to have a friend.
Then, Boxcar crashed into my life. Along with the L-word.
I stare across the room at my television, but I haven’t managed to turn it on yet. I still can’t get past the way he said it. Head down, eyes barely open. He couldn’t even look at me, but I could tell he wanted to.
I love you.
I love you.
I love you.
Why is that so hard for me to say?
I push off the couch, grab my phone, and slide on my shoes. It’s far too quiet up here and I’m starting to get tinnitus in my ears. There’s only one thing that’s always managed to calm me down and I’ve got a whole arsenal of weapons stashed downstairs in need of cleaning.
