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As I prepare their drinks, I wonder over Caleb’s odd behavior.
I soon find out the reason for it though once Oliver leaves.
“I don’t trust him.”
I watch Caleb stare outside the window at the Quantico building. “He’s my friend who wanted to go for lunch with me. You know, something friends do.” My tone is sharp, not liking the way Caleb is trying to control my life.
“He was in your apartment. In your bedroom.” Caleb turns to face me, his face still, as if made from stone.
Oh, I’m going to kill Duke.
“He got lost. People do that.”
Caleb shakes his head. “He’s hiding something. Be very careful, Kendall. I can’t protect you all the time.”
My back stiffens at this. “Excuse me?” I stand up from the chair I had been sitting on. “I don’t need you to protect me, Caleb. I’m not some helpless damsel in distress!”
“I don’t want you to go with him! End of discussion.”
I feel the force of his stare on me, heavy and unyielding as if he expects me to nod my head submissively and give in to his demand. My jaw clenches and my hands flex on the stapler in front of me.
Caleb’s eye instantly moves to it.
I deliberately push myself to relax. “I am your personal assistant, your friend, your lover when you’re not being a complete asshole, but if you ever try to tell me what to do again, you and I are going to have a problem, Caleb.”
His face is rigid, and I continue, softly, trying to rein in my temper, “I am not going to fall at your feet in submission. I won’t bow my head to every command. I won’t let you pick and choose my friends. I won’t let you decide how to live my life. Don’t ever make the mistake of trying to control me, Caleb. I may love you, but I won’t be molded into what you want.”
I don’t slam the door behind me, trying to keep myself together.
I’ve barely reached my seat when I hear the sound of something crashing against the wall, mirroring my inside desire to do the same.
I open my drawer and carefully, take out a new boxed phone and opening it, I start uploading Caleb’s data from his cloud so that when he leaves for his afternoon meeting, his new phone is ready for him.
First week back at work and I spent more than half of it blocking phone calls, dodging reporters. I never thought how big of a thing my attending this event with Caleb was.
Apparently, this is tabloids worthy news and I’m holding up the fort here.
Things aren’t made easy with Caleb and I, in the midst of a fight. He hasn’t said one word to me, and I refuse to bend to his will.
“He’ll come around,” Tracy reassures me as Saturday dawns and I sit in our kitchen, in a robe with a cup of coffee in my hands. “Caleb seems like one of those men who doesn’t understand the concept of being denied.”
I find that hard to believe since our childhoods were spent in squalor, but I miss him. And yet, my pride is not letting me approach him.
“You could always try seducing him,” Tracy suggests as she frosts a decadent looking chocolate cupcake for the catering thing she has in the afternoon. “You have the money. Go buy some lingerie.”
“I’m not using my body to get my way!” I protest. Although the idea does have its appeal. I shift in my seat. “But I wouldn’t mind getting some lingerie. I’ve never owned any.”
Tracy narrows her eyes at where Max is attempting to steal one of the cupcakes. “Take my son with you. Go to the mall. You two go relax. Have fun. Get out of my hair.”
I sniff. “Come on, Max. Your Mommy doesn’t love us. Let’s go to the movies.”
Sticky hands clasp onto my hand and I wince, as Max beams up at me. “We’re going to watch TV?”
“No.” I usher him into the bathroom to wash his hands. “We’re going to watch a movie on a huge screen, and we’ll eat popcorn and candy. And then I’m going to go buy some lingerie, not that you know what that is.”
He’s tripping over himself in excitement about to the movies that I doubt he’s following any of what I’m saying.
I get him dressed and carefully make sure his jacket is tight and warm before I put on long, loose knitted dress with tights and I’m zipping up my jacket as we leave the apartment when I bump into someone.
