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CHAPTER FIFTEEN - CALEB
I still didn’t know what was going on with Tara. She left my apartment quickly, barely saying goodbye before she fled to her car. I watched her leave, confused and frustrated. She said everything was fine. We talked about her father. We even discussed the past. It hurt me to think about that time, but I was glad we finally talked about it. When I left town, I didn’t think I had a choice. Darren was going to do everything he could to keep me away from Tara. No matter what we did or how hard we fought him, I knew we would never win.
We were kids, not even eighteen yet. Tara wanted to run away together. It seemed like the perfect plan. I was ready to start my life with her but then, I couldn’t do it. Tara was fucking brilliant. She graduated high school with a 4.0 and got accepted into one of the best colleges in the country. She was bound for amazing things and me? I would have held her back. There was no fucking way I would let that happen. So I gave up. I gave in to Darren’s demands and let him ship me off to finish high school at the military academy.
It wasn’t easy, but it was the right thing. Tara flourished. She found success in her career. My decision was hard, but I was still glad I made it. That was until I realized how much I hurt her when I left. I thought I was protecting her, but instead, I broke her heart. I felt like an ass, like the worst kind of man. As I thought about things, I wondered on and off whether Darren was right. Maybe, Tara really would be better off without me.
I couldn’t let myself dwell on that, though, not when Tara was pulling away from me. Something was going on with her, something serious. I knew it wasn’t about me. After she brought over Chinese food, I was reassured that her distance had nothing to do with our relationship. She was going through something, something that was very real. It held her attention no matter what she was doing and yet, she wouldn’t tell me a thing. I tried to get the truth out of her but I couldn’t. She said she was fine and changed the subject.
It was frustrating, but I was determined to find out the truth. It was her day off from the PT building, so I decided to take her out for the night. I called her, excitement brewing inside my chest. Just the prospect of seeing her was enough to bring a smile to my face.
“Hey,” I said when she finally answered. “What are you doing tonight?”
“Nothing,” she said. Her voice was weak. “No plans yet.”
“Let’s go out,” I said. “I’m going stir crazy being locked up in my apartment like this.”
Tara laughed, and I felt my chest swell. “Stephanie’s bar?” she asked. “Eight o’clock.”
“Sounds great,” I said. “You drive.”
“No shit.” She laughed again, and the sound sent waves of desire shooting through my body. God, I wanted her.
That night couldn’t have arrived fast enough. When Tara finally pulled up outside my apartment, I was already waiting outside. She grinned when she saw me. I hurried toward her, using my crutches. I climbed into the passenger seat, and she leaned over to kiss me. The kiss lasted longer than I expected. She lingered on my lips, lighting tracing my tongue with hers. It was a kiss of longing, full of undefined emotion.
When we pulled apart, I felt my cock grow in my pants. I was excited to spend the evening out, but I would have been just as happy to stay in and explore Tara’s sexy body some more.
“Maybe we should skip going out,” I began, but Tara shot me a look.
“Behave,” she said.
“Fuck that,” I said. “Misbehaving is so much more fun.”
She laughed, and I grinned at the sound. Her laugh was beautiful and sexy at the same time. It brought a smile to my face and made my cock twitch with desire.
We drove into downtown and parked down the street from Stephanie’s bar. Tara led the way. We stepped inside, and Stephanie squealed. She ran around the bar to embrace Tara. When she turned to me, she looked me up and down with a stern look on her face.
“You,” she said.
“Nice to see you too, Stephanie,” she said.
“I still don’t like you, and I’m not sure I trust you,” Stephanie said. “But if you’re drinking, I’m pouring.”
“Bourbon,” I said.
“Red wine,” Tara said.
Stephanie nodded and went back around the bar. She poured our drinks and slid them over to us. I paid, and Tara led the way to a booth in the back corner. It was far enough removed from everything that we could talk. I was glad, still determined to find out what was going with Tara.
“She still wants me,” I joked, jerking my head toward Stephanie.
“She would kill you if she could get away it,” Tara said without hesitation.
I laughed, and Tara joined in, but she quickly fell silent. I tried to pull her into conversation a few more times, but her attention never stayed on me for long. She was trying, I could tell, but something was still weighing on her mind. No matter how much I tried to make her happy, she stayed standoffish and distant.
She smiled and laughed, but it never reached her eyes. She let me hold her hand and even kiss her a few times, but she never initiated anything. By the time the evening was over, I was incredibly worried. Whatever was keeping her from enjoying herself must be fucking terrible. She could barely meet my eyes, and when she did, her own were glazed over.
