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JULIET
I follow Caleb downtown,my heart in my throat. Whatever he’s up to, I have to know.
I’m not sure what I’m expecting, but somehow, I’m not surprised when I find we’re back in that seedy neighborhood where I ran into him before. He ducks into the bar, and I wait on the street opposite, pacing.
Running through a thousand scenarios in my mind.
What is he hiding? And why won’t he tell me what’s going on?
Finally, after what seems like forever, he emerges, looking worn out. Our eyes meet across the street, and anger flashes on his face.
He strides over to me.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he demands, grabbing my arm. “Were you following me?”
“You didn’t leave me much choice!” I retort. “You can’t just leave me with no answers, and expect me to just go about my business like nothing’s wrong!”
Caleb glances around anxiously, and then drags me around the corner. He pulls us into a deserted alley, out of sight of the street. “You don’t understand,” he swears through gritted teeth. “You don’t know what you’re sticking your nose into.”
“So tell me!” I exclaim. “All this mystery, all your lies. I can’t take it anymore. you need to tell me what’s going on.”
“Why? So you can put yourself in danger?” Caleb roars. “These are serious people. You need to leave it be.”
“No!” I yell, furious. Then I catch myself, and take a step towards him, pleading. “Caleb, just tell me what’s wrong. Is it about the business?” I ask, thinking of the flash drive, and those dummy accounts. “Are you doing something…” Illegal? Are you stealing from your partner? Are you in league with this Mobster. It’s all on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t get it out.
“I said I’ll handle it.” Caleb growls.
“And I’m just supposed to trust you?” I cry.
“Yes!” Caleb advances, backing me against the wall. “Why is that so hard to do?” he demands, breathing heavily. “Why can’t you just believe me when I say, I’m trying to protect you! Please, Juliet…” His face cracks, and I see a terrible burden in his eyes. “I’m doing this for you. For everyone. You have to trust me. Please…”
I look at him, torn. I can see the desperation on his face. Whatever he’s wrestling with, it’s consuming him.
I want to trust him.
I want to believe that none of this matters. That the passion Caleb and I share is enough to paper over all these questions and make it all okay.
But it’s not.
And this isn’t just about emotion anymore. Sex, and the thrill of it, and our seductive dance.
That man threatened me. And whatever this business with Nero Barretti, Caleb is in so deep, he can’t even give me a simple explanation.
I pry myself from his grip. “I’m sorry, Caleb. You tell me to trust you… But I don’t know if I can.”
I race away, losing myself in the city streets until I’m blocks away, and can finally slow to a walking pace. I gasp for air, tears stinging the corner of my eyes.
What should I do?
My head is spinning with questions I can’t begin to answer—and my heart aching with regret over the look I saw in Caleb’s eyes. I wind up walking for hours,
turning it all over in my mind. I think of Nero Barretti’s goon accosting me outside my door. Olivia telling me how I can’t trust Caleb. But most of all, I keep thinking of his face when he told me to trust him… And the way it felt, sleeping soundly in his arms.
It feels real. The connection between us, the chemistry and the intimacy, too. We’ve opened up to each other, drawn by a passion I can’t explain. That can’t be a lie—can it?
Plenty of people have opinions about him. He’s a playboy, a liar, a thief.
But do I believe them? Or was Caleb telling me the truth when he said he was trying to protect me?
