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As I wandered the streets of New York, I couldn’t ignore the way I was beginning to feel more like myself. For months, I wondered if I had died that night, and if my punishment was to be stuck roaming the earth as a ghost.
I would never admit it, but I was starting to wonder if there was some sort of method to my father’s madness. Even before that night, I’d been struggling. The trauma of watching Carina get sick and pass was one that I’d carried deeply.
I’d drunk, done drugs, and partied in an effort to stop the pain in my chest from spreading like the cancer that took her from me.
But being in New York felt a little bit like the slate had been wiped clean, and though when I first got here, I was pissed off, I was starting to feel the weight on my chest starting to deflate.
“Oomph!” I slammed hard into a chest, knocking me on my ass. I’d been so distracted by my thoughts that I had not been paying much attention to where my legs were taking me, and now, all of my things were skewed across the sidewalk. “I am so, sorry.” I scrambled to grab the paints and brushes that had fallen out of my bag.
“Carla?”
I looked up, and my hand immediately stilled on a tub of paint that had started rolling down the slope of the sidewalk.
“Caleb?”
I could not have been any more shocked than if my mother and brother’s murderer had jumped out of the bushes.
“What are you doing here?” I shoved as much as I could back into my bag, content to let everything else go. Paint wasn’t cheap, but one of the benefits of being in New York was the limitless credit card in my wallet.
Caleb’s easy smile was directed at me. Less than a year ago, the sight of it would have melted me to the sidewalk. Caleb’s easygoing California vibe was such a juxtaposition to my own life that I’d clung to him. But after everything happened, he’d disappeared, and I’d realized he was nothing more than someone to help me pass the time.
“Here.” He held out a brush to me. “You missed one.”
Our fingers touched, and I jerked my hand back. “Thanks,” I said, shoving it back into my bag.
Caleb’s eyes filled with pity, and I immediately knew what was coming. “You still haven’t answered my question.” It was best to cut him off before he could make headway.
“I’m at NYU.”
“In the summer?” I asked. Something about Caleb’s presence made my stomach tie into knots. I chalked the feeling up to not wanting my past to impede on my present, especially when I was just starting to come to terms with my presence in New York.
“I’m starting a semester early. It’s part of my work program.” The smile on his face faltered slightly. Caleb always had a chip on his shoulder about his lack of wealth. I’d kissed his ass about it when we were dating, but I didn’t have the energy for that anymore. “You’re probably wondering how I got in considering…”
“Considering you spent most of your time getting high with me?”
He ran a hand through his hair and looked sheepishly down at his feet. “Yea,” he said. “I tried to get in touch with you, after…”
He cleared his throat in discomfort, and I felt my frustration at his presence grow.
“I’m sure you didn’t want to see anyone considering everything you went through, but I wanted you to know—”
His jaw snapped shut so quickly that I was shocked it didn’t snap off. A heavy arm wrapped itself around my waist, and I tensed immediately. I might have fought against the grip, but I knew who was next to me.
“Who’s this?” Eli’s deep voice asked as he held me against him. His large hand was low on my stomach, and I tried not to squirm under his touch. The heat of his touch reminded me of how he kissed me the night before, and I felt my thighs clench slightly as my desire pulled.
“Caleb.” Caleb looked Eli up and down, his eyes lingering on the possessiveness of Eli’s touch.
“And you are?”
Eli pressed his nose to my hair. “Where did you run off to this morning?” he asked, his voice husky and full of promise. “I thought we could get breakfast together.”
My mouth went dry at the implication of Eli’s word.What the hell was he doing?“I needed paints,” I said, my brain not quite as fast as normal. Eli’s touch set my body aflame, and even though I knew he was only doing this for Caleb’s benefit, I couldn’t ignore the effect he had on my body.
“My little artist.” Eli smiled at Caleb, but it was anything other than friendly.
Fucker. He was threatened. Despite hating me, kissing me, and leaving me high and dry, Eli had the nerve to be jealous.
Smirking, I pulled away from him. If he wanted to play, he was going to get it good. Reaching out, I embraced Caleb, who stiffened for a moment before wrapping his arms around me. “It’s so good to see you,” I said, my voice breathy.
