“I love you to Lex.” He watched her walk away before moving to talk to someone close to an exit. He knew he had to do it strategically if he was going to leave. He didn’t want to ruin the night for Alexis and Link but he knew if he stayed it wasn’t going to end well. His eyes were on Alexis.
Alexis talked to Vienna for a moment, then moved to talk to Larkin, laughing and joking with her friend. Every few moments, her eyes would flutter back to Caleb, keeping him in her sight. She didnt want him to be uncomfortable or upset. That would totally defeat the whole purpose of the game anyways.Â
Caleb had always been someone who was easy to read and he knew that hadn’t changed. “I’ll remember that,” he nodded his head. He didn’t know why he couldn’t just be okay with it like they were. Couldn’t just get into the game and gone from there.
“I love you” She said, dropping her hand and stepping back, turning and walking away from him, unsure. She hated that Caleb seemed uncomfortable, but wasnt really sure how to handle it, especially with him saying they should keep going. She walked back towards the bar, replenshing her drink but avoiding the man shed been flirting with, finding Vienna instead.Â
Caleb nodded his head, he wasn’t sure, he wanted to stop, but he didn’t want to mess it up for them. He kissed her back with a small smile, “just go have fun.” He knew he wouldn’t last much longer but he wouldn’t end it for them. If anything he was planning on slipping out without being seen.
Alexis put her hand on the side of his face frowning. “You dont look sure. But I’m not going to push. Please come get me if you feel uncomfortable okay? This isnt about me and Link, its about the three of us and ending the night together. in the end, I want to leave this party with you and Link. Dont forget that.”
Lark stared at Alexis, eyes wide and slightly terrified, but only for a moment before she composed herself again. “Alright, sucks for you, cuz I’m gonna win that bet and take all your money” She flicked her hair over her shoulder, holding out her hand. “Can I have my phone back please?”
Alexis rolled her eyes and handed the phone back to her. “Dont be rude and playing on your phone when people are trying to have emotional conversations with you Larkin.” She leaned back against her bed frame and sighed. “I dont think you see yourself clearly, Lark. I think that most boys would cut off an arm to sleep with you but you are too blind to it.”
“I love you for that SIlas. I really really do. I just...Im trying to understand the concept of being consistently judged by people who’ve never met me. Ive never really faced that and I dont understand it. “
“You have contact with the entire building maybe I should move back to England. Everyone is fair game in England.” she was teasing. Going back to England was the last thing she wanted to do. “Oh yeah I’ve had no problem getting laid it’s all the other relationship stuff I have trouble with. But once daddy get’s his head around the idea that I’m going to be a spinster with four giant spiders that’s going to be a lot of pressure off me.” She laughed.Â
Alexis frowned. “Uh no.” She said, partly refering to the England part, and partly the spinster part. “You are going to find a boyfriend, or two, I do not judge, and get married and have babies and be a good little daughter because I am a major disapointment and someone has to carry out the dreams or Arthur and Melinda Stewart.”
Caleb looked at her for a moment before shaking his head, “no just keep playing.” He didn’t want them to stop the game because of him, he hated being the reason people stopped things that they enjoyed. He hoped he would get over it, hoped that he would be able to work through it, he saw how happy it seemed to make the two of them.
Alexis shuffled on her feet, unsure. “Caleb baby, are you sure?” She pressed her lips together and watched him carefully, sipping lightly on her champagne. “I mean we really want you to have fun tonight babe. Hot sex totally aside, we want you to enjoy your evening.” She leaned in and kissed him lightly. “We can end this whenever you want, just...Come get us or flag us down.”
“And I never saw you coming, and I’ll never be the same.”
One.Â
The hospital was starting to feel suffocating. It was starting to feel like she could look down a hallway and that hallway went on forever like a weird dream state or a fucked up acid trip she never asked for. Everything was starting to get too her. She sighed and laid her head on the edge of Links bed where he was sleeping peacefully. It was a rare moment and she was not willing to wake him for anything. She felt herself slowly falling apart and tears slowly started falling from her eyes, and it was only after a few minute she heard movement behind her. Calebs hands ran through her hair soothingly as he consoled her gently and quietly. His touch was grounding. It was something to hold on to, something to brink her back every time she felt like she was loosing it. She never realized how much she needed that.
Two.
“This is it. This is the dog.” She picked Rosie up and handed her to Caleb. “Here baby, hold her!” She said, basically shoving the puppy into Calebs arms while she did the paperwork with the kennel. When she came back to the small room, Caleb was laying on the floor, Rosie standing on his chest licking his face playfully. “You’re cute.” She said, grinning from ear to ear and laying down next to him, kissing him on the cheek and scratching the dogs ears.
Three.
“Caleb.” She said, biting her lip and looking over at him in the dark. “I love you so much.” The words held so much already but they almost felt heavier and thicker coming out of her mouth while she was laying naked in his bed. “That was incredible.” She said, reaching over and touching his face. She snuggled closer, pressing her body to his. “I’m not going to lie, of wondered a couple of times since all this began what it would be like. You and me and the sex. This was so much better than I ever dreamed.” She kissed his lips lightly and searched his eyes briefly before letting her own flutter closed.
Four.
“What is this?” She asked, raising her eyebrows at her boyfriend carrying what looked like an incredibly heavy bag into her apartment. “Caleb what on earth--?” She frowned as he stareted emptying books onto her bed. “You know baby, im happy to read anything you want me too, but this is a lot at once...” But the books were big. They were text books, or at least, some of them were. “Theres are all physics books and space books...” She said, raising her eyebrows even higher, very lost. “Yeah” He said, nodding. “I dont want you to get rusty since youre out of school. No reason you cant learn outside of a classroom, right?” Alexis stared at him for a second and then walked over calmly, kissing him hard.Â
Five.
“No, Im not playing scrabble with you. No way.” She shook her head. “You have an english degree. Im not stupid. No.” She looked at the game and continued to shake her head dramaticaly. “Alexis, you are literally a genius and your afraid to play scrabble?” She shook her head. “I am. But I am good a math. And science. Im a numbers girl. You Have a degree in english and will probably play some weird ass word that has a Q, a Z, and an X on like a triple word score.” Caleb was smiling at her and she furrowed her brows in confusion, ending her rant to say “--what? What are you looking at me like that?” She pouted her lips out, but couldnt help but smile when his response was. “I just love you.”
Lark: What good am I if I can’t get boys to like me? They always tell me I’m pretty, I’m thin, I’m beautiful, and then everything works out for everyone.
