My Best Friend, Jack ✓

30. Caleb

Taking a calming breath, I clambered off my bike and walked it up the front path, my eyes never leaving Caleb's. My heart was racing, but I wasn't sure if it was nervousness or pure anger coursing through my veins. My dad walked behind me and I hoped that he wouldn't do anything stupid. Caleb stared at us as we both approached. 

"Hi, Ava," he mumbled quietly, glancing towards my dad. "Hi, Sir."

"Don't you sir, me!" My dad said, his voice rising. "If you think what you did my daughter was okay, then you're sorely mistaken. I just wish - "

"Dad!" I whispered, harshly. "Please just give us five minutes. We need to talk alone."

He looked between us momentarily before nodding, if not a little unsurely. I could see the doubt and worry in his eyes but to his credit, he walked his bike past me and towards the back gate to enter the garden. 

"Just shout if you need me," he said, sending one last look towards Caleb that indicated a very strong need for violence.

After I watched my dad leave, I turned my attention back towards Caleb. He looked awful. His nose was bruised and he had a cut on his lip like Jack, although his looked a lot worse. I tried not to feel too happy about it. 

"Can we talk?" He asked softly.

I shrugged. "Is there really that much to say?"

He took a step forward so I took a step back, almost like we were in tandem. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. Can we please go inside and talk?"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. As much as I didn't want to talk, I wanted to hear his explanation as to why he had treated me like dirt. But, I didn't want to let him in the house. The house was my sanctuary, my safe place, and he was no longer involved in that. After a moment's hesitation, I sighed and began to walk back down the path towards the sidewalk. Caleb just stood where he was, watching me with a confused, somewhat hopeful look on his battered and bruised face. 

"We can walk and talk," I said, not waiting for him before I started to walk. 

He jogged to catch up with me and we fell in step with each other. I had no destination in mind, whatsoever. I was too preoccupied about Caleb. And Jack. I walked quietly, waiting for Caleb to speak first. Partly because I wanted to hear what he had to say, but also because I didn't trust myself not to rip him a new one. After a moment, I was rewarded with a pitiful excuse from Caleb. 

"It just sort of happened," he admitted, sheepishly. "She was paying me lots of attention and I couldn't help myself."

"And you think that's okay?" I spun around, my rage bubbling up to the surface. "To just kiss some other girl while were supposed to be - "

"Supposed to be what?!" Caleb said, throwing his hands in the air. "We barely had any time together on our own and you were always distracted with your drawing or hanging out with Mia and mooning over Jack. You never even felt that invested in us, Ava. What was I supposed to do?"

I opened my mouth to argue, but just let out a ragged breath in resignation. "You're right," I admitted, to his shock. "I wasn't totally invested. I kept lying to myself but something never felt quite right. I don't know, I couldn't put my finger on it, but that feeling was there."

"Ava - "

I looked up at him. "But that doesn't mean that kissing some other girl is okay. You should have said all this to me before. We could have sat down and talked about it but no, you just decided that kissing Queen bitch was the way to go. Do you have any idea what that was like, seeing you up there in that hallway, with her. It made me so mad, and it wasn't even at you. It was at myself."