Maggie

can't let Caleb go. Not now. Not until I can convince him to go home again and make everything right. If I let him leave, I may never see him again. He disappeared without a trace eight months ago and I won't let that happen again. Not when everything is out in the open and there are no more lies between us.

"You don't have a choice," I tell him, putting my foot down.

He shakes his head. "Don't piss me off more than I already am."

He walks down the sidewalk that leads off campus. I follow. If he starts to jog, there's no way I can keep up with him.

"I didn't intend to piss you off," I tell him, matching his stride.

"Just ruin my life?"

"Me? I didn't ruin your life, Caleb. You've done that just fine on your own."

"Do me a favor. If you're so intent on joining me, keep the blabber to a minimum."

"You're crabby."

"Damn straight." He stops and turns to me. "Do you know what you did to me today? You made me give up information I promised to take to my grave. I feel like shit."

"If it makes you feel better, I feel like shit too. I don't want you to be pissed or sad, Caleb."

"If you want me to be happy, go back to the dorm."

I think he actually expects me to stop following him. But I don't. I can't.

For the next ten minutes, I follow him in silence. His pace is slow enough that I can keep up.

"What's the plan?" I ask when we reach the center of town. Every store is closed for the night and the streets are completely dark except for the occasional streetlight. "I hope you have one."

"I don't." He looks defeated.

"We're in this together, at least," I say, in a weak attempt to cheer him up.

"Then let me hold your backpack."

Our footsteps on the sidewalk make a rhythmic sound that echoes through the night. We walk through a residential neighborhood on the edge of town. Every fifteen minutes or so, when Caleb spots a big rock or a bench, he orders me to sit and rest my leg.

"We should stop here," he says when we reach a toddler park. In the middle of the playground is a big wooden castle with jungle gyms, wobbly bridges, and slides attached to every side of the structure. I nod.

Caleb leads me to the castle. We have to crouch down to get through the small entrance. It's hard, but he braces my back and supports me while I maneuver inside the cramped space designed for little kids.

Caleb sits in the corner on wood chips. He pulls a jacket from his duffle and places it on the ground next to him. "Sit next to me," he says. "You can use my leg as a pillow."

I'm glad we stopped. I have no clue what time it is, but the sun isn't up yet and I'm running on fumes.

I see a blue plastic tube sticking out from his duffle. "What's that?" I ask, pointing to it.

He pulls it out and pushes a button. The blue plastic lights up. "It's my lightsaber."

"I remember you used to chase me and Leah around your house with that thing."

"Those were the good of days." Caleb waves the lightsaber around, lighting up the inside of the castle.

I reach out and take the lightsaber from him. "You think I'd be a good warrior?" I ask.

"No. You follow the enemy too closely."

"You're not the enemy," I tell him, then bring the lightsaber down to strike his leg.

He catches the lightsaber in his hand before it reaches its intended destination. Our eyes meet, and the bright blue light illuminates both our faces. "I am the enemy, Maggie. You just haven't realized it yet."

"You're wrong." When he turns the lightsaber off and stashes it back in his duffle, I lean into him and get into as comfortable a position as I can. "Wouldn't it be cool if this was a real castle?"

"Only if I was the king of it." He looks up at the sky. "But I'd prefer a castle with a roof over it."

"We can pretend, can't we?"

"Yeah, we can pretend."

Pretending is nice, especially when it takes you away from your problems and worries. "Do you ever think of Mrs. Reynolds?"

"She was hilarious." His mouth quirks up, remembering. "I loved the look on your face when she made you wear that dress to plant flowers in."

"It was a muumuu."

"It was ugly as sin."

"I know. I think of her every day. If it wasn't for her..."

"If it wasn't for her, you probably wouldn't be here lying in wood chips with an ex-con running from the law. You'd be in a warm bed back in the dorm."

"I like it here with you better."

He shakes his head. "You're crazy, you know that?"

Yep.

He puts his arm around me. "Go to sleep. I know you're tired."

"What about you?"

"My mind is racing and I won't be able to sleep tonight, so you should."

I nestle into his lap and try to forget why and how we got into this situation. I just keep telling myself that it'll be okay. We'll figure a way to work it out. In the end, I'll make sure Caleb reunites with his family in Paradise. I don't know exactly how I'm going to orchestrate it, but I will.

I have to.

"Are you still mad at me?" I murmur against his thigh.

"Definitely."

"What can I do to make you less mad?"

"Stay the hell away from me, Maggie."

"Is that really and truly what you want?" I ask.

"Don't make me answer that question," he says, chuckling cynically.

"Why not?"

"Maggie, I gotta tell you something." I notice that the frown lines on his face are pronounced.

"What?"

"Being with you was never a mistake." He gives a short laugh. "Hell, being with you kept me sane while I was home. You and Mrs. Reynolds made being in Paradise bearable."

I reach up and stroke his stubble with the tips of my fingers. "Thanks, Caleb. I needed to hear that. I know I'm not ideal, and I'll never be normal-"

"Maggie, don't ever say that, okay?"

"But-"

"There are no buts. You're here with me, and I don't fucking deserve your time, let alone your support. I lied to you, I deceived you, and I left you. Why you're here with me is beyond my comprehension."

"You know why I'm here," I tell him. "I believe in you.

"Yeah, well that makes one of us." Without another word, he wraps his arms around me and holds me tight. "I'm sorry I lied to you," he whispers.

"I know you are."

Feeling safe with Caleb's arm around me, I let myself relax and get really sleepy.

He brushes stray hairs out of my face. The last thing I remember is Caleb lightly tracing random patterns on my arm, leg, and back. It feels so good I let myself drift to sleep.

He hasn't changed. He's the same boy I fell in love with back in Paradise.

I love you.

The words hover on the tip of my tongue, and I feel my lips frame the syllables, but no sound comes out as my eyelids droop and Caleb gently strokes my hair over and over again.

In the morning, I wake to find him watching me.

"Morning," I say as I stretch. My leg is retaliating from sleeping on the rough wood chips, but I try and hide the pain from him. "Do we have a plan yet?"

"Yeah, I've got a plan," he says. "But you're not gonna like it."