Chapter Fourteen

Veronica

A few minutes after Cameron phoned Kara, he arrived to pick us up. I was thankful. We asked him what happened, but all he would say was that Caleb was unhurt, safe, and would explain everything later.

Kara hounded him nonstop for more information, but he wouldn’t budge. He never gave in to her insults. In fact, he was smiling. I would have appreciated and paid more attention to their banter if I hadn’t been worried to death about what could have happened to Caleb.

I wrung my hands during the trip to the station. Kara noticed and tried to lighten the mood.

“By the way,” she chirped, “Caleb might take you to an exotic restaurant and feed you fried alfalfa sprouts.”

“What?” I asked, distracted.

“I gave him false information this morning when he asked me to spill the dirt on you. Just pretend everything I told him was legit until he gives me my payment, okay?”

I nodded absently and heard Cameron’s quiet laugh.

“Was it a Stella McCourtney gift card?” he muttered, chuckling.

“Stella McCartney. You never get anything right, do you?” Kara glared, crossing her arms and turning to look out the window.

“I did one thing right,” he replied after a moment, his voice solemn. I saw him glance at Kara longer than necessary.

I blocked their conversation after that. It took forever, but we finally arrived at the station. Stomach rolling, I went inside with Kara and Cameron. Her hand squeezed mine as we saw the police officer standing behind a messy desk.

“Are you sure you don’t want to wait in the car? I can bail him out by myself,” Cameron offered.

Kara shot him a glare. “Are you saying that because we’re girls, we can’t handle something like this? That we’re weak?”

I heard Cameron sigh. “Not at all. Come if you want.”

“I’ll do whatever the fuck I want.”

“Careful, Sunshine. Your words could draw blood,” Cameron warned.

“Then I hope you bleed to death.”

Cameron fell silent. I gave him an apologetic look.

We approached the police officer’s desk. “We’d like to post bond for Caleb Lockhart,” I said, my voice shaky.

“Can I see some ID?”

“Oh. Of course.” My hands were shaking so badly that I nearly dropped my wallet as I searched for my ID.

“Veronica, I’ll get the bail,” Cameron said. “Caleb won’t like it if you paid for it.”

“Let him,” Kara added, touching my shoulder.

I was distressed and exhausted enough not to argue. I nodded before turning to the officer. “I’d like to see him, please. Is he okay?”

“Why don’t you wait in the lounge?”

A few minutes later, the officer appeared again. “He’s in the interview room now, waiting for you. Follow me.”

He led me through a door to the left, then to a narrow hallway with three rooms. He opened the door to his right and stepped back to let me in. There was a single table in the middle of the room and two chairs. Caleb was sitting on one, his elbows on his knees as he cupped his face in his hands. When I saw his wrist cuffed to a bolt, I nearly fell to my knees.

Oh, Caleb, what have you done?

Images of him hunting Justin with his teammates—or, worse, murdering him—flitted through my mind.

“Caleb.”

He looked up, his eyes wide with fatigue and worry. “Red.”

My legs trembled as I approached him. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. God.” He reached for me with his free hand, gathering me against him. “You’re all right. Thank God.”

“What happened?” I turned to the officer. “Please, can we have some privacy?”

“I’ll be outside.” The officer left us alone.

“Did Cameron come with you?”

“Yes, and Kar. Caleb, you’re scaring me.” I searched his face for any sign that he was hurt. Other than looking exhausted, he appeared uninjured. “What happened?”

His face turned hard, cold. “They found drugs in my car.”

Of all the reasons I would expect him to be in jail, drugs wasn’t one of them. My heart dropped to my stomach.

“I was about to leave Matthew’s and give Levi a ride home. He’d been drinking. Two police officers arrived and said they had gotten a report about drug dealing at Matthew’s house. Then they asked to search my car. I let them because I had nothing to hide. But they found drugs.” His face mirrored his anger and frustration. “I don’t deal with drugs, Red. I would never do that. Someone planted them.”

A woman’s voice spoke from behind me. “Caleb?”

Caleb looked over my shoulder. “Mom?”

I had only seen Caleb’s mom once in person—when I waited for Caleb outside his door. She was more beautiful than I remembered, dressed elegantly in a conservative blue dress. Her worried eyes studied her son’s face as she walked to him, a police officer trailing behind her. She looked like Caleb, with bronze hair and stunning green eyes.

“I had to hear about this from Beatrice-Rose. Why didn’t you call me?”

Beatrice-Rose? How did she know that Caleb was in jail?

“I didn’t want to worry you. Mom, this is Red. Red, this is my mom, Miranda. This isn’t how I planned for you to meet my future wife, Mom.”

I pressed my lips tightly together to keep from groaning. I should have been used to Caleb’s bombshells by now…

She ignored me. “Is this why you’ve been getting into fistfights? Missing a week in school right before your finals? You’re graduating. And now you’re in jail?”

Her eyes turned to me briefly, and I caught the warning in them.

I felt sick.

Caleb observed the exchange between his mom and me. His green eyes were anxious as they studied me. I willed my face to look blank, empty, but inside, I felt nauseated.

She turned to the officer. “Release my son.”

The officer obliged her. The rattle of the metal handcuff grated in my ears. I could feel the pulse in my temple begin to throb.

“I’ve spoken with the chief of police,” she announced, reprimand and disappointment in her voice. “There will be no record of this. Caleb, how could you let this happen?” Her voice cracked and she paused. “I already told your friends to go home, so I will expect to see you in your apartment with a reasonable explanation in half an hour.”

Although her face was stoic, her hand shook as she reached out to touch her son’s face. “You’ve frightened me. When will you ever learn, Cal?” I could feel the worry and fear in her voice, and the strong love she had for Caleb.

Caleb stood and wrapped her in his arms, murmuring in her ear. I stepped aside to give them more room. He was talking too softly for me to hear, but his mom nodded. I felt like a trespasser. She kissed him on the cheek and then turned and left with the officer—without glancing at me.

“I’m sorry, Red. Don’t worry about my mom. I’ll talk to her.”

I shook my head. “She’s right.”

His eyes filled with fear as he cupped my face in his hands. “You’re not thinking of leaving me again.” It wasn’t a question.

“N-no.”

His hands fell to my shoulders, pulling me close to him. “Do you trust me?”

He had asked me this before. This time, I didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I trust you, Caleb.”

“Good.” He kissed my forehead. “Come home with me, baby.”

I wanted to be with him, especially after what had happened today. But I couldn’t. “No. Caleb, your mom just asked you to come home.”

He pulled back, staring at me intently. “You promised you’d stay with me tonight.”

“Don’t be unreasonable.” Don’t make her hate me more than she already does, I thought, but I didn’t say that. “Your mom’s upset, Caleb. You’ve got to take care of that. I’ll see you tomorrow. Please.”

He nodded tightly. “Don’t go anywhere, Red.”

“I won’t,” I promised. And this time, I meant it.