Page 35 of Changing Caleb
Laughing, I reply, “I’ve changed a lot but still didn’t learn to cook.”
“Well, it’s delicious,” she comments after taking a bite out of the sandwich.
I fiddle with my phone a moment and then set it down between us, letting YouTube play the old video of our high school championship game. One of the team moms always recorded the games and recently started uploading the videos to YouTube.
“Is this so you can prove to me who won the game?”
I grin over at her. “You’re damn right. Because we won.”
“We’ll see.”
She opens the container of fruit and I go ahead and open the pecan pie. We sit there together, watching the football game and reminiscing about that night.
“Oh my gosh! Do you remember Brady flashing the other teams’ cheerleaders right before halftime?” Casey asks, laughing.
“I thought Coach was going to kick him out of the game, but he was laughing so fucking hard, he couldn’t do it!”
She collapses back on the ground, still laughing. I put my food down and lie beside her. Her laughter slowly abates as she gazes up at the stars.
“What in the hell are we doing?” she murmurs. “I mean, seriously. What are we doing?”
I grasp her hand between us. “We aren’t giving up.”
“But should we?” she asks, rolling over to face me. “What if nothing changes?”
Turning onto my side, I look right into her eyes. “Everything has already changed, Case. Everything except for one thing. I love you. I have always fucking loved you. We’ve been through a lot of shit together, some things other couples never have to face.It broke us. I won’t lie about that. But the fact that we still refuse to let go tells me we can face anything together.”
She gives a subtle nod. “Remember that time we made out on the fifty yard line for hours? Just kissing and holding each other?”
“I do.”
With that, she leans in and presses her lips to mine. Just like the old days. Only better. So much better.
40
Casey
The wedding is four days away. I sit in class, tapping my pen absently against my desk, listening to the professor go on and on. I cannot stop thinking about Caleb. It’s been an entire week since we had sex, and my body knows it. I doubt I’ve ever gone this long without it. But I want to take things slow.
Our night at the football field was perfect. We kissed and held hands, and it felt like the start of something new. Well, I know it isn’t new, but it feels like it. Feels like we can move on from the past and the hurt and the betrayal and just be together.
Since that night, he’s taken me out dancing in Redbud, and we attempted cooking together at my place. Each night, he’s gone home alone. He’s kept his distance physically, but I can tell it’s driving him just as crazy as it is me.
We talked about L.A., and what he did while he was out there. We talked about Derek. We talked about Hillary. No need in pretending we didn’t have someone else in our lives. We made goals, fantasized about the future together. Like I said, it’s been perfect and new.
But there was no sex. Am I crazy for implementing the no sex rule? It’s what we’re good at. Scratch that, it’s what we’regreatat.
Thing is, I want us to be more than great sex. I want us to be great partners. Want us to be able to have a conversation without it ending in us yelling at each other. It can be done if it’s what we both want and I’m pretty certain we are finally on the same page with what we want.
The bell rings, and the class ends. I don’t even know what the lesson was about or if the professor gave any assignments. I ask the person beside me, and she lets me know we just have to read the next three chapters. I can handle that. Of course, if there were an assignment, it would be one more thing to keep me busy.
“Casey!” Jade yells when I exit the classroom.
I frown as she approaches, her blonde hair a mess. Not a trace of makeup. “You okay? Did Madden call off the wedding because if he did, I swear I’ll —”
“He didn’t,” she replies, her eyes watering with tears. “But maybe he should.”
“Where the hell is this coming from? Did his mom try to pull some shit again?”
