Take it All (Blinded by Love) (42 page)

“I’m going to run up and change. If they come back, can you send Caleb up?” Lennox asked as she jumped off the stool and finished the last bit of her pop.

Kelli nodded, “Sure thing, honey,” she collected their cups and started off to the sink, then called over her shoulder before Lennox left the kitchen, “Lennox?”

“Yeah, mom?” she looked around the wall at her mom.

“Love you.”

Tilting her head down slightly as a small smile danced over her lips, “Love you too, mom.”

Lennox, after grabbing her purse from the front door, took off up the stairs and into her room. She tossed her purse on her bed before she began pulling her shirt over her head and tossing it aside to the other side of her room where it landed in front of her window. As she kicked off her chucks she heard her cell phone ringing from inside her purse. Grabbing it quickly she pulled it out and saw Londyn’s name flashing across the screen.

“Hey Lond,” she said cheerfully answering her phone.

“Well hello to you too, snob,” her laugh came through the phone; it was like music to Lennox’s ears.

She hadn’t seen or spoke to Londyn or Tatum in what felt like forever and she missed them. She had been thinking about whether or not to tell them about Caleb, now that he was cleaning up but there was still a part of her that was unsure. They were her best friends but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t judge her behind her back and being judged for doing what she felt was right just didn’t sit well with Lennox, so she was still indecisive. “Who’re you calling a snob?” Lennox chuckled as she walked into her closet and grabbed a pair of cut offs and a tank top then headed into her bathroom.

“You, where ya been?”

“Oh you know, here and there, far and wide, everywhere.”

“Are you home? Because it’s Sunday night and I know you come home from Caleb’s then and that you don’t work Monday mornings, so I was thinking– girl’s night in at your place?” Londyn asked, the hope in her voice oozed all over the place.

“Okay,” Lennox agreed. She undid her jeans and they fell to the floor where she kicked them off to the side and pulled on her cut offs then pulled her tank on over her head.

“Perfect, I’ll be over in a few,” she said over cheerfully. “Oh by the way, Tatum can’t make it because of a big party tonight, so it’s just you and me.”

And the reason for her cheerfulness was brought to light. Lennox shook her head as she pulled open her bathroom door and asked, “Are you two fighting?” she chuckled then stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Caleb spread out on her bed with his hands behind his head, looking her way, smirking.

“Well, you know–”

“Tell me when you get here, see you in a few.” She cut her off and hung up on her not giving a second thought to the matter. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned to the side, her eye brow raised in question, “What do you think you’re doing?”

Caleb’s eyes peeked open as he said, “Oh, me? Well I was waiting for you so I sat down and next thing you know,” his arms extended, “here I am.”

Lennox tossed her cell phone on the desk as she walked to the door and closed it so no one could walk by and see what they were doing. She then crawled onto her bed, over Caleb, and laid next to him; burrowing into his chest as his arm came down around her.

“So, how was the talk with dad?” her question muffling into his shirt.

His hand smoothed over her bare arms lightly, causing a shiver to run through her body and making her snuggle closer. “It was good, nothing to worry about,” he mumbled, “your parents are just as great as I remember.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, “they are.” Her eyes started to flutter shut as her body went completely relaxed next to him as it always did.

“Who’s coming over?”

“Londyn; our usual Sunday girls night,” she spoke softly. “Have you heard when you start at the new shop?”

“Yeah, just a little bit ago. I start on Wednesday.”

Lennox shuffled in his arms until she was leaning over his chest, her right leg tangled with his and her arm resting over his chest with her hand resting over his heart that was beating steady. Lifting her head slightly, he looked down at her and that’s when something caught her eye, making her face change; change enough for Caleb to ask, “Dove, what?”

She lifted herself up and swung her leg over him so she was straddling his waist and completely looking down at him; her heart wickedly slamming against the inside of her chest. There wasn’t anything different about it, that she knew, yet looking at his eyes she saw something that until then she hadn’t noticed and therefore she had no idea how long it had been like that. She hated herself for not noticing it before. It was the look; the look she had got so caught up in watching that movie with Londyn and Tatum back in February; the one she had been jealous over, never having been looked at that way. Caleb’s bright azure eyes lingered tenderly on hers, only breaking away for a second to take in her lips as the corners curled. It was riveting the way they shined at her with nothing but the utmost adoration and she knew in her soul, he was and always would be, the love of her life; no one else would come close to him and the way he made her feel.

Caleb’s hand reached up and flattened across her check, his thumb moving softly back and forth. “Baby, what is it?” he asked again.

Her hand laid across his on her cheek, her fingers fitting between his as she pulled it away and bent forward, her lips smoothing across his rough and scratchy jaw; a kiss on both sides. “I just love you, that’s all,” she whispered, the words barely out before his head lifted and his lips crushed into her, taking her breath away.

“Oops,” a voice sounded through the room, “I should have knocked.”

Lennox groaned into his mouth before her lips ripped away from his mouth and her head turned to see Londyn standing at the door with her hair pulled into pigtails and her bags on one arm, her pillow in her other and a bright grin spread across her lips. “Oh, hey Lond,” she said casually as she rolled off Caleb.

“Lennox, Caleb,” she said, “sorry for uh, interrupting.”

Caleb sat up then shook his head, “No worries, I was just about to leave,” he ran his hand over his hair, then turned to Lennox who was sitting red faced next to him, “Call ya later baby, love ya,” he said then quickly kissed her lips before he hopped off the bed, then moved towards the door as Londyn stepped aside to let him out.

“Love you too,” she said as she watched him walk out of her room with his keys jingling in his hands.

“Sorry, didn’t know you two were,” her hands were gesturing over the bed, “doing that.”

Lennox waved it off as she jumped off her bed. “Don’t worry about it, it’s all good.”

“Guess that answers my question of how things are going with you guys,” Londyn said with a laugh as she tossed her pillow on the bed then dropped her bags on the floor, only grabbing her purse and taking it to the bed with her.

“I need to tell you something and you gotta swear you won’t tell Tatum,” Lennox blurted out unable to stop herself. It was a spur of the moment decision that came to her before she could change her mind and now it was too late to talk her way out of it.

Londyn looked up at her with bright eyes and her mouth gaped open, “Yes, of course, what is it?” she clapped her hands together, her eyes widening, “Oh, my God–”

“If you ask if I’m either pregnant or getting married, so help me…,” she warned, pointing her finger at her.

“You’re no fun, then what is it?” she asked, sitting on the bed folding her legs.

Lennox leaned up against her window frame, her gaze on Caleb’s car as it pulled away. A pang of longing hit her, making her wish Londyn hadn’t shown up when she did and that he was still with her. “It’s about Caleb.” She looked at her, her face wiped of any expression or smile, making it clear how serious it was.

Londyn’s back straightened at her look and she dropped her cell phone back in her bag then put it on the floor next to the bed and turned her attention to Lennox who hadn’t moved from her spot by the window. “Okay, talk to me babe, what’s going on?”

As the word left her mouth, Lennox began from the beginning explaining Caleb’s odd behaviour prior to the party then every single thing that had happened since right up until she walked into the room. Lennox didn’t leave anything out; it was one thing for Raine to know, he was different– he was almost neutral only having known her a couple months; Londyn had known her since they were kids. When she finished telling her everything, Londyn sat there in shock, shaking her head in wonderment of her friend and everything she had dealt with and been through with Caleb for the last month.

“All this time, why didn’t you say anything?” she asked, hurt evident in her voice.

Lennox walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, “I wanted too, but I was afraid– afraid no one would understand– because I didn’t at first.”

“Oh, Lennox,” Londyn reached across the bed and took her hand, “you know my take on drugs and people who use them; their just empty shells needing a drug to make them feel something or they use them as an escape; you know I could go on for how ridiculous I find drug users, but,” she paused, tucking a piece of hair that came loose from one of her pigtails, “I wouldn’t think that of Caleb, for the simple fact he’s in love with my best friend and treats her how she deserves.”

“I should have told you. I told Raine but I should have–”

“Raine knew before me?” she asked surprised.

Her lips twisted as she shrugged, “He let me stay with him the night I walked in on Caleb at his place.”

“Wait, you stayed with Raine for the night– like as payback?” Confusion was written all over her face as she tried to bring light to their conversation.

“What– no– God no,” she exclaimed, “I just needed away from Caleb and time to think. I didn’t even tell Raine what had happened then, and it wasn’t until we went to Caleb’s friends that I freaked and called him, needing to tell someone.”

“Oh.” Londyn’s face slightly fell.

Lennox got to her knees, “Lond, please don’t be mad at me for not telling you. If it makes you feel better Tatum doesn’t know.”

Londyn thought it over and nodded, “Okay I guess that’s a little better, but still though, I get your reasoning and I’m glad I know all this now.”

“Me too,” Lennox agreed.

“You wanna talk about more? You look like something’s bothering you,” Londyn asked as she searched her face and seeing in her eyes there was something bugging her.

“Just a bit worried he’ll relapse but why wouldn’t I be, right?” She needed some kind of reassurance from someone else who wasn’t her mom.

Londyn stretched out on her side with her head resting on her propped up hand, and said, “I’d think that was normal, considering everything, I mean, if it was me I would be a worried wreck, so I think it’s justifiable why you feel that way.”

“Yeah, that makes sense; mom said the same thing too.”

“Did you wanna call Raine and ask him what he thinks?” Londyn asked sarcastically rolling her eyes.

“Actually yeah, let me grab my cell phone,” she laughed dodging the pillow Londyn tossed at her head. “I was kidding.”

“Whatever,” she said, sticking her tongue out at Lennox, “pick a movie would ya and give me my pillow while you’re at it,” Londyn chuckled as she made herself comfortable on Lennox’s bed.

Lennox shook her head as she picked a chick flick and put it in her DVD player then threw Londyn’s pillow at her. As she got comfortable Lennox ordered them a pizza and ran down for drinks, passing her parents who were cuddled on the couch watching a movie she didn’t recognize. Stopping, she gave them each a hug and a kiss then thanked them for being so understanding when it came to Caleb’s situation. She told them she ordered pizza and that it was on its way, and agreeing they’d talk more tomorrow before she ran back up to her room. The rest of the night was spent in front of the television watching movies, eating pizza and gorging on the candy Londyn had brought over. It was a somewhat perfect ending to a weekend that started out rough.

For Lennox, the rest of the week went by slower than a snail in a race, with the majority of it being spent in bed with food poisoning from the undercooked meat on the pizza they had ordered. Londyn unfortunately was down with it too but hers only lasted two days where Lennox wasn’t able to move from her bed until Thursday afternoon; finally able to shower without falling over.

By the time Friday evening rolled around Lennox was feeling better, with only a queasy feeling here and there. She was able to pack a bag then head to Caleb’s; who she had barely spoken to all week because every time he called she was asleep and when she was awake he was sleeping or working. So the whole drive over she couldn’t wait to just run inside and wrap her arms around him. Even if she hadn’t been sick, she wouldn’t have seen him all week because of their work schedule and she hated it. Didn’t matter that they had been together only two months and she spent every weekend with him; it still didn’t seem like enough time in her eyes.

When she pulled up in front of Caleb’s it was just before six thirty and his car wasn’t in sight. A pang of disappointment hit her that she was going to have to wait until whenever he got home. Grabbing her bag she climbed out of her jeep and locked it then made her way to the front door. Aimlessly she put the key in the door and unlocked the dead bolt then entered, closing the door behind her and locking it. She left her coat where she always did and walked into the semi lit place; there was no one there, the living room was empty as well as the kitchen and every room along the way until she reached Caleb’s and opened his door and also found it empty. Sighing she tossed her bag down and looked around his room. It looked different, she couldn’t place what it was but it looked different and smelled cleaner. The more she looked around the more she noticed he had cleaned up and put things away, specifically his laundry. Curiously she walked over to his dresser and found he had cleared out some of his things and replaced them with her things. Smiling to herself over what he had done, she turned to grab her bag only to jump back with a cry. Caleb was standing in the doorway with a smile spread across his face.