Toxic Bad Boy

  Officer Novak arrived just after eleven o’clock. He’d asked that we forward the email to him last night and my dad took care of it for me after I gave him the password to my laptop.

  When I answered the door to the police officer, I spotted Caleb’s red Camaro parked outside the house. Without acknowledging Caleb, who stepped out of his car at seeing me, I closed the front door.

  *****

  CALEB

  Officer Novak was inside Gianna’s house and I didn’t know why. Had something happened over the weekend? Did another letter come in the mail yesterday?

  Her dad had told me not to come back until Gianna was ready to talk to me. Despite the warning, I rang the doorbell one minute after she shut the front door.

  Chris answered the door, rolling his eyes before stepping out of the way for me to enter. “I’m sure you’re dying from curiosity. Come inside, but if Gianna wants you to leave when Novak does, you’re out of here.”

  “Thanks,” I muttered, wondering if her dad was secretly pissed about the paintings or if he even knew about them.

  Advancing straight for Gianna, I took a seat on the couch next to her and grabbed onto her hand for support, lacing our fingers for a better grip. She gaped as if I were a stranger on the street. She had to have known I’d eventually push my way back into her life.

  Officer Novak had stopped speaking at my appearance, but continued, “If the pictures do show up online, let us know and we’ll order that they be taken down immediately. As a minor, the laws are stricter.”

  “What pictures?” I interrupted.

  “Someone emailed Gianna pictures of herself from the night Josh Larsen attacked her,” Chris answered, taking a seat on the other side of Gianna.

  I moved my arm around her shoulders and faced Novak. “Where the hell did those come from?”

  With a wry look, he said, “Only three people could’ve taken them.”

  “It wasn’t me,” I rushed to say. It wasn’t hard to figure out which three people he meant. “And it definitely wasn’t Ian because I was with him the whole time.”

  “I’ll be visiting Ian Crenshaw where he currently resides,” Novak explained. “And Josh Larsen. However, there’s only so much we can do. I’ve checked the police report from last October and a cell phone belonging to Mr. Larsen was never catalogued.”

  I could not believe pictures existed of that night. “So he must have stashed it somewhere.”

  A shudder ran through Gianna. “I thought this was over.”

  “Thank you for coming, Officer Novak,” Chris said, standing up to shake the man’s hand. “I’ll walk you out.”

  I knew Chris was getting the cop away from Gianna to ask questions which would upset her. I’d drill her dad later about the answers Novak gave him.

  Gianna laid her head against me, contradictorily saying, “You need to leave, Caleb. I’m mad at you.”

  “Okay, be mad, but I’m not going anywhere.”

  She raised her head and a teary gaze. “Do you want to see them, Caleb?”

  “See what, the pictures? No, Gianna.”

  “I thought maybe you’d want to use them as inspiration for your next painting,” she said sarcastically. “Whoever took them was obviously an artist like you.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have never painted them.” Or at least destroyed them the moment they were completed. Definitely never should have handed them over to Jim. “They weren’t supposed to be in the show.”

  “Then why did you give them to the gallery?”

  A pang of remorse shot through me. “We were broken up at the time.”

  She jumped to her feet, crossing the room before spinning to face me. “So, it was payback for dumping you? Did you enjoy remembering me like that?”

  “Of course not, but you weren’t supposed to ever see them.”

  “Oh, but anyone at the show who wanted a sick look at me like that could?”

  I leaned forward on the couch, clasping my hands together. “I told Jim not to include them. I didn’t know he’d make a peepshow out of them!”

  “Gianna, everything okay?” Chris asked from where he lingered in the doorway.

  “Fine,” she said, pacing over to him. “Can you give us a few minutes alone?”

  Chris’s eyes darted to me before returning to his daughter. “I promised Chance I’d pick him up to see a movie. Is Caleb going to stay with you, or do you want to come along?”

  “Cece is coming over later and she can stay with me when Caleb leaves,” she told her dad.

  I laughed at the same time her dad grinned. “What’s Cece going to do to an intruder?”

  Gianna didn’t think it was funny. “Intruder?”

  Chris sighed, grasping her upper arms. “Gianna, you didn’t tell me or your mother about the problems you were having with Josh and it escalated to him really hurting you. We’re not going to make that mistake again. If you don’t want to come with me, I’d feel better if Caleb were here to keep you safe.”

  With her back to me, I couldn’t see her expression but I doubted it was thrilled. “If it makes you feel better, then Caleb can stay,” she told him.

  Mimicking Chris’s earlier words to Novak, I said, “I’ll walk you out.”

  “To the garage?” Chris asked in amusement.

  “Yep.”

  Out in the garage, Chris waited next to his car for me to talk. “What did Novak say to you?”

  Chris glanced over my shoulder, probably to make sure the door was closed. “Basically that they weren’t going to do jack shit unless there was a physical threat to Gianna. But I’m hiring a private detective who’ll have monetary incentive to find out who’s sending the letters and email.”

  “Have you told Gianna?”

  He shook his head. “Not yet. I plan to talk to her about it when I get home tonight.”

  “I’ll take good care of her. I can be here whenever you’re not home.”

  He opened the door to his SUV and rolled down the window after getting in. “Fine, but you’re not allowed upstairs.”

  Suppressing a smirk, I said stoically, “Of course, sir.”

  Blue eyes like Gianna’s narrowed. “And quit touching her in my presence.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Not fucking likely, sir.

  He backed out of the driveway and the large garage door lowered. Gianna stood in the mudroom as I went inside. “Miss me?”

  “You understand that I broke up with you Friday night?”

  “Not that again,” I said in a harassed tone as I picked her up around the waist and carried her into the kitchen. “Now, I’m hungry. Feed me, woman.”

  Pushing away, she called out over her shoulder. “There’s leftover pizza in the fridge!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  “The heart is forever making the head its fool.”

  -Francois de la Rochefoucauld

  GIANNA

  “I’m not making you tacos, lazy boy!” Cece exclaimed. “I’m the one who’s pregnant, you should be cooking for me!”

  Caleb held up both hands, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “I’m not the one who knocked you up!”

  “No, that was your jerkface best friend!” she shouted.

  Caleb pulled out his phone, his fingers moving over the keys. “Jerkface, that’s a new one.”

  Cece tried to grab his phone away but he lifted it in the air out of her limited reach. My best friend jumped for it and failed. “Quit texting Dante all the names I call him!” She spun around on sock covered feet. “Gigi, do something about your jerkface boyfriend!”

  Eating out of the ice cream container Cece had abandoned, I told her, “He’s not my boyfriend anymore and I can’t even kick him out of my life, how am I supposed to control his sense of humor?”

  Caleb laughed, returning to text messaging Dante. “If you aren’t going to cook for me, Cece, then get your shoes on because I’m hungry.”

  This was the second day of Caleb’s bodyguard duty. My
dad was at work and the instant he walked in the door, Caleb would be sent packing. He’d pretended to be hurt as I’d kicked him out last night, but I knew he was pleased with maneuvering his way into the position.

  I loved him, but how do you forgive someone for memorializing the worst moment of your life?

  Cece sat on the stairs and pushed her small feet into a pair of purple Converse that matched the tank top she wore. Casually dress in jean shorts and a white t-shirt, I slipped my feet into a pair of sandals by the front door.

  “I want KFC,” Cece declared, regarding Caleb as if gearing up for another argument.

  “Aw, Cece, it’s so greasy!” I complained.

  “It’s a pregnancy craving!” she argued, stomping a little purple shoe. “You have to give in to it.”

  “Why are you here?” Caleb asked rudely.

  “To make sure you don’t seduce Gianna into getting back together with you.”

  “Cece!” I shouted, embarrassed she’d blabbed to him what I’d told her in confidence.

  “Well, now I really don’t want you here,” he muttered. “I’ll get you your greasy chicken and stop by someplace else for Gianna and me.”

  Making sure to lock the front door, we went out to Caleb’s car and Cece climbed into the back. I was pretty sure Cece wasn’t only hanging out with me to help me keep Caleb at arm’s length. She was also hiding out from Dante. He loved her as much as she did him, but his abortion suggestion had really hurt my best friend.

  If Caleb and I were in the same situation, I’d be heartbroken if he didn’t want to keep the baby. Dante needed to think about the repercussions of abortion and what it would mean to their future as a couple. Caleb might have made a few mistakes over the course of our relationship, but I was sure he’d never want me to abort his baby.

  At a stoplight, Caleb’s eyes strayed to my bare legs. “Eyes on the road,” I teased him.

  Those hot eyes lifted to mine. “Then stop wearing stuff that turns me on.” His head tilted to the side as he put the car in gear when the light turned green. “Scratch that, don’t ever stop turning me on.”

  “Ah, hello?” Cece called from the backseat. “You have an audience.”

  “I’m sure you heard a lot worse when Dante was knocking you up,” Caleb told her.

  “Jerkface!”

  “Leave her alone, Caleb. She’s hormonal,” I scolded.

  He shrugged, unrepentant. “What do you feel like eating, princess?”

  After the ice cream, I wasn’t very hungry. “Maybe a burrito from somewhere.”

  “We could just go to the restaurant,” Cece offered. The restaurant always referred to her parents’ place.

  “Sounds good,” Caleb said, making a right turn toward the freeway. It’d take about twenty or so minutes to get there.

  I spotted Jared coming out of the kitchen as we were led to a booth by the hostess. The restaurant had been newly remodeled last March and closed down during that time. Even the kitchen had gotten a rehaul. The place made a good profit, but Jared and Cece’s parents were hoping to bring in more customers with the new look.

  Jared didn’t appear surprised to see Caleb with us. I hadn’t spoken with him much lately since he’d been busy with graduation and a new girlfriend. The crew had taken a few weekends off with summer starting and members taking vacations or getting jobs. We were set to meet up two weekends from now.

  We’d be losing a couple of the guys when they went to college, but Jared was still going to be around. He didn’t know yet that Cece was quitting. A replacement would have to be found for her along with the members who were leaving.

  After the server brought our drinks, Jared wandered over, his stare on Caleb. “Hey, man, so they let you out?”

  Despite my earlier discouragement, Caleb’s arm was around my shoulders. He slouched further back into his seat, letting off an unconcerned vibe. “Got out early last month. Ian is still stuck there for a few more weeks.”

  Jared and Caleb would never be best buddies, but at least they could be civil now. Caleb had bonded with Ian over shared confinement, but miracles didn’t happen twice.

  “There’s blood,” Cece said out of nowhere.

  “What?” I asked, thinking she was making an odd joke.

  Her face twisted in pain. “It hurts.”

  Jared gazed down at her with a confused expression. “Your stomach?”

  Her hands were pressed against her lower abdomen. “Gianna, I think something is wrong with the baby! I’m bleeding!” Head tilted down, she gazed at her lap in horror.

  “Caleb, let me out!” I yelled, pushing at him.

  He jumped out of the booth and got between a dumbstruck Jared and his sister. He kneeled down in front of a whimpering Cece. “I’m going to pick you up and carry you out to my car.”

  “We have to get her to the hospital, Caleb!” I urged him, hovering as he spoke gently to her.

  Cece nodded, sobbing, “Okay.”

  “What’s happening?” Jared asked, his tone panicked and confused.

  While Caleb carefully lifted Cece off her seat, I turned to Jared and spoke softly so the other diners and his sister wouldn’t overhear, “Cece might be having a miscarriage.”

  “What?” he shouted.

  “Shh!” I told him. “We’ll drive her to the hospital, but can you please find your parents and ask them to meet us there?”

  He shook his head slowly in a daze. “They’re in the back office doing paperwork.”

  “And call Dante,” I added, following Caleb as he carried Cece out of the restaurant.

  At one final look back at Jared, I caught his face hardening at the mention of Dante.

  *****

  “I’ll be right outside,” I assured Cece as Dante lingered in the doorway of her hospital room

  She nodded, her brown eyes incredibly sad. “Tell Caleb I said thank you.” Dante’s eyes held equal sorrow as he brushed past me on his way to Cece.

  “Okay.”

  Caleb waited in the hallway with Jared and Cece’s parents. My dad had offered to come down when I’d called to let him know why I wouldn’t be home until late. Jared leaned against a wall looking agitated and her parents were having a hushed argument not far away. They were disappointed and angry, but overshadowing those emotions was sympathy for their daughter.

  My mom and dad had gotten pregnant with me while they were still in high school and it had caused a permanent rift with my mom’s parents. I’d rarely seen them growing up. My other grandparents were sweethearts, but they’d retired early and moved away.

  Taking a seat next to Caleb, I let him take my hand. “Cece said thank you.”

  “I wish we’d known something was wrong. We could have got her here sooner.”

  Squeezing his hand, I told him, “The doctor said there was nothing they could have done.”

  “Dante is feeling the loss,” he murmured. “He was just freaked out before.”

  Biting my bottom lip, I watched as Cece’s doctor approached her parents. “I don’t think she’ll forgive him.”

  “If they love each other enough, there’s always the hope for forgiveness.”

  I tore my eyes away from the adults to meet his hazel ones. “Not always.”

  Bringing up our joined hands, he kissed mine. “Do you forgive me?”

  “For the paintings?”

  He nodded, his eyes begging me for understanding.

  “I don’t know, Caleb.”

  Dante exited Cece’s hospital room, tears streaking down his face. Without a word to any of us, he rushed down the hallway.

  “You should go with him,” I told Caleb.

  “I know,” he said, lifting himself out of the plastic chair. “Jared, will you take Gianna home?”

  The question pulled Cece’s brother out of his thoughts. “Sure.”

  Caleb leaned down, brushing his lips against mine. “I’ll be over early tomorrow morning.”

  “I’m going to stay here awhile with Cece.
”

  “Call me when you get home.”

  “Okay.”

  I hesitantly entered Cece’s hospital room a half hour later after her mom left it. She was curled up on her side. “You okay?”

  Sniffling, she croaked, “No.”

  Taking her hand in both of mine, I rubbed it. “What happened with Dante?”

  Her face distorted in a wave of pain. “I broke up with him for good.”

  Grabbing tissue from her bedside, I wiped her face with it. “You’re hurting, but so is he.”

  “He’s probably happy the baby is dead. It’s what he wanted.”

  “I don’t think so. He looked really upset when he left earlier.”

  “Good,” she said viciously.

  I’d never seen Cece like this. The friend I knew normally had a kind heart. “I’m sorry about your baby,” I whispered. “It’ll get better.”

  “I was scared at first,” she stuttered through sobs. “But then I was happy about it. Even though I knew my parents would be upset, I wanted the baby. I think I would’ve been a good mom.”

  Brushing the curls away from her face, I said, “You’re still going to be a good mom someday.”

  “What if this happens again?”

  “It probably won’t.”

  “Caleb is really awesome,” she said, surprising me. “He would be happy if he got you pregnant, he’d be excited.”

  “Maybe, but I’d be the one who was scared,” I confessed. “And Caleb would forgive me for it.”

  “I can’t ever forgive Dante,” Cece asserted stubbornly. “Are you going to forgive Caleb for the paintings?”

  I smiled for the first time since the restaurant. “Do you think Caleb will give me the option to not forgive him?”

  “No, he has stalker tendencies,” she joked, taking the tissue out of my hand and wiping her nose.

  My best friend was beautiful, smart and talented. I liked Dante and hoped he could win her back, but she was also stubborn and held a mean grudge. But she’d always be loved because she gave an abundance of it in return.