“Well,” Reid says, his arms out wide, a smile stretched across his face. Sienna swipes at a few stray tears and puts on the smile I know she’s been wanting to use since Caleb arrived in California.
“Well,” Caleb repeats back to him, laughing a little. “I guess this is it, huh?”
“It damn well better be,” Reid quips back, pulling Caleb in for a hug and Sienna throws her arms around both of them.
Watching the three of them together makes my heart swell, a feeling of butterflies filling my stomach as I try to hold back the tears of joy. They need each other. They needed this.
“We’re celebrating later,” Sienna says, her words muffled, her face buried in Reid’s shoulder as she stands there hugging her brother and her boyfriend.
“I’ve got to get in the shower. I gotta get to work in a bit, but yes, all of us,” Caleb says, looking over at me, calling me over with a hook of his finger, adding me to the giant hug. “All of us together.”
Eventually Caleb heads into the bathroom and I can’t stop myself from watching him walk away. I never thought I would be the kind of person who would fall head over heels in love with someone, especially with someone who fought it so hard.
We still have a long road ahead of us and I know that. Professor Keller being arrested and with the civil suit nearly gone, it doesn’t mean it all ends and life is perfect. Caleb’s trauma will take years to recover from and more than likely he’ll always have things that trigger him, but we’ll learn to work through it together.
The abuse from his father started when he was young and progressively got worse as he got older and it wasn’t until he died that Caleb could finally feel safe. But all that was shot to shit when his father shackled him with a bunch of debt and an even more abusive loan shark.
He’ll always be hesitant to trust people. He’ll always struggle with understanding people’s motives and I can’t imagine what it’s like to live like that. I can only hope that with time and therapy he’ll be able to see the good in people. For some reason he saw it in me and for that I’m forever grateful.
A couple of hours later Caleb leaves for work and I’m left alone in the house. Reid and Sienna are at the gym, something that has become a regular occurrence since football season ended.
I take in a deep breath, collapsing on the couch and I realize this is the first time since the incident with Professor Keller that I actually feel comfortable and safe in my own house.
I look around, smiling at the four little walls I’ve come to love and now it feels like my home once again. All my worries and fears have finally subsided, and I can’t help the smile that crosses my face.
Seconds later there’s a knock on the front door and I nearly laugh out loud at how I startle despite my recent revelation. I guess my irrational fears haven’t gone away just yet.
I hop up from the couch, glancing out the front window before I open the door and find Mila standing on the porch with a couple of bags slung over her shoulders. She knocks again, this time calling out, “Ruby, let me in!”
She’s annoyed already and I roll my eyes, knowing this is exactly who she is. Impatient as hell and feeling like she’s the most important person in the world. A typical last child: spoiled and entitled.
I open the door, my hands on my hips, wondering what exactly she’s doing here. She isn’t supposed to be here until next week when our parents are helping her move into her new apartment.
“Care to share with me what you’re doing here? Mom and Dad are gonna be super pissed at you.”
“What? Can’t I come by and visit my sister?” she says casually, but there’s no way it’s just that simple.
“Did Mom and Dad kick you out already? You couldn’t even make it a month living back at home?” I tease, stepping aside to let her in.
“Oh my god, no. It was the opposite. I was going to go all Lizzie Borden on them if I had to stay any longer.” She’s so dramatic as she comes in with a flourish and drops her bags theatrically next to the couch as if they weigh more than her.
“Do they know you’re here?” I ask, prepared for Mila to stumble over the question and wondering if I should just text my mom and ask her.
“Yes, they know I’m here. They’re still coming next weekend so don’t worry, they don’t hate me and they haven’t disowned me.”
“Yet...” I add and she lets out a loud tsk, crossing her arms over her chest.
“This move is going to be good for me. It’s a chance for me to get my shit together and finally decide what I’m going to major in.”
“Mila, seriously? You’ve been in school for a year and a half and you still haven’t declared a major?” I widen my eyes at her, waiting for her attempt at defending herself, but she falls quiet.
“Well, I’m still considering a few things,” she says, shrugging absentmindedly as she quickly changes the subject. “Is it okay if I stay here for a little bit? Dad said things with Caleb are going better so I figured it would be fine. You aren’t stressing about his case and that anymore, right?”
She’s flippant and casual as if what happened with Caleb is something that happens to everyone. And maybe in Mila’s world it does. I have no idea if she’s ever been arrested, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Not much she does anymore surprises me.
“Yeah you can stay, but no going out without telling me where you’re going.”
She widens her eyes at me and lets out an offended cackle. “You’re turning into Mom and it’s not really becoming on you.”
“That’s the worst insult ever,” I quip, letting her feel exactly how offended I am. “I’m only two years older than you and I will not be put into the category with Mom.”
“Then stop worrying about me. How about we go to the bar and grab something to eat. I’m starving and it will give me a chance to say hi to my soon to be brother-in-law,” Mila says, shooting me a serious look.
“I’m not getting married. I’m fucking twenty-two years old. That would be completely insane.”
“Yeah, for sure,” Mila mutters, dragging one of her bags into the bathroom with her. “I’m gonna take a quick shower and then we can go.”
“Okay,” I call after her, realizing having Mila here is going to be one hell of a ride.
An hour later we’re walking into the bar and as soon as Adam sees Mila he laughs, pointing at her, he says, “You’re underage, remember? Food only, sweets.”
Mila flicks a dismissive hand in his direction, acting like she doesn’t care, but I’m sure she’s pissed he’s caught onto her game. She’s going to have to find somewhere else to peddle her fake ID, but I’m sure that won’t be hard. With a body like Mila’s, matched with her quick wit and give no fucks attitude, she’ll have some other bartender eating out of the palm of her hand.
“Now where’s...” Mila starts to call out just as Caleb comes out from the back office.
“I thought I heard you,” Caleb says, smiling at Mila.
“She’s not one to be upstaged or forgotten,” Adam chimes in, but quickly slips away to serve a few customers.