Summer of 09'

Caleb's P.O.V.
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I watched Rye slept in my bed, I don't think she had even caught the nickname I had given her earlier at the cafe. My hands gently played with her hair while she slept, there was something about her that had caught me off guard.

I paused my hand as she mumbled something and tossed onto her side and I moved towards the couch, I wouldn't push my luck. If she woke up and saw me in bed beside her she'd probably assume the worst and kill me.

I don't think anyone would be happy with that solution.

I shrugged out of my shirt as I laid myself upon the couch, and let myself stare at the ceiling thinking about Rye and how funny the whole situation was. The one place I never thought she'd be was my bed.

My bed of all places, the single most place I'm sure she never imagined herself. It was coincidence, fate or irony? The boys seemed to approve especially with the way she joked around, she'd fit in. Even at dinner when they all questioned her and then when Kyle had attacked Johnathan outside the restaurant.

She stood there laughing and then eventually joining in and helping Kyle beat down Johnathan, his blackberry fell from his pocket and she picked it up and started running away. Johnathan then chasing after her and then tackling her to the pavement.

Concern washed over me as I ran to catch up with them and she laid there laughing as Johnathan smiled over at me and got up. Rye handed over the blackberry as Kyle helped her up. The event played throughout my mind, a smile played across my lips.

Rye was perfect. She was smart, funny and knew how to keep me in check. She pushed my boundaries and made me want to be a better person. She pushed me to realize how much I was dragging myself into a massive hole, something I may have never realized myself.

I could wake up one morning and find myself a father because of a one night stand or get sick because of an STD. A part of me was glad I had stumbled upon Rye's blog that night, that I had felt compelled to email her and she emailed me back.

It almost felt like fate had purposely set us like this. Predestined our lives so at one point our lives would cross and it'd be up to us to create the following paths.

Rye was a bitch, but she was an honest one at that. She enjoyed having a good time and her smile, it was gorgeous and sparked something inside of me. Every time I looked at her, I was just wanted to protect her from the world.

I wanted to protect her from all the bad, I wanted to hold her in my arms and keep her there. It seemed to silly to be thinking that way about a girl I had just met, but the fact that I couldn't stop thinking about her was the problem. But I knew once she left I'd miss the way her scent lingered upon my pillow and the way she'd tease me even if it ended up with Lil Cal a little excited.

A smirk crossed my lips as my eyes darted to Rye's sleeping form, she seemed so peaceful. Her body seemed relaxed against the hotel's white sheets, the light from the lamp letting me see her form clearly.

I was always told nice guys finish last, they never get the girl. They never get anything. High school had been like that for me. I had never gotten anything but laughed at, especially when I had asked the head cheerleader Natalie out. It had been hell.

I remember being shoved against the locker forcefully, my head collided with the metal with force and a dull ache spreading through my skull as my eyes focused upon a jock. His words slicing me deep, almost as deep as the ones my mother had sliced within me long ago. The scars still remained.

I shivered as I pushed the memories away, the memories I had long since tried to suppress. I suppose I did the things I did to get attention in some way, girls loved me so I didn't see any harm in what I was doing, I really wasn't harming anybody, right?

Nobody but myself.

I looked back towards Rye, something but her stirred something inside of me I had long since forgotten. Emotions I wasn't use to portraying and feeling. I was afraid to feel this way, I was terrified to actually be caught up within a girl.

A dangerous one at that.

It was pure madness. I stared at the clock and it read 2:30 am and I groaned, Rye being here seemed to only worsen the problem of not being able to sleep. I shrugged back into my shirt and slipped my feet in my moccasins and then slide into my jacket as I exited the hotel room.

I needed some time to be away Rye, I needed some time to think. It was hard to think so clearly when she was right there in front of me. I headed down the stairs and towards the street, I would go for a walk and for as long as I needed too to clear my mind.

Then I felt overpowered by something and froze in my steps, thoughts staggered throughout my head. Why do I care so much about Rye? Why did I feel such urges to protect her? I leaned against the building for a moment to catch my breath. Why did I feel such happiness to see her smile? The way she laughed always made my heart race, and when she had wrapped her arm around my waist.

It was pure electricity across my skin, igniting small fires along the way.

I refused to believe the answer was that I was in love. I refused to believe that one girl that seemed to hate me I was in love with.

Her face floated in my mind before I huffed out a breath.

"Caleb, you're ridiculous for falling for the one girl who will never fall for you."

I continued to walk and stopped for coffee and drank as I walked along side the river in Deerfeild Park, my thoughts being consumed within my own feelings and what I had to do with them. I let myself sit upon a bench near the water, letting myself down in my thoughts.

There were several possibilities. I could ignore them and pretend I didn't feel so strongly for Rye, I could pretend this didn't happen. But that'd be hard and I knew deep in my gut that wasn't the choice I really wanted to choose.

Second choice was I could accept them but not act on them, continue being manwhore Caleb and have her hate me once more and then possibly move on with my life. That option didn't sit so well either.

The third option.

A smile lit my face as I watched as the sun started coming up over the lake. For the first time in a long time I was completely sated with my selfish, I was satisfied with the option I had come up with. I tossed the cup into the trash can besides me.

I had spent the entire night outside thinking about Rye, I suppose that happens when you're caught up in the girl of your dreams.

The third option: I'd just have to make her fall in love with me.

After all, who could resist me?

I am Caleb Turman.