Their Violence, Your Silence.

The next morning I didn’t rush Jared into taking me to school or anything like that. But I didn’t think Caleb would come to pick me up again. Not after the way he’d seemed to be ignoring me.

Was he really that embarrassed about nearly kissing me? Or was that all in my head? Had I imagined things?

It was nearly time for Jared to leave for work when the doorbell rang. I opened the door quickly, already having my backpack slung across my shoulder.

It wasn’t Caleb though, but Shane and with him Cassie.

A sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach told me I was disappointed but I firmly scolded myself: stupid girl you didn’t think he’d really drive you to school every day? He probably hated doing it but felt obligated because I seemed to get into trouble so often.

‘Morning Win, ready to go to school?’ said Shane as I followed him to the car. Jared was staring after him with a frown but smiled slowly when he saw Cassie waving animatedly at us from the car.

I shouldn’t complain I thought as I smiled back at Cassie and settled in the backseat of
Shane’s car. It wasn’t en expensive car, probably second hand but I bet he paid for it himself.

‘I told Caleb we were driving you today, I hope you don’t mind?’ said Cassie as soon as we were driving away.

‘Meaning: She didn’t leave him any choice, man I really wouldn’t want to be Caleb when she convinced him!’ interjected Shane.

‘Yeah yeah, whatever,’ Cassie waved offhandedly at him and then turned around in her seat to look at me, it was a look that said: we have some serious business to discuss.

‘Now, how’s it going between you and him? Has he made a move yet?’

I stared at Cassie in complete shock, was she serious? Then I glanced at Shane and realized he didn’t look surprised at all. Nonetheless I could feel my cheeks heating up as I remembered how close Caleb had been to me in the kitchen yesterday.

‘Ah!’ Cassie exclaimed when I looked away from her, refusing to answer.

It was the most grueling twenty minutes I ever spend in a car. Somehow Cassie made me tell her everything that happened with Shane occasionally butting in with a question.

I was so relieved when we finally reached the school that I jumped out of the car and ran straight into Damien. Accidently of course.

I nearly fell over but he gripped my arm and held me upright, a glare on his face that twisted his features in a very nasty way. I shivered and realized that even at its worst Caleb had never looked at me that way.

His grip on my arm was starting to hurt but he didn’t let go, instead he lifted me a bit up and off the ground so I was standing tiptoe. Still I had to crane my neck to look him in the eye. Cold blue eyes.

I could hear Cassie behind me tell Damien to let me go and then Shane saying something more forceful along the same lines. Damien seemed not to hear them though as his glare intensified.

Then all of a sudden I was pulled backwards by an arm around my waist while at the same time Damien was shoved away from me by a leather clad arm.

‘Don’t touch her Damien!’ said Caleb in cold clipped words.

Damien seemed to come alive, his eyes blazing with anger. ‘She’s not your property! And you’re not my boss so I can do whatever I want!’

Caleb pulled me further backwards and into his side tightly, his arm encircling my waist. ‘No she’s not mine but that doesn’t mean you can just go ahead and hurt her!’

My arm tingled as the blood returned to my fingers and I wriggled them to help ease the feeling.

Damien was staring at Caleb and I with a glare on his face before he made an inelegant sound that reminded me of a boar and stalked off.

Still, Caleb didn’t let me go as he looked down at me with concerned eyes.

‘You hurt anywhere Winter?’

I shivered from the close contact this time as I nodded my head. Realizing how nice he smelled. A combination of diesel, leather and a distinctly male smell that made me feel alive.

Still tucked into his side Caleb started walking with me towards the school, ‘You coming guys?’ he called over his shoulder to Shane and Cassie once as we disappeared inside.



The week passed by relatively uneventful and I was really happy about that. No more run ins with Damien or Marley and by Friday Caleb and I were no longer the gossip of the school.

Caleb wasn’t ignoring me either so I was sure I had made that part up, must have been the nerves. Although we never mentioned the whole kitchen event ever again. It was a bit like it had never happened.

Caleb picked me up and drove me home every day and walked me to and from classes like a faithful guardian. I had long since stopped protesting and decided I might as well try enjoy his company.

It wasn’t hard.

I dare say that by the end of the week we had fast become friends. Talking about all kinds of subjects and laughing and joking together with Shane and Cassie and sometimes other guys from the swim team as well.

On Thursday I had a movie night with Katie and Cassie together and of course Cassie filled Katie in on the progress. Well they called it progress I called it ridicules. They were seeing things that weren’t there.

I had admitted to them that I was wrong about Caleb hating my guts though, because obviously he didn’t anymore.

All in all this was the best week since the start of school so far I decided.