Page 46 of I Don’t Need Your Protection (Harrington Bay Academy #1)
Addie
“You’re staying?!” I ask incredulously as Caleb spins me around.
“I just had a talk with my dad,” he says as he lowers me to the ground and takes hold of my hands. “I told him I don’t want to be in the family business anymore. I want a different life for myself.”
“Really? That’s great, Caleb.” I wrap my arms around him and bury my face between his neck and shoulder. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks, but I couldn’t have done it without you.
You made me realize that I can have so much more in my life.
That I thought I owed it to my mom to follow in her footsteps, like I was keeping her legacy alive.
But I know she would want me to follow my heart.
She would want me to be happy.” He looks at me and smiles.
“Thanks so much for everything you’ve done. ”
Grandfather gets up from the bench. “I suppose it’s time I return to my hotel.
” He moves closer to Caleb and holds out his hand.
Caleb shakes it. “Once again, thank you for looking out for my granddaughter. You saved her life, and I will be forever grateful to you. I’m very glad you two have grown close, but I must emphasize that you behave appropriately with each other. ”
“Grandfather!” I gasp, my cheeks burning. He and I are just establishing a relationship and he’s already embarrassing me?
“You are not allowed to be alone together like you were up until now,” he continues. “No getting together or sleeping in Addie’s room anymore, young man. Do you understand me?”
“Someone kill me now,” I mutter as I squish my face into Caleb’s chest.
“Of course, sir. I would never.”
“You are to return to your room and live there from now on,” he says. “Addie will have a new roommate. I believe she’s your friend, Addie? Carly something.”
My head springs up. “Carly? Yes!”
“I understand one hundred percent, Mr. Bradshaw,” Caleb says. “I promise I’ll treat your granddaughter with nothing but respect.”
He nods curtly. “Very well. I’ll return to my hotel now.”
He holds out his arms for me, and I hug him. We remain like this for a few extra seconds, and then he wishes us goodbye and leaves for his hotel.
Caleb smiles, holding out his hand to me. “Let’s go somewhere private. But not too private,” he adds with a wink.
“Your winks make me feel like silly putty. But oh my gosh,” I grumble as we walk away to a more secluded part of the courtyard. “How mortifying was my grandfather? I swear he might be worse than my dad.”
“I think it’s sweet,” he says as we sit down on a slab of stone. He wraps me in his arms so my back presses to his chest and sweeps his lips across my temple. “He loves you a lot.”
“I think he feels like he’s getting a second chance at life,” I say.
“He might not have been able to patch his relationship with his son, but he can make up for it through me. I was worried my dad might be upset if he knew I wanted a relationship with my grandfather, but I think he would be happy. He’d love to learn his dad was trying to make things right. ”
“I agree,” he says.
I twist around so I can look into his eyes. “What about you? Is everything okay with your dad?”
He nods with a smile. “Everything is great. My dad felt bad that I didn’t have a normal childhood, but he thought it was what I wanted.
But once we discussed how I felt, he was happy to let me embark on my own path.
But I’m still going to look after you, my beautiful girlfriend.
Even though I know you can take care of yourself, because you’re so strong and brave, I’ll always be there in case you need someone to lean on. ”
I lock my arms around his neck, staring into his eyes. “How are you so perfect, my sexy boyfriend?”
“Me, perfect? You’re the perfect one, Addie Hayes. ”
I shake my head. “Never.”
“Of course you are. You’re perfect for me. That’s why I love you so much.”
I search his eyes, my heart feeling like it’ll rocket out of my chest.
He nods, gazing at me intensely as he caresses my cheeks. “I love you, Addilyn Hayes.”
I press my lips to his. “I love you, too, Caleb…er, what’s your real last name?”
He chuckles. “Ashton.”
“Caleb Ashton. Sexy.”
He chuckles again before pressing his lips to mine.
I know we’re not exactly in private and that anyone can stumble upon us, but neither of us cares.
We kiss as though we’re long-lost romantic partners who haven’t seen each other in years.
We’re urgent at times, slow and patient at others.
Passionate but also sweet. It feels like a million hours pass, but I’m sure it’s only a few minutes. Still, I can kiss this guy for hours.
“Silly putty,” I mutter as I continue devouring his lips.
He presses his forehead to mine. “I appreciate you so much, Addie. You changed my life for the better the moment we met, and I know you’ll only make me a better person in the years to come. Because you have such a big heart.”
“I know we’re too young to admit this, but I know you and I will be together forever. You changed my life for the better, too, Caleb, in more ways than one. If not for you, I wouldn’t be alive. You’ve always made me feel protected and like I mattered. I was never only a job to you. ”
He shakes his head. “No, you weren’t just a job. You were my life. You are my life.”
I grin. “You’re my life, too.”
***
“I’ll definitely miss waking up to your annoying trumpet alarm,” I tell Caleb when we’re back in my room. He’s cleaning out whatever items he left here and moving into his room.
“I can arrange for that to still happen,” he says with the boyish smile that I love so much.
“Pass.”
He laughs.
“I’ll also miss seeing you working out without a shirt,” I tell him, fanning myself. “How will I get through the days without my daily dose of hotness?”
He gives me another smile. “That can be arranged, too.”
I giggle. “I think my grandfather would chase you out of the school.”
“He definitely would.”
Smiling, I wrap my arms around him, closing my mouth over his.
A short while later, someone knocks on the door. When I open it, I come face-to-face with Carly, surrounded by her suitcases. “Your new roommate has arrived!”
We squeal as we fling our arms around each other. “I can’t believe you’re my roommate!” I say.
“I can’t believe I’m your roommate!” she says.
I grab her hand and pull her in, then help her bring in her bags. Carly waves at Caleb. “Hey, Addie’s boyfriend.” She beams. “I love saying that. I’m so happy you guys are together. You should have heard how heartbroken Addie was when you pulled away from her.”
“I wasn’t that bad,” I say.
“Oh, you were. Bring it in, guys.” She stretches her arms over both of us. “Happy endings do come true, huh?”
I smile at Caleb. “They do.”
He returns the smile. “Definitely.” He reaches for my hand and squeezes it. “I should head to my room and check what kind of roommate I have. Fingers crossed that he’s not messy.”
“Or a jerk,” I say.
“Or a troublemaker. Hey, Caleb. Remember we’re all hanging out together at the rec room tomorrow. The girls and I want to get to know you better.”
His lips lift as he nods. “I’ll be there.” He turns to me. “Walk me to my room?”
“I was planning to do that!”
“Great minds think alike,” Carly says. “Or maybe, soulmates think alike.”
I wave to her. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Just remember to sneak in some smooches on the way.”
Caleb and I laugh as we leave.
Once I help him get settled in, Caleb and I go out on the balcony and look at the landscape. “The world is beautiful, isn’t it?” I say.
He wraps an arm around me, tucking me close to his body. “The world is beautiful and filled with beautiful people. For years I didn’t trust the world, but you made me see the good in it. The good in people. If my mom was alive, she would have loved you. She would be so happy that I found you.”
“Really?” I ask.
He nods as he takes me in his arms and rubs circles on my back.
“I think I buried myself in my work because I didn’t want to deal with the pain of life, but I see now that life is full of pain and joy.
It’s up to us to decide whether we want to live happily or be depressed.
Thanks for helping me choose to be happy. ”
I snake my arms around his neck and smile at him. “Thanks for showing me what true love is like.”
We make out for a few minutes. Then I say, “I’m really looking forward to the future, Caleb. Good stuff and the bad, we can tackle them all. As long as we have each other. And our families and friends. I’m looking forward to meeting your dad. You think he’ll like me?”
He kisses the top of my head. “He’ll love you. He’s looking forward to meeting you, too.”
We stay out here and watch the sunset together, and then I quickly run to the girls’ dorm.
My life has changed so much in such a short amount of time.
Like I told Caleb, we’re going to have ups and downs, joy and sadness.
But as long as we stay positive and surround ourselves with people we love, we can get through anything.