Page 107 of Mine

“Cal, it could’ve been so much worse. I’m fine, no one hurt me. Okay?”

“No, Gretchen. It’s anything but.”

I wanted him to hold me in his arms and kiss me, fuck me, anything but look at me like he was now. His green eyes filled with sadness.

“Cal—”

He held his hand up, silencing me.

“I can’t protect you against awoman. What good am I to you? She could’ve killed you. Yet the only reason she knew you even existed was because of me. She wanted to hurt you— because of me. I need to consider that.”

He moved towards the kitchen, peeling off his hoodie and tossing it to me, his scent wrapping itself around me like a comfort blanket.

“I’m going to make you something to eat.”

What is going on?

Why is he being so cold?

I followed him into the kitchen, wrapping my arms around myself as I watched him pouring oil into a pan. He pulled out vine tomatoes and began chopping them roughly, tossing them into a bowl of salad leaves, his eyes refusing to meet mine.

“Cal, don’t shut me out,” I whispered, a lump rising in my throat as he dropped steak into the oil, the sizzling filling the silence.

He continued cooking, adding mushrooms and garlic to the pan as though I hadn’t spoken.

“Cal.”

I moved towards him, pressing my body against his back and felt him tense beneath me.

“Talk to me.”

He turned the steaks with one hand, the other holding mine tightly. I trembled as he turned to me, his eyes dark and deadly.

“I’m fine. Just tired and hungry, I guess.”

He was lying to me.

Despite everything we had been through, he’d never pushed me away like this. I moved back, hoping he would pull me back to him, but he didn’t, he just carried on as though nothing had happened.

“I’m going to takea shower, okay?”

He nodded silently as he grabbed a beer from the fridge, putting him out of my sight temporarily.

Where is my Cal?

After I showered, I dressed quickly, my tummy rumbling at the smell of steak and garlic.

I walked into the kitchen to see mine in the pan, with the large salad beside it in a glass bowl.

He’d poured me a glass of my favourite red wine, and I took a sip, closing my eyes as the familiar taste slid down my throat with promises of calm and relaxation not far away. Before I knew it, I’d drained the wine, and I examined the empty glass with surprise. I shrugged, topping it up and taking a large mouthful.

“I’m sorry.”

The voice startled me as I jumped, turning to see Cal leaning against the doorway watching me, his eyes staring down at the floor.

He was still topless, and I tried not to stare at his delicious body, tanned and toned in all the right places. His jeans were loose on his hips, as though he had taken them off but changed his mind last minute, meaning I could see the delicious V that led down to his silky cock.

I blinked, aware I was off in a fantasy world whilst he was watching me with a bemused expression on his face.