Page 24 of Never Let Go (Forbidden #1)

Chapter Twenty-Four

CALEB

A fter my colossal fuck up going after Lauren at Strokes, I’d kept to myself.

Busied myself with assignments, lectures, reading…

anything to get my mind off her and how she looked when she asked me to leave.

So that’s how I ended up here, parking my Mustang outside of Bucky’s regretting my life choices after agreeing to meet James for a beer.

I run a hand through my hair and tap the wheel before getting out.

Here goes nothing.

Glancing around, looking for James, my eyes land on a pair of very familiar green eyes.

I can’t say I’m disappointed she’s here until I see who she’s here with.

Fucking Brad. The elation at seeing her quickly turns to jealousy and I clench my jaw at the sight of them.

Are they on a date? As friends? Lauren will never be mine, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t feel like she’s mine and seeing her with another man just rams that point home .

Lauren glances away first and I storm over to the bar, no James in sight. “Whiskey,” I tell the barman as I lean my forearms forward and put my head in my hands. If I have to get an Uber home tonight then fuck it, I will.

I down it in one shot and ask for another. I’m still wondering where the fuck James is when my phone goes off. Reaching into my back pocket, I slide my phone out.

James

Stuck at work, can’t get out. Won’t make it.

Just my fucking luck.

Pushing myself off the bar, I go to leave when I hear, “Professor Anderson, hi.”

Stopping, I roll my eyes and take a deep breath before strolling over to where they’re sitting, giving them a slight nod in greeting. “Brad. Lauren.”

Brad starts yammering on about something but I’m too busy staring at Lauren. She looks fucking gorgeous. Her hair and makeup done and the jealousy that claws its way into me that she’s done this for him and not me, etches away.

“Excuse me,” Lauren says as she gets up from her chair and walks away.

Brad’s still talking and I’m still not paying him any attention. “That’s great, Brad,” I interrupt. “My friend just got here. I’ll catch you later,” and head off in search of where Lauren went.

I know I shouldn’t be chasing her down again , but this seems to be a regular occurrence I can’t stop.

Shoving my way into the women’s bathroom, I blurt the first thing that comes into my head. “We need to stop meeting like this.”

Really, Caleb? You’re an embarrassment .

Lauren spins around and hisses, “Goddammit, Caleb. What are you doing in here?”

“This.”

Confusion mars her pretty face and I take a couple of long strides, reaching out and grabbing a handful of her hair before crashing my lips against hers.

I run my tongue over her bottom lip. Let me in, baby.

Please , I internally beg. She must hear me because her lips part allowing my tongue to slide in.

The kiss is soft and slow, not like our usual heated embraces.

I lose myself in her—her touch, her smell, her taste.

Lauren threads her fingers through my hair and my cock gets harder, pressing against the confines of my jeans.

The bolt of static I always feel when Lauren touches me in full force now that she’s so close.

I keep kissing her tenderly, exactly how I imagined our first kiss to be. One where I could take her out on a date and take her home at the end of the night.

But I can’t.

I draw back and rest my forehead against hers, breathing her in. “Are you on a date with him, sweetheart?” I ask, afraid to hear the answer, but I have to know.

Lauren opens her eyes, her gaze filled with sadness, and a tinge of lust. She swallows and sighs before whispering, “Yes.”

Jealousy rears its ugly head and I’m consumed. The idea of his hands on her, of any man’s hands on her is enough to send me into a rage.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. “Don’t. Don’t date him, Lauren,” I plead, my hands coming up to cup her face.

“Why? You have no say in who I date, Caleb.” She’s not angry, just stating a fact .

Lauren steps away from me and brushes a hand through her hair.

“Caleb, this is like a broken record now. We see each other, you follow me, something happens, and then we go our separate ways only to repeat it again.” She throws her hands up in the air as she starts pacing around.

“I can’t keep going on like this. Something has to give.

I need to find someone of my own age, someone who I can be out in public with.

” Lauren pauses before whispering the last part, “Someone who isn’t my professor. ”

The guilt is overwhelming. I can’t stay away from her but I’m putting both of us at risk.

“I know,” I sigh. “I just—” I stop, not sure what to say.

Sometimes words don’t need to be spoken to understand their meaning because I know, just by looking at Lauren, she has the same conflicting emotions swirling in her eyes as I do.

This push and pull that the universe is doing with us. Forcing us together in unlikely situations only to laugh and say ‘gotcha.’

I reach into my wallet and pull out my card, holding it toward her.

“Take my number. All the students have it for emergencies so it’s not like it’s favoritism or anything.

Just—if you need me for assignments or… whatever.

” I’m fumbling in the dark here with no idea what the fuck I’m doing or what I’m trying to say.

Lauren tilts her head as if contemplating my request and weighing up all the pros and cons. Just when I think she’s going to tell me to get fucked, she reaches out and takes the card from me.

“You should go,” I say. “Brad’s probably wondering where you are and is about to send out a search and rescue team for you.” I smile, though it doesn’t reach my eyes.

Lauren chuckles lightly. “Yeah, you’re probably right.

” She heads to the door and stops as she gets there, her back to me.

It’s barely above a whisper but I hear it anyway.

“I wish things could be different, Caleb. I wish it was you and not Brad.” With that she leaves and for the first time, doesn’t glance back.