Forever Black (Nightwalkers 2) (12 page)

She couldn't help but laugh. Caleb's long fingers were
delved into boxers as he grabbed himself. A leather bracelet hung on his wrist,
a small tattoo in the space between his thumb and forefinger. She knew it was
Caleb because she immediately recognized the tattoos on his lower abdomen and
hip.

Minimizing the photo, she sent him a text back.

As long as that stays a solo, I love it.

"Really?" She looked up from her phone and caught
the annoyed look on the Count's face. She smiled at him and set the cell next
to her. "I didn't know that."

"And you still do not know the password to the wireless
internet." He laughed as he took out his phone. It was a fancy model that
had a thick, black cover on it. "Let me inquire with Neal on the
matter."

"Wow…" She giggled as she watched him quickly
type. "You text? And here I thought you were an old-fashioned guy."

"My age is the only thing
old
about me." He didn't look up at her. It seemed he was
writing something longer than "What is the password to the wireless
internet."

"You don't look old to me." A small smile peeked
on her face. It was a shy expression, her head turning slightly downward and to
the side. "You looked refined, like a gentleman."

He looked at her strangely, but she was sending a text to
Caleb and didn't notice. "Refined…like the sinful waters of hell that run
through my veins."

"I think I'm going to steal some of those lines."
She playfully nudged his shoulder as she pensively bit her lip. "I bet
you've got some great romantic lines, too."

"So I am told." He glanced toward the door then
back at her. "Do you wish to join the others tonight?" His eyes
narrowed on her. "Can you conduct yourself in a respectable manner?"

"Can I wear my own clothes?"

"No." He turned to his phone when it beeped,
reading the answer to her question aloud. "The password is
killzone666." He laughed as he looked over at her. "Easy to
remember."

"I won't go unless I get to wear my own clothes."

"No." His eyes narrowed on the screen of his phone
instead of her.

"I thought you didn't like technological stuff."
She spoke teasingly as she watched him send someone another text.

"I said your laptop was a waste of time. I was
referring to your addiction to the internet." He pointed to her phone.
"And apparently porn, as well."

"Hey." She sent him a dirty look. Even though she
was angry he had seen Caleb's picture, she tried to brush it off. "What's
your number?" Her fingers poised to type it.

"So you can send me those ridiculous—"

"Fine." She pulled his phone from his hands and
went to his messages. "Then, I'll take it by force." She laughed.
"Gosh, your keys are so slick, like you text a lot." She quickly sent
herself a text. Then, she snooped through the inbox of his phone, many of the
messages from women. She went to open one, but he ripped it away from her
before she could.

"Please, don't—" The ding of a new message
interrupted him.

Remember me.

A small giggle escaped her lips as she watched him read her
text. "Save it."

Instead of smiling, he quickly looked away. He put his phone
slowly back into his suit jacket. "Dinner is at seven. I will see you
then."

"Can I wear my own clothes?"

"No." He stood.

"Then, I'm not going." She turned away from him
and opened her laptop.

"As you wish."

"I—" She glanced up, but he had disappeared. A
deep sigh escaped her lips as she rolled her eyes.

She worked on
Forever
Black
for a little bit, but she couldn't concentrate, so instead she called
Natalie. She spoke to her for about a half an hour until she heard a knock at
the door and quickly ended her call to answer it.

"Lady Brown?" Neal was standing at the door. He
had two large boxes in his hands. "These came for you this
afternoon."

"Thanks." She motioned toward the floor. "Can
you put those right there?"

"Of course." He set them down.

It was about seven thirty, and she had missed dinner with
the others. She could see the slight anger on Neal's face, but her eyes didn't
linger on his long enough to care. He waited a few seconds for her to say
something, but she didn't. Instead, she went over to the boxes and started
going through them. She smiled when she picked up the note that lay on top of her
clothes.

Char picked up some stuff for you. Hope this works.
Lotsa
love, Caleb.

"Would you like to come downstairs?" Neal watched
her pick up a child's thermos, a small laugh escaping her lips. He looked at
her strangely then at what was in her hands.

"No, but—" She handed him the thermos. "Will
you get me something to drink? I don't drink from live donors. I usually have
Caleb do this for me, but he's not here."

"I…" He gazed at the thermos. He turned it around
in his hand as he stared at it in confusion. "Guess…I could."

"Thanks." She turned back to the box.

"Are you coming downstairs?" Neal still stood near
the open door, motioning for her to follow him.

"No." She waved him away. "I have to finish a
chapter of my book before tomorrow. Just bring me some back."

"Oh…" He sighed as he shook his head.
"Kay."

* * * *

Ashleigh was tired of being cooped up in her room, but
instead of going downstairs, she was having a texting conversation with Caleb.
As she spoke, she did her hair and makeup in front of the mirror.

How was the concert?

Caleb responded quickly.

Concert sucked. Kris was drunk and totally missed his solo
in Might.

What are you doing now?

Gettin
fucked up!

Nice.

Check this out.

Her lips formed a deep frown as she studied the picture that
came in the next text. It was of Kris getting blown by a fan in the limo. The
sight of it infuriated her. She quickly sent him a reply.

How do I know that's not you?

Wah
?????
Y u ask that?

When she didn’t respond right away, her phone rang. She
answered it reluctantly. "What?"

"What's with you?" Caleb's voice was louder than
normal, and she could tell he was drunk. "I thought it'd make you
laugh."

"Why do you have fans in your limo?" She was
curling her hair. The iron was wrapped around a long strand as she waited for
the curl to set.

"It's not me, babe—it's Kris. He picked up a few at the
last bar we went to."

"And how do I know you won't pick up some too?"
She released the strand from the curler, waving the iron around in her hand.

"’Cause I wouldn't."

"Why?"

"Why would you even ask me that?" Caleb's anger
seeped through his tone. "And you know
exactly
why. Because I love you. You don't trust me, do you? That's what this is about,
isn't it?"

She turned from the mirror and set the iron down on the vanity
near her. "No."

Caleb let out an annoyed sigh, and she could hear his quick
breath. "Why? Why the hell can't you trust me? You know I would never
cheat on you."

"I know how desperate some girls can get. They'd do
anything to get a piece of Caleb Mason. You're a rock star—that kind of stuff
just happens sometimes."

"So does
accidentally
fucking the Count." There was venom in his words.

"What? What does he have to do with anything?"

"I don't fucking trust you, either."

"What?" She stood and started to pace as the
argument escalated. "You don't trust me? That's not fair. I
wouldn't—"

"It isn't?" He let out an annoyed huff of air.
"So, you expect me to be a good little boy and let you fuck around on me
while you're there? You think I'm just
gonna
sit here
and say it's okay? Well, it's not! It's not fucking okay!"

"You're drunk, Caleb." Palming her forehead, she
closed her eyes and tried to cool her anger. "I don't—"

"Fuck being drunk!" His voice raised. "This
isn't about drinking! It has to do with my fiancé living with another man and
knowing he's fucking her, and I can't do anything to stop it! Fuck, Ashleigh!
It's not fair!"

Her nose squished upwards, a few tears falling from her
eyes. She tried not to let the wetness affect her voice, "If we can't
trust each other then maybe we shouldn't be together."

"What the fuck, Ashleigh? What the hell do you want me
to do? Huh? You want me to wear a fucking camera around my fucking neck so you
can see I'm not cheating on you? I'm not! What the fuck—"

"That’s it, Caleb. I'm tired of all this. I'm
done."

"What? So, now you're breaking up with me?"

"I never said that." She slowly sat in the chair
near the vanity.

"Fuck you didn't! You just fucking said it!"

"Stop yelling at me, Caleb."

"Fine. You want to stay with that asshole and be his
whore, don't fucking talk to me anymore."

"Fine." She wiped at her nose. "Then, I
won't."

"I don't want to see you again either." Someone
screamed Caleb's name in the background, and she could hear a car door open.
Then, she heard the door slam shut. "Go sleep with the Count ’cause you're
never coming back into my bed after you fucking cheated on me like that."

"Hey." Charlotte
spoke, her voice covering up Caleb's as she took his phone.
"Ashleigh?"

"I'm done, Char. I mean it." Ashleigh was crying
harder now, her voice choppy and wet.

"Come on, Ash. He's drunk. He doesn't know what he's
saying. Just call him tomorrow, and—"

"No, I won't. I won't call him, ever. I'm done with him
and his partying."

"Don't be like that." Charlotte sighed. Her voice was almost
covered up by the sound of Caleb fighting with Kris in the background.
"Caleb's upset. He just misses you, and he thinks you're doing that guy.
Think about how he feels—"

"Maybe now he'll understand how
I
feel about all this damn groupie rumor crap."

"You know Caleb doesn't do that, Ashleigh. He's never
cheated on you. Just because Kris is drunk enough to get blown in the limo
doesn't mean Caleb will. He loves you. He wouldn't do something like
that."

"I don't believe you."

"Don't then."

She quickly hung up and called Natalie, who was in the
process of getting up for work.

"Ash?" Natalie's voice was upbeat, the soft sound
of the faucet running in the background. "What's up?"

"I just got into a fight with Caleb." She wiped
her eyes. Sniffling, she crossed one of her legs over her knee. "I broke
up with him."

"What happened this time?" Natalie let out a tired
sigh, but her voice still remained friendly. "You're fighting about this
Krest
thing?"

"He's cheating on me, I know it."

"Didn't I tell you that?" Ashleigh could hear
Natalie pouring some liquid into a glass. "I warned you…I said, Ash he's a
rock star—"

"I know. I shouldn't expect to change him."

"So, how do you know he's cheating?"

"Well…I don't really. I just think he would."

"I can see your point. Caleb's gorgeous, and there's
tons of girls out there that would love to hop in his bed. A guy like that
isn't husband material. What was that he told you? When you get pregnant, he's
going to go on tour with you and your baby? Is that what you want? To be
Caleb's groupie for the rest of your life?"

"No."

"He comes to one thing that's important to you and you
get all love-struck again and go off with him. He took advantage of your
fragile emotional state about your grandpa dying. I don't trust him and neither
should you."

"Maybe."

"Well,
maybe
you need to use this time in
Krest
to get all this
figured out. Caleb needs to, too. If he gets all stupid like that, then you
know he's not worth it."

"But I love him."

"I know you do." The sound of a car engine
appeared in the background and a second of loud music that was quickly hushed.
"But he's just your fantasy. Relationships like that don't work in real
life."