“Got that right,” he says, and unbeknownst to me, my palm turns up, an offering for something more.
And Caleb delivers. He slips his fingers between mine and curls them gently around my hand.
I have nothing to say after that. We drive in silence, my mind racing while my nerves scatter in every direction. Through that thin thread between us, the press of our palms against each other, I can feel him, feel the beat of his frantic heart as if it were my own.
But it’s a comfortable silence. I don’t feel pressured to speak. It’s an odd sensation. While I drive, Caleb flips through my playlists, searching for something we both like. His fingers stop, and he peers over at me.
“Fuck off. You like EDM? I thought you’d like classical music or something.”
I scoff at that. There’s a lot he doesn’t know about me.
“And I thought you’d like country music or heavy metal.”
He shrugs, his hand squeezing mine. “I could go for both, but EDM is cool, too. Now, Sem and Luke like classic rock.”
“You have better taste then.”
He grins at that and puffs up slightly, making my lips twitch.
I shouldn’t like that he enjoys my praise so much.
“Oh, shit. Turn here,” Caleb suddenly says, pointing to an unlit, unpaved road. It’s starting to rain harder now, and I flick my windshield wipers on faster. It’s fucking dark out here, and I lean forward slightly, trying to see where I’m going. There’s not much out here in the high desert. Just rocky hills, shrubs, and a few native trees.
“How much longer?” I ask when a tire drops into a divot, and my car lets out a loud, ugly crunch. “Shit.”
“Told you I should’ve driven,” Caleb says. “My Jeep would handle this better.”
“I was not driving in that deathtrap for over an hour. I’m amazed it still runs.”
“Serves you right, then,” he says with a chuckle. “You’re such a snob.”
That makes me bristle slightly. Am I? I know it would make sense if I were, but it still hurts that he thinks that about me.
“Yeah, turn right here,” Caleb says, and I see a long driveway appear. I turn down it, and in the distance an old two-story house appears before us. A few outdoor lights cast a soft glow over it, and from here I see that it’s a little worn. Most likely from the sun and the sand out here, but it’s his home. It’s nothing like mine, which is gaudy and cold.
To the right, I see an oversized, detached garage, and beyond it, there is nothing but open high desert and shrubs stretching for miles.
As we approach, I see Caleb rub at his chest, his throat clicking.
He seems almost nervous. Not sure why. This is his family, and from what I can see, they love one another. That’s more than a lot of people have.
I park the car, and Caleb turns to look at me, something like regret on his face. Does he not want me here?
Is he ashamed of me?
“You were warned,” he says, and a nervous breath rushes out of me.
It seems I was spiraling for nothing. He’s just worried about how I’ll handle his family. But shouldn’t he know by now? I handle them just fine.
“I’ll be okay,” I say as I push the driver’s door open. From here, I see Aunt Del open the front door and step out, a kitchen towel thrown over her arm. Her face lights up when she sees the two of us, and I realize that in all my life, my parents have never once looked at me like this.
“The boys are here,” Aunt Del shouts and then rushes toward me, pulling me into a crushing hug. I still don’t know what to do with all this affection. So, I just lean down and hold her against me for a moment. My hands pat her back awkwardly, and she chuckles softly.
She has to know how hard this is for me.
“Geez,” Caleb grunts at my side. “Feelin’ the love.”
Aunt Del pulls away and smacks Caleb on the shoulder playfully before wrapping her arms around him as well. He squeezes her tightly and then lifts her off the ground, twirling her around. She shrieks and bats at him, and then Sem and Luke appear on the porch, along with an older man, who I assume is his uncle.