Chapter 24

" Please tell me that is not your car, " he murmured, cautiously moving closer to me. 

" I would , but then that would be a lie. "

He glanced up at me, then proceeded to ran his fingers across the vehicle's side. 

It was a sleek black Ferrari. 

A birthday gift from my parents when I turned sixteen. They had had it delivered to the school since they were unable to make it themselves. And my favorite teacher, Mr. Craig had taught me how to drive and helped me get my license.

I told J.R all this as I placed his suitcase in the trunk. Then I opened the passenger door for him and he got in.

We had said goodbye to all our friends, most of whom were either waiting for their rides to come get them, travelling to the airport to catch their booked flights or driving out along with us. 

He watched me as I started the car and made the way for the gate. Then he gasped and turned to me.

" Wait, you're not taking me to meet your parents. Are you?" 

He sounded horrified. And I would have loved to taunt him but I concluded that I had already tortured him enough.

" No, so you can rest easy. "

" Can I at least know how long this journey will take? "

" Two hours, give or take. And I'd prefer it if you thought of it as a road trip instead. "

He leaned against his seat and opened up his window, then he reached forward and turned on the radio. Changing the channels until he found one with music whose words I could actually understand.

Then took out his phone and I heard him take a photo before he began swaying and humming to the music. It was the first time I had seen him look so free. Like he had damned all consequences to hell. 

I looked at him, at the breeze in his air and the laughter that was still fresh on his lips. I heard him talk and joke throughout the way, pointing out at things that interested him and asking me questions about them. And I knew that those were going to be the best ten days of my life.

Jerald's POV

Calen Silverstein laughed and his eyes would shine with the brightness of a thousand stars. Those same eyes that were like a galaxy of Crystals, that shone with the majesty of sparkling diamonds. He was, simply put, beauty incarnate....my version of perfection in its most primal form.

" I had no clue there were so many varieties of cheese, " I said as I studied the shelf. We had stopped twice during the drive. Once at a fast food restaurant to grab a bite and now at a supermarket. Calen said we needed some supplies for wherever it is he was planning on taking me. 

His shopping cart was full of all sorts of things. Mostly household items and foodstuffs. 

" Just grab the cheddar, and then you can help me find where they've put the milk in this place. " he said as he glanced at the grocery list he had just made less than an hour before while we were at the restaurant.

" I'm pretty certain we passed the milk, "

" Of course we haven't. I would have seen it. "

I huffed out a breath and crossed my arms. Completely positive about what I was saying.

" Yes we have, it was on the isle right after the entrance. "

He glanced back and looked around, as if he could affirm what I was saying from his current position.

" Well why didn't you say anything?"

I frowned, picking the cheddar from the shelf and placing it in the cart.

" Because I wasn't aware that you wanted to buy milk. Something that could have been rectified if you actually let me help you with your list. "

" But I did let you help. " I narrowed my gaze at him and pulled the cart along. Then I reminded him that the only thing he had asked me was whether I liked mayonnaise. 

We got to the grocery isle and picked whatever we needed, then we made our way to the cashier and waited while she did her calculations. Then she turned the computer screen in our direction and pointed at the total amount.

Which was actually more than I had expected.

Calen took out his credit card and handed it over to her. Like it was his responsibility to cater for all my expenses. Something I wasn't comfortable with, besides, my father had left me more money than I knew what to do with. So I asked the cashier to charge only half from Calen's account while I paid for the rest.

Then I turned to Calen and smiled.

" Or were you planning on using all these things on your own?"

" If I had known you were carrying so much money around I would have bought out half the isles in this place. "

I scoffed, then I grabbed half of the shopping bags while Calen grabbed the rest. 

We didn't stop again. 

Calen was a smooth driver, he drove the same way he did everything else, with ease and panache. His movements controlled and his focus easily shifting between the road and me. And after driving for another hour, the tarmacked road came to an end and he branched into this path that led to the woods. I sensed that we were close to wherever we were going because he sighed. He followed the dirt road, through the many trees and fallen branches until we came to this nice log cabin.

It was well preserved, despite the overgrown grass outside. Calen got out of the car and I did the same. Then he walked over to my side and wrapped his arms loosely around my neck.

" I was going to act all gentlemanly and open the door for you, " he said before he kissed me. Then he turned and looked at the cabin. It was two stories high. And Calen took out some keys from his pockets and handed them to me.

" Why don't you unlock the door while I get our luggage, " he said before placing the keys in my hand and walking towards the trunk. I approached the front door and unlocked it, swinging it open before I headed back and helped Calen with the suitcases.

Then I followed him inside. He switched on the lights and I mouthed a wow as I looked around. The decor was modern and refined. Everything representing log cabin living at it's finest.

There was a nice fireplace and the floorplan was open. Which made it possible to see almost all the rooms. Like the updated kitchen

that was more modern than one would expect . And the living space where the fireplace was spoke of warmth.

I saw a framed photo on the table next to the couch and I walked towards it. 

Holding it up to inspect it.

" It's you, " I said. Sounding amused.

It was a photo of Calen, but he was younger. Probably seven or eight. He was on a swing set with two adults who I concluded to be his parents behind him. 

He looked happy.

" It is.....that was a long time ago. " There was this strangled emotion in his voice. But he reigned it in and asked me to follow him to where we'd be sleeping. We. Because we would be sharing a room.

Then afterwards we brought the shopping inside and he parked the car. 

And so our midterm break began.

                            💮🌼💮🌼💮🌼

By the time evening came by I concluded that there was something wrong. Calen seemed different somehow, more reserved and dare I say, gloomy.

He had barely said a word to me. Instead he had played with my hair absentmindedly while we were in the couch watching some movie on the flat screen. I don't even recall the title because I had been too busy trying to figure out what was wrong with him. And where all the excitement had been drained to.

At around five he said that he was going to take a bath. So I nodded my okay and waited for him to get back. But he had been in the washroom for close to fourty minutes and I was beginning to get worried.

I called out his name, and when I got no response, I headed to the washroom and after knocking once I walked in.

We were way passed the point of reservations. 

 I found him, in the tab, his head lying on the edge as he stared up at the ceiling. And when I began approaching him he turned to me and smiled a forced smile. And I knew it was forced because it carried none of the charm I had gotten used to. 

" What time is it?" he asked and I told him. Then he sighed and sat up. I got to the tab, and I traced my fingers on its pristine edge. He looked even more like an art piece now. With his brown hair sleek and wet and his eyes fo far away I feared I couldn't reach him.