One Step Closer(50)

Her entire world was about to change. Edison was gone, and so was Caleb.





WREN WOKE TO A loud knock on her door followed by Caleb’s voice.


“Hey, Bird. Are you up?”

Wren sat up and put her hand into her hair, blinking at the sunlight streaming in below the half-closed window shade. She was still dressed in her leotard after her “chat” with Macy the night before. She’d fallen asleep after she’d cried herself out.

“Wren? Are you okay?”

Wren inhaled and scooted toward the edge of the bed. “Coming!” She didn’t think about what she looked like; she just hurried to open the door.

Caleb was standing in front of her, a look of concern flashing across his face. He was dressed casually in dark jeans and a dark blue button down; his hair was combed but still slightly damp from his shower, and his face was freshly shaved. The musky clean scent of his cologne enveloped her. Her heart stopped in her chest at how handsome he looked.

“Oh, crap,” she muttered and turned back into her room, motioning with her hand for him to follow. It didn’t occur to her that it might seem inappropriate for Caleb to be in her room. It was Caleb. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Caleb watched her retreating back, his eyes roaming down her slender body, still clad in the pink leotard. “You didn’t sleep?” He moved hesitantly into the room, taking stock of the way the covers were pulled from one side of the bed onto the other, exposing the sheets. It was as if she had slept on top of her comforter, and the open doorway between her bedroom and the studio.

She went into the bathroom, intent on brushing her teeth and inwardly cringed at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and there were dark smudges of mascara beneath her eyes. She picked up her toothbrush and squeezed toothpaste onto it, before turning on the water and shoving it underneath the stream. “I meant, the outfit. I couldn’t sleep so I danced for a while.” She pushed the brush into her mouth and began to clean her teeth.

“Oh, I can wait downstairs. I just thought we’d go to breakfast. I know you want to shop later, and then we have the visitation…” he hesitated briefly. “I wanted to talk to you.”

Wren bent over the sink and spit into it, wondering how Macy figured into the equation. “So talk.”

“Not here.”

“Okay. Just give me a few minutes.”

“When do you need to be back in New York?”

She rinsed her toothbrush and then used a glass to take a quick gulp of water and swished it around her mouth. She spit again, and then continued. “Not for two weeks, why?” Wren turned back toward Caleb and glanced around the edge of the bathroom door jam. “Do you need help with something? I can stay until the tour starts again, if you need me.”

If I need you, Caleb thought incredulously.

If only he could be completely honest with her about what he wanted and needed from her.

“Just get dressed and we’ll talk over breakfast.”

“Is Macy coming? I know she wanted to shop.” She said the words, but dreaded the answer.

“No. Just us.” He was wishing she’d been awake and ready to go. The last thing he wanted was Macy intruding on this time with Wren. He needed this conversation to get clarity on the best course of action.

“Okay. Let me just hop in the shower and throw on some clothes.”

“Sure. I’ll wait for you downstairs.” He turned to leave.

“Cale?”

Caleb stopped and turned back to her. She had turned on the water in the shower. He could hear it running, but she’d moved further into the bathroom. He could see her reflection in the mirror as she untied her skirt and let it fall. He froze, as she started to push the leotard off her shoulders, giving him a glimpse of the creamy skin of her back. His memory was filled with flashbacks of their one night together. How she felt, how she smelled and tasted. His dick twitched inside his jeans and his heart seized painfully. His hand rose to rub the back of his neck as he quickly turned away to give her some privacy, and to get a grip on his feelings.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t feel like spending hours shopping. Macy seems like she loves it, but I just need a couple of dresses. I mean; this is a funeral. This isn’t for fun.”

“Yeah, I get it. I’ll handle Macy.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll see you downstairs.” Caleb shut the door behind him and walked down stairs.

God. He still had it so bad for her. He knew he’d never feel for anyone, like he felt about Wren, but all of the time, distance, and lack of contact hadn’t changed one damn ache. Despite everything, and the conversation he knew he’d have to have with her about the two of them, after the decision was made. He wanted the will issue to be resolved and the funeral over and then he’d come clean on all of it. He’d have to if he ever expected to be in her life, and he wanted to. It was a burden his heart was tired of carrying. He owed her a lot of things; the least of all was the whole truth.

Heading to the kitchen to the smell of fresh brewed coffee, he knew he’d find Jonesy already at work. The old woman had her back to him, unloading the stainless steel dishwasher, and he didn’t want to startle her. She was softly humming to herself; a tune that Caleb didn’t recognize, and probably one she was making up as she went. He could see she was deep in thought.