Just One Year(26)

My heart fluttered.

Teagan: I’m glad.

Caleb: I’m not sure I want to go home, but I know I have to. My mind doesn’t wander as much to dark places here.

He’d only been here a few months, but the idea of Caleb leaving already made me anxious. He made me feel less alone, like there was finally someone in this house who understood me a little.

Teagan: My mind wanders to dark places, too.

After several seconds of nothing, he responded again.

Caleb: Tell me your darkest thought, and I’ll tell you mine. Murky waters are less scary to navigate when not alone.

I didn’t have to think about it. My darkest thought was recurring.

Teagan: My darkest thought is that my mother was right—that she shouldn’t have had me. Whenever I feel out of place or detached from everything around me, I think maybe that’s because I wasn’t supposed to be here.

I could see he was typing something.

Caleb: Our darkest thoughts have a similar theme. Mine is that I wish with all of my heart and soul that it had been me who climbed into that chest instead of Emma. So, you and I are two people who wonder whether we belong here. We have that in common.

Wow. I guess we do.

Teagan: I definitely feel less alone since you arrived.

I hadn’t intended to be so candid. I wished I could take it back until his response.

Caleb: You’re not the only one, Teagan.





CHAPTER TEN




* * *



CALEB




It was about seven in the evening, just before dinner. I’d been looking forward to spending my first night back at the house in a few days and resuming my study sessions with Teagan tonight.

The doorbell rang, and Maura went to answer it. Then I heard my name being uttered by someone with a British accent. I went downstairs to check things out, and the sight of my friend from the UK standing in the doorway nearly knocked the wind out of me.

What the hell is he doing here?

Archie spotted me at the top of the stairwell and held his hands out wide. “Surprise!”

I ran down the stairs. “What’s going on? Why are you here?”

“It’s good to see you, too, mate.”

Maura smiled wide, probably thinking this was a pleasant surprise. It really wasn’t. This was weird.

“I’m just shocked. You didn’t tell me you were coming.”

“I know. It was supposed to be a surprise. Your mum gave me the address. I applied for a three-month work assignment here in the States and wasn’t sure if I was going to get it. I finally got confirmation a couple of weeks ago. And here I am.”

“Who’s this nice young man, Caleb?” Maura asked.

He answered before I had the chance. “I’m Caleb’s best friend, Archie.”

Best friend? That was a bit of a stretch. Archie and I had known each other since childhood, yes. But I’d never referred to him as my best friend. I had a friend back home called Charlie who’d always been given that distinction. Archie was more of a person who always happened to be in close proximity, one I couldn’t get rid of—sort of like a wart.

“You must stay for dinner,” Maura said.

Archie looked between Maura and me. “Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.”

Sure, you don’t.

***

Everyone gathered at the table for Maura’s famous spaghetti and meatballs.

I’d just walked into the dining room with Archie after showing him my room and the rest of the house.

“Nice to meet you, Archie,” Shelley said before I had a chance to introduce him to anyone.

“Who’s this lovely lady?” he asked.

“This is my pseudo-sister, Shelley,” I said before looking over at Teagan, who was already seated. “And this is…Teagan.” I didn’t know what Teagan was to me at the moment, just that she meant a lot more than she had when I first moved in.

Teagan nodded and smiled but didn’t bother to get up or extend her hand. Typical Teagan—guarded and aloof, just how I’d grown to like her. Especially now. I was perfectly fine with her keeping her guard up around this guy. I didn’t want Archie anywhere near her.

Once we were situated in our seats, Maura began asking him questions. The friendly inquisition reminded me a bit of my first night here.

“So tell me about what brings you to Boston, Archie.”

“I graduated from uni last year and got a job working for a biomedical company. We have a client here in Boston. It’s a three-month assignment to help them with the design of a new product.” He looked over at me. “I was really hoping to get it since I knew my mate was here.”

Lorne spoke with a mouthful of pasta. “Where are you staying?”

“Well, my company gave me a stipend, but I’m still trying to work that out. It’s not easy to find something for only a few months. I’d arranged to rent a room from a girl in Dorchester, but she’s having trouble getting her previous occupant out.”

Maura shook her head. “Nonsense. We have an extra bedroom upstairs. It’s just wasting away as my sewing room. You can stay free of charge and keep the stipend.”

I loved Maura, but right now I sort of wanted to kill her—with a chicken bone, perhaps.