CHAPTER 54: White elephant

CALEB'S POV

Long chapter ahead, people. Be warned. I'm high key loving these Caleb POV's. What do you guys think?? I think you will absolutely love this one 😂😏 Thank you a billion times for 26K reads!! I love you all! ♥♥

***

A terse shove of the door breaks me out of my reverie and my eyes narrow at the figure entering. Nonplussed at her out-of-the-blue arrival, I shoot up from my seat, halting the slow notes I was just playing on the piano. Her gaze is stuck on the floor, her legs swaying a little. She stumbles and I rush posthaste to her side, supporting her petite figure.

Is she...drunk?

Summer suddenly screams and I grimace, trying my best to cover my ears by leaning on my shoulder and holding her at the same time.

"Wh-who are you?" Her slurring words prove my doubts right and I hold her properly, shaking her shoulders slightly so that she would look at me.

"Hey, hey, Summer. Are you drunk?"

"Why does...everyone ask me that stupid fucking question?" She looks at me, blinks, and removes herself from my grip. She staggers towards the dusty countertop and places her empty wine bottle there, supporting herself with its end. I immediately catch sight of her wounded hand, the half-dried blood still leaving a slight stain on the counter.

"What happened?" I march towards her, taking in her hand and brushing her bloody knuckles. She sighs, rolling her eyes, and shakes her head.

"I punched the bloody counter."

"Why?"

"Because I was angry." She hisses and pulls her hand out of my hand. "Scratch that. I am angry."

"At who?"

"At everyone." She mutters and turns away from me. I sense her voice breaking and concern washes over me instantly. I pull her towards me slightly by her shoulders and tilt her chin upwards.

"Did someone hurt you?"

She looks into my eyes and suddenly, I see tears in Summer Jones' eyes. The girl who claimed she is strong and is practically made of steel. The girl who hates talking and feeling various kinds of emotions. The girl who stayed brave for so long but is breaking right in front of me.

I have a sudden desire to decimate whoever decided to hurt her.

I grit my teeth, pulling her into a tight embrace. Her arms instantly fly around my back and she buries her head into the crook of my neck. I run my hands through her tied hair and place a gentle kiss on the top of her head. A pang of pain shoots through my chest at the sight of how much she is hurting and I sigh loudly. I rub her back gently and slowly let go of her, leaning down to wipe her tears.

"Come." I gently mumble and walk her towards the kitchen sink. I turn the tap on, washing her hand tenderly and carefully. She does not react, if she is feeling any kind of pain, and a certain alarm goes off in my head. Wiping her hand with the hem of my t-shirt, I then lead her to where I was seated a few minutes ago. She reluctantly sits in awful silence, a look of distress clouding her red, puffy face. I kneel down, holding her hands and looking straight into her eyes.

Her eyes are still teary and I'm suddenly conscious of how I'm going to get her to calm down. My knowledge in that particular area is quite recondite, as much as I hate to admit it, and right now I don't even know if I could call up Maddie for some advice. I always found it difficult to manage Lucy as she cries sometimes and this situation as well is proving to be one hell of a difficult job.

But this is Summer. No one would get away by hurting her and I'm making sure of that.

"What happened?"

"My m-mom is back."

Damn.

I reminisce all the times she used to talk about her father and I always used to wonder why on earth she never mentioned her. I had a slight idea that maybe they got divorced and she left but hearing it from Summer's lips and seeing her vulnerability towards the topic, makes me realize that it is indeed a very sensitive part of her life, more than I could ever think of.

"When did she return?"

She sniffles and wipes her cheeks with the back of her sleeve, sighing and looking at her twiddling thumbs.

"Around three weeks back."

"And you're telling me now?" I exclaim, standing up. She shoots me a sharp glare and I quickly return to my previous position.

"Which is totally fine considering it's about your mom," I mutter and move my gaze across her face, trying to discern her reaction. My comment, unfortunately, did not manage to dispel the dismal expression etched on her exhausted face. Her glare softens and she rolls her eyes. Shooting up from her seat, she staggers past me, leaving me in a tumbling mess.

"I need more wine." She states and places her hands on her waist, raising an eyebrow.

Would this be an appropriate moment to say how hot she looked?

God. Damn.

I shake my head, holding out my hands towards her, and walk slowly. "I don't think you should be drinking more when you're already...um drunk."

"Are you saying no?"

"Uh, yeah?"

She huffs and brings her fingers to her temples, rubbing them in frustration. She looks at me, biting her lip, and trudges forward. In a few seconds, her hands clasp the collar of my shirt and she pins me against the window that we stood at the last time we both were here.

Where we kissed.

That beautiful memory is practically indelible.

She looks into my eyes and fully leans on me. I hold her waist instantly, grabbing her so she does not fall plus, I also loved holding her.

Don't get horny, Caleb.

"What...are you doing?" I widen my eyes as she leans in, pressing my head further into the windowpane so as to gauge her next moves.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" She whispers slowly, her hot breath fanning my lips and I ignore the urge to groan at her sexiness. I have no qualms about kissing her right now and showing her how much she is worthy of, but her drunk state makes me conclude otherwise. It hits me like a brick and as soon as her lips lightly brush mine, I pull away and hold her at arm's length. Her eyebrows furrow and she continues biting her lip. She groans and plops down on the floor, dragging me with her.

"You don't wanna kiss me and you won't give me wine." She cries and I raise my eyebrows at her humorous antics. "No one ever wants to listen to me." Her mumble pulls me out of my trance and I sigh, running a hand through her messy strands. She looks at me through her lashes and breaks into a mischievous grin.

"A little wine won't hu...hurt, Caleb."

I take in a sharp breath, shuddering at the way my name rolls off her lips. I smile at her and nod, earning a sparkle in her eyes once I say yes. Strolling towards the kitchen, I pull open the dusty cabinet and take out the packed wine bottle. I uncork the bottle and take out two glasses, walking out towards the living room. A chuckle escapes my mouth as I take in the scene in front of me; Summer lies on the floor, her mouth slightly open, with her legs and arms spread out weirdly. I place the glasses and bottle on the counter and go to the one bedroom that is there in the house.

When I bought this run-down apartment, it was for the mere intention of coming here alone with my thoughts. Wanting to get away from my parents and the pressure they brought along with them. The day I brought Summer here was an indeed special day – I realized my feelings for her then. I never knew I would actually develop feelings for anyone, let alone Summer. Her words, her belief in me that day, just made me lose all sense and bring her to my private haven.

Not that I'm complaining.

I got to fucking kiss her.

Clenching the blanket I used to sleep on whenever I decided to spend the night here, I walk back to the living room and unfurl it on the floor. I grunt as I slowly lift Summer and place her on the blanket. I take her injured hand in mine and place a small kiss on her knuckles. I lean against the large window, next to where I spread her blanket, and sigh in anticipation for the next morning. What really happened with her mom? Why was it that all of a sudden she is this totally impuissant girl?

As much as I reckon my increasing questions, I know for a fact that it will be a little difficult getting answers out of her since she is so closed in with her feelings. But another thing I know and believe is that she trusts me and right now, that is all that matters to me.

***

A sharp pain emerges on my back and I wince, slowly arching my back and rubbing my sandy eyes. I blink blearily, taking in the situation in front of me. Summer sprawled across my tummy early morning is certainly not the scenario I ever dreamed of happening months ago when I first crossed paths with her. She lifts her leg all of a sudden and plops it on mine. I groan and sit up from the position I lay in the entire night, my back now sore from both our weights.

I freeze when she starts shifting and she lifts her gaze towards me. I smile awkwardly and wave at her face.

Imbecile, Caleb, imbecile.

She shoots up and immediately grunts and holds her head in between her hands. I stand and get her the water bottle I had put near her in case her hangover was too much to bear.

"Fucking hell. My head...hurts like a bitch." She groans and lies down again. I hand her the bottle and she swats my arm away.

"I don't think I can digest anything right now. I might just puke on you."

I raise my eyebrows and hold out my arms in a peace sign, moving away from her slightly. She stares around, at her clothes and then finally at me before sighing loudly and slapping her forehead.

Bad idea.

She again groans like a dying whale.

"Why...how am I here?" She asks while lying on one side of her face, staring at me with one eye closed.

"You appeared drunk on my doorstep. Apparently." I smirk at her widened eyes, eager for this moment to come.

"Tell me I just entered and fell unconscious then and there."

"Mm. Not quite. There were some...moments." I close my eyes and chuckle as she kicks me for answers.

"What did I do, Caleb?"

"You don't wanna know."

"I do and I don't. But it's better I do."

And so, I began informing her of her silly drama queen doings - including the near-kiss -  wishing desperately for a camera so I could capture her priceless reactions. But by the time I could get up and fetch my phone, I bet she would have already made a run for the damn door.

"Oh my god. I want to get in a coffin and bury myself sixty feet underneath." She groans and I catch sight of her red-hot face before she sinks her face into the depths of the blanket. I chortle and kick her leg, watching her lift her scowling face.

"Oh, come on. At least you didn't strip." I smirk and wiggle my eyebrows. Her eyes widen and she turns beetroot. "Although, that may not be an entirely bad idea-

I'm cut off when she jumps on me and shuts my mouth. A muffled grunt escapes my lips as her forehead somehow hits my nose. I don't even know how that happens but my doubts of her having a fetish for my goddamn innocent nose, are definitely confirmed one hundred percent. She gives me one last shove before I chuckle and groan at the same time, amused entirely by her beetroot face.

"I swear I will kick your nose so hard, Caleb, if you don't stop laughing." She glares and warns me pointedly, and I grin at her cute, flustered state. Summer clears her throat and sits cross-legged, sporting on a serious expression all of a sudden.

"Did...did I...mention anything else?"

"You mean your mom?" My question makes her snap her head towards me with a frown.

"She is not my mom."

"Noted." I give her a thumbs up and shift closer to her. "Do you...do you wanna tell me what really happened?"

Her face hardens into a stone-cold expression but something in her eyes flickers – something I recognize to be pain. A look of distress settles on her face and she twiddles her thumbs in anger. She takes a deep breath before settling her gaze on me.

"I have not ever told you about my mom, right? I mean...the woman who apparently gave birth to me." Something about her tone makes me realize that she does not particularly have a liking towards her mother.

"She left us when I was born. Maybe a month or two later. Never in her life has she made an attempt to reach out to us. Nothing close to a call or a text even. It's like all her trace was destroyed from our lives and we lived years without a mother. My dad lived without her, aimlessly." She shudders in anger and I hold her hand, nodding slightly at her.

"Jason is so oblivious to everything that all he sees is that our mother has come back. He is happy and I did not want to...take that away from him by being a sour lemon. So I agreed to have dinner as a...family. You can guess it did not go well." She deadpans and I tilt my head and shrug.

"I turned up drunk and by now you know I'm not the best person to be around when drunk. Her face, her words, her just being amongst us, it all angered me so much that I...I just lashed out. I lost my shit and told her how I feel about her. And the worst part...my brothers sided with her."

Woah. Her candor makes me smile inwardly joyful of the immense trust she has in me. I honestly did not know what to say to make her feel better since this is a family matter and I think it goes without saying that when you have a shitty family, that topic becomes the most sensitive thing in your life, triggering such negative emotions and wounding memories.

If Summer felt that her mother's return is wrong, then I'm with her despite me probably not being able to fully understand what these four siblings feel. But one thing I do understand is that however stubborn and hot-headed and impulsive Summer may be, right now, sitting with her and holding her, seeing her face and feeling what she is feeling, ensures me that whatever she is doing is right. Call it being blind to the person who you care about a lot but this is what it is. And I'm making sure she knows that I will always be there by her side.

I squeeze her hand in reassurance and make her look at me. "Listen, Summer, I know this is a really bad time for you. But why don't you try calming down and thinking about this thoroughly? Try assessing the situation here. Then maybe you could figure out why your mom is back and what for. You can then judge if what she is saying is supposedly true or not. Okay?" She looks at the ceiling and hesitantly nods. Of course, I understand where she came from – she is certainly not the docile-hearted type.

"And Jason may be a dickhead, but deep down, you know his feelings are justified. He was the first one to see your mother, the first one to properly live with her and earn her short-term love. Don't you think that he may be dumb but he is just happy to see the mother who cared for him, loved him, all those years ago? And as for Draven and Aaron, they are probably also stuck in between accepting your mom or not. A talk with them might be helpful."

A fraction of a second later, her arms are tightly enveloping my torso and I freeze at her outburst before wrapping my arms around her as well.

"Thank you." She whispers and I rub her back gently. "This means a lot."

"And one more thing...you matter. People do listen to you. Don't ever think you are not deserving of anything. No one thinks you are a toy, Summer. I revere your strength, your courage, and your ability to put down anyone who tries going against you. You have a lot of people who care about you. And you know right, I will break the person's bones who says otherwise." We both chuckle as she pulls away from me, her eyes slightly glossy and her hands still in mine.

"I think I'm capable of breaking that person's bones. I am not some damsel in distress." She juts her chin out, crossing her arms and giving me a challenging look.

"I think I heard enough from your fight with Veronica."

"Ugh. You do not have to mention her and jinx my morning."

"Why did you fight with her by the way?" I ask, standing up and helping her as well. She knocks my arm away and rolls her eyes.

"She knows about my mother's epic return."

"How?"

"Her father used to be a client of my dad. Our families knew each other quite well. Veronica and I were acquainted from before but we never talked until...well, you came in the picture." I scratch the back of my head sheepishly at her words and she smiles slightly. "Her father may have somehow gotten to know about my...that woman's return. And Veronica obviously decided to use that against me." Her head drops and I sigh once again. What can I do to make her feel better? She obviously won't be herself until she can solve this entire debacle with her family.

"You need to go talk to them. Now."

"What?"

"I'm serious, Summer. This will not get over until you take the first step."

"No. I'm not doing anything of that sort until...until..."

"Until what? You can't just sit waiting forever. Go talk it out with Jason and the rest. Tell them how you feel and let them also share how they feel. You might figure out something later." I state, leaving no room for any argument. I shove the water bottle in her hand and hold her shoulders.

"I'm just a white elephant to them, Caleb." She sighs with dread and sadness all over her face. "I don't know if they will listen to me."

"I don't know about your mother. But I know your brothers love you a lot. And if they truly do as I believe, then they will listen to you today." I scan her face, smiling at her bemused expression, before holding her hand and dragging her out of the apartment.

"Now drink that water and start thinking of what you are going to be saying to them. Oh, and where did you learn the meaning of white elephant, dumb ass?"