I fumbled with my fingers that rested on my lap before his large hand reached out engulfing my small hand into his, intertwining our fingers.

"Yeah..." He looked intense as he shuffled in his seat while still controlling the steering wheel with one hand.

"Well... Lacey wants to meet Shane's daughter and Saira was going to visit her this weekend and Lacey asked me if I could maybe go with her because she didn't wanna intrude...or something like that" I didn't quite find the right words to structure my sentence with and I could feel the guilt bubbling up from the pit of my stomach.

"And why were you scared to tell me this...?" He asked with a frowned, still keeping his eyes ahead. I mentally slapped myself for disappointing him.

"I didn't want you to think I was ditching you." I explained making a tight smile tug across his full lips.

"Thank you..." I didn't miss the sincerity in his voice as he lifted our intertwined fingers towards his mouth before placing a gentle kiss on my knuckles.

"Why...?" I asked with genuine confusion.

"Because you were scared to tell me that you were ditching me... which meant you actually wanted to spend time with me." He stated keeping the heartbreaking smile on his face.

"Of course I do... WE just don't have enough time any more 'cause of the stupid extra work." I flail my free arm around slumping down on the seat in defeat with a pout on my face like a child which made him burst out into laughter.

"I have nothing to complain about as long as you still let me take you out next weekend... and this time it's a date." He sobered up making my breath hitch in my throat.

It's been a long time I've dated anyone, after Aden, I've never looked at any other guy in that sense, let alone date anyone but Caleb was different. Somehow he's changed the way I thought and showed me every time that I could trust him unconditionally and he made me feel safe and secure.

"I'd like that." Before I could retreat my thoughts my mouth immediately responded to his offer.

The smile that captured his mouth after my answer nearly brought tears to my eyes, his expression was transparent and it scared me to see that I could bring such happiness to someone's life by just being there with them. 

No words or physical connection required, just being by their side would make them the happiest person in the world. And that's exactly what his expression mirrored, a guy who's just won the lottery or a little child in a chocolate factory. I couldn't help but smile myself at the thought of me being the cause of someone's happiness.

"Well I guess I'll see you Monday?" He asked breaking me out of my trance making me realise we were already parked outside my house which made me internally groan.

"Definitely but message me okay or call if you need me." I explained with a stern expression.

"No, YOU call me if you need me... I'll be fine, okay... Have fun with your little niece." He threw me one of his contagious smiles making me smile along.

"I'll send you a picture of her when I get there." I offered.

"Why are you answering me things before I even ask them...?" He complained narrowing his eyes at me. "Stop reading my mind."

"I'm NOT..." I shrieked chuckling at him before sobering up to stare at those dark intense eyes that held so many secrets which I had yet to discover. I quickly leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on his cheek before scrambling out of his car.

"Next time you do that, I'm turning my head." He shouted out from the car with a playful hint in his voice. My heart immediately went into a mini caricaturist before turning around to wave goodbye. 

As I watched him pull out of the drive way before waving me goodbye, I contemplated how my friend/relationship with him has escalated since the first day I met him. 

I stood there in the middle of our drive way staring at the snow top covered mountains in the distance peaking over the housed opposite us. 

Usually I'd be so scared of getting burned again, I'd always chase any guy away that tried to get close to me but with Caleb, it almost scared me of how close we were getting and how dependent I becoming. 

The respect for him I had intensified when I realised he's never tried to kiss me or touch me inappropriately when he had numerous chances to do so. 

He'd been spending countless nights with me just holding me incredibly close to his chest while I soundlessly slept in his embrace and those have been the best sleeps I've ever had.

I found an unexpected smile on my face when I saw Shane's white car pull up in our drive way with Lacey in the passenger's seat. 

It's been in a rocky road for them for the past two weeks and I must give Shane some credit for keeping up with Lacey's mood swings and how low she's been treating him. 

It's understandable considering the fact she just found out that the man she loves already had a child with someone else and also the fact that her best friend nearly ruined her life. 

I honestly didn't understand why she needed to see his child because Shane's never seen her or plan on meeting her which I can comprehend. 

In the adoption contract it was clearly stated that the child's parents will not have any contribution towards the benefit of the infant due to the fact that the adopted parents wants to raise her as their own.

****

"Lacey, I still don't understand why you "need" to do this..." I stated turning in my passenger seat to look at Lacey who's been silently crying making sure we didn't hear her sobs.

"I don't know..." She stated with a broken and defeated voice. "It just... knowing the man you love and plan on having a child with him, already has a child..." She trailed off looking away from me towards the window.

"In his defence he didn't know..." I commented for what seemed like the 100th time and turned to slump back in my seat.

"And again in my defence, I didn't want to kill my child. However, this will probably be my last trip ever because the adopting parents are getting awry about the fact that she's growing up quickly and they didn't want her to get attached to me." 

Saira retorted back from her driver's seat. I didn't miss the annoyance in her voice because we've already explained the situation to Lacey before the three of us decided to leave our houses first thing in the morning. 

Shane definitely didn't want any part of this and on the other hand Brody offered to come and support Saira, which felt like a miracle because he was not the type of a guy who would ever attempt to show compassion towards anyone. He was truly falling Saira.

I had millions of catch up work to do which I brought with myself just in case I got any time to finish them off but I was too busy texting Caleb throughout the whole journey that I forgot we reached our destination in the afternoon.

 We decided to crash in a hotel for the night and leave early in the morning tomorrow to head back home before it got too dark considering winter was fast approaching.

When we went to visit the baby Lacey broke down into hysterical tears chanting how much she replicated Shane and how she wanted that for her own child. 

I personally found it absurd considering the fact she was still very young and they might not even last after high school but then again, every jock and nerd Cinderella story always made it through till the end. 

Before leaving I managed to capture a picture of the sleeping baby and quickly sent it to Caleb like I promised I'd do and his instant reply was...

Caleb: OMG SHE LOOKS LIKE YOU

Me: Well NAHH she has half Sitka genes, obviously she will look like us.

Caleb: Sitka?? But nahh for real tho... she does look like you and your aunty but lighter.

Me: Its like our native tribe name... and yeah blame the lightness on Siara. LOL

Caleb: Uhh that's actually so cool... I have so much more to learn about you ... ;) and LOL so mean.

Me: We don't really follow any trails or anything tbh, so I don't know much myself... but Lacey's been crying her eyes out... I don't think this was a good idea.

Caleb: Aww well I don't know much of mine either and why did she even go there?

Me: What are you? And I have no idea... she's going on about how she wants a child herself that replicated Shane... I was like... you're still young and stuff.

Caleb: Spanish and Italian... I can speak some Spanish tho... and she's torturing herself... when are you coming back? :D

Me: OMGSH... you need to teach me something :O and tomorrow around noon so you can come by at night :D

Caleb: LOL sure... and unff.. so kinky.

Me: -.- boys-

"Kira let's go." Saira's voice brought me back to reality when she exited the house while storming off towards her car.

-are so annoying LOL and I need to go... one's crying and the other is MAD... see you tomorrow Caleb x

I quickly typed those words before shoving my phone in my jeans pockets not waiting for his reply but I definitely felt my phone vibrate letting me know he replied but I had to get ready to tackle what they both where going to throw at me or more likely at each other. 

I quickly got into the passenger seat to see Saira's leaning forward on to the steering wheels, with her hands gripping the top of it while her forehead rested on the back of her arms. Her body was slightly vibrating as she was trying to hold back the sobs and pain of seeing her own daughter for the last time. 

Soon after Lacey walked out of the house bidding her goodbyes and we all fell in to fell into a painful silence through out our journey.

None of them shared any words between each other the whole evening and the only thing kept me sane was the constant messaging with Caleb, advising me on how to deal with this satiation until I fell asleep on him.

***