Allyson

"Caleb"

There it was, the silent contemplation partially urging me to put the phone down, partially urging me to get this off my chest.

"Ahaa" I heard that velvet-like voice. "Finally".

"How do you know who this is?" Stunned, I question. That somehow made him let out a slight laugh.

"Just had a feeling... Allyson". Damnit. Why did he have to sound like that?

"Were you sleeping?". That was a stupid question. Of course, he was. His voice sounded as if he had just rolled out of bed or was he rolling around in bed?

"I was"

"Oh...I'm sorry I didn't know" I pinched the bridge of my nose. My brittle confidence was long gone.

"Can you give me a minute" his voice appeared almost startled at something. " I'll call you right back".

"Yeah..ok," I said and he hung up before I could say anything else.

What the fuck was that?

What the actual fuck?

He probably thought I was some weirdo calling him up and messing up his sleep. He gave me his number and said to text him. He didn't tell me to call him. Oh my gosh! I should have texted him.

What if he didn't want to talk to me? My mind was going wild with embarrassment.

I was sitting against the headboard of the bed, eyes shut, cursing myself for being impulsive. It had been about five minutes since that awkward call. He wasn't going to call back. It was just so awkward. I barely knew the guy why would I even call him? I didn't usually do things like this. I was impulsive but I thought things out before doing them.

almost gasped in relief when I heard my phone ring again.

Caleb, the alphabets on the screen read.

I picked up the phone. The worst part was probably that I wasn't nervous to talk to him. It was being embarrassed for calling him up randomly when I didn't even know what I wanted to say in the first place. I suppose my curiosity got the best of me.

"Hey Ally" Again. That voice. He seemed more awake. But his voice still sounded husky...still sounded like velvet.

"Hi" a curt smile cut onto my lips as if he could see me.

"Do you remember me?" there was an unmistakable curiosity in his voice.

"We met at a football game," I said. I was recalling the day.

How could I forget it? It was a shitty day......that was the very same day Dean and I broke up. Ironic. Hazel took me along with them coz she wanted to cheer me up. I didn't know her very well but she was really sweet...a little too sweet at times.

"Yes yes..." his voice trailed off almost in thought "umm.. where are you now?"

"At my gramdmum's place"

" I thought you were Sam's neighbour," he spoke with a hint of surprise.

Of course, he knew that. Sam was his friend who was at that football game too...we kind of had a weird fling for a while. Although to be honest It didn't even count as a fling.

"Why'd you guys stop talking Caleb?" That was the very same question I had asked Cane. I didn't like what followed after that. Hopefully, this wouldn't turn out that way.

He let out a deep breath. "It's a long story"

Of course, it was.

"I'll tell you when we meet"

Meet? No. I barely knew this guy there was no way I was gonna randomly go meet him. I slipped back into contemplation for a second.

"Anyway, where is your gramdmum's place?" His voice sounded so casual and chill now. Damnit. There was something about him I couldn't quite put my finger on. There was a familiarity to him. And my curiosity was out ruling every sense f mine.

"It's on the other side of town..umm..near Fabri. you wouldn't know.." I laid back down. I was oddly comfortable talking to him...an almost stranger.

He didn't reply.

A few seconds passed.

"Is it near the river or towards the freeway?" His voice returned to a low tone. Almost as if he was foreseeing my answer.

"It's in between the two" how did he know this town? Not a lot of people knew their way around here. I was probably thinking out loud he responded in a monotonic tone.

"Matilda used to live there. I mean she has a farmhouse out there" his voice was still low. But this time it was just cold.

"Matilda as in Matilda Walden?" I don't even know why I asked. I knew her...she was my college senior. I remember they used to date back in school. Cane would not stop talking about how hot she was back in school.

"Yeah" he tried to brush off the coldness in his voice I suppose. I was about to change the topic when...

"We used to date" he blurted out.

"I heard" I responded plainly and immediately. What else could I say to that?

"Of course you did. From Cane I'm guessing" his voice dripped with irony but he tried to brush it off as a joke and I was kind of confused as to what the hell was going through his mind.

"Lucky guess" I scoffed.

I heard him chuckle at the other end.

"You know we should meet up sometime soon" I heard that laugh in his voice again

"Yea you kn..." I was about to change the subject

"Tomorrow?" He cut me off. "I'll see you after college?"

"I don't have college tomorrow"

"Then I'll pick you up from Fabri. Give me your address" he replied immediately.

What? No.

"You're gonna come all the way across town to pick me up?" I was almost shocked by what he said and that' reflected in my voice.

"Yup.... besides I'm used to that place" he laughed.

I found myself smiling back at what he just said too. Fabri was at least a two-hour drive from my college.... probably even further from where he stayed.

"Where do you stay?" I was curious.

"I stay half an hour away from your college" damn that was close.

Yes, but where" I wanted to know how close.

"You know Ford Street?"

"Yup"

"There"

Shit. That was very close to the college. Not even half an hour.

"You're gonna come all the way from Ford Street to Fabri?" I don't know why but that surprised me.

"Yes," he confirmed. Still smiling through the phone his voice was assuring.

But I wasn't sure if I really wanted to meet him or not. My mind was trying to process too many things. But all I remembered was that I was supposed to meet Nic.

"I got something going on..." I trailed my voice hoping he would understand. He did.

"Cool cool let me know whenever you're free," he said casually. So he was being nice to me. Why was I surprised at that?

"Listen, Caleb...I gotta go. It was nice talking to you" I hated talking over calls to anyone. And this call had already crossed my time limit a long time ago.

"When you say it like that it means you're just saying that out of formality." there was something about the way he said that...I just knew he was smiling.

"Bye Caleb. I'll talk to you soon" I said sarcastically. "Is that better?"

"Bye Ally" he laughed "See you soon" he emphasized, laughing.

I didn't know what to say so I hung up first.

Alright. That went a little too well. I expected him to be a complete douche bag or a huge flirt or something like that. But he was sweet to talk to. What the hell?

But then again anyone could sound charming over a phone call you know. People can't hide their personality much in person. And I was pretty good at reading people.

I shook my head at the thought of meeting him. I didn't want that. I mean just mentioning his name to Cane caused so much drama. Did I really need more of that? I probably shouldn't have asked that question... because deep down there was only one right answer for that in my mind.

***********

Caleb's here folks. Do we like him? Do we like him not?

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See you guys soon.