Author: Amanda Perry
Category: Fantasy
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/amanda-perry/page,11,463864-burning_roses.html
“Thank you for packing my stuff,” he says, softly. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I don’t mind.” I wrap my arms around his waist. “I was already packing my things. It just made sense to grab your stuff, too.”
“You look amazing in blue.” Caleb pulls me slightly closer to him by my hips.
“I’m not wearing blu—” I start, but then realize what he means. My face burns all the way to the tips of my ears. “Oh, thanks.”
“Come on, babe.” Caleb chuckles and kisses my forehead. “Let’s get breakfast.”
“What about our stuff?” I point to our suitcases. “We can’t just bring them to a restaurant, can we?”
“The hotel staff takes care of that for us,” he explains. “They put it all in our car before we leave.”
I nod and follow him out of the suite. Just another thing I’m not used to. It makes me somewhat uncomfortable to assume others will deal with my things for me, but I let it go.
I’m a little sad to be leaving. A lot has happened during our short time in Sacramento. It feels like we’ve been here a lot longer than a few days. I really can’t wait to get home, though—I’m more comfortable there.
When Caleb and I reach the restaurant, we find everyone else already seated around a table.
“Hey, what took you two so long?” Cassie sends me a subtle wink.
“We were packing.” I shrug, taking the seat Caleb pulls out for me. Cassie’s wink strikes me as odd, but I don’t comment.
“Right.” Cassie giggles. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
The comment earns her a glare from Jaxon and an eye roll from Caleb.
I pretend to not hear her, sure I’ll catch fire if I continue to blush the way I’ve been doing all morning. Luckily, Cassie drops the subject and neither of the guys comment. Dad and Leanne are too busy talking to each other to notice the strange conversation, thank goodness. It’s one thing for Cassie to joke about it with Caleb and Jaxon, but it would be too awkward for Dad and Leanne to be privy to her antics as well.
Breakfast is uneventful and quick. Caleb insists I try the strawberry waffles, and they are now my new favorite breakfast. Whoever invented them was a genius. Syrupy strawberries, on top of fluffy waffles, with entirely too much whipped cream. It’s heaven and I remind myself I’ll need to make it at home. As soon as we finish eating, we make our way to the front of the hotel and wait for the valet to pull the cars around.
I giggle when they drive up. “I think Cassie and Leanne went a little overboard yesterday.” Several pieces of antique furniture take up every available space in the cars, along with an extra suitcase Cassie needed for her new treasures.
“Ready to head home, baby girl?” Caleb asks once we’re settled in his truck.
I take his hand in mine. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Caleb kisses the back of my hand before taking us toward the freeway. I switch the radio on to the country station he and I found when we drove here. I giggle and shoot Caleb a goofy grin as the Brad Paisley song Then plays through the speakers.
Caleb chuckles silently and squeezes my hand. “I think this is my new favorite song.”
Chapter 12
The drive home is uneventful and passes quickly. I fall asleep before we reach the freeway, and Caleb allows me to sleep until we make a stop for lunch. By the time we make it home, it’s early evening.
“Holy shit, it is good to be home!” Jaxon bellows as we walk in the door.
Cassie heads straight for the kitchen while whining, “I just want to sleep for the next week.”
I set down the only suitcase Caleb let me carry. “Wouldn’t you go upstairs to sleep?”
Cassie’s pace doesn’t slow. “I need food first.”
Jaxon drops two suitcases by the stairs and turns around to go back for more.
As he passes me, I raise a brow. “Didn’t we eat lunch two hours ago?”
“My girl can eat.” He grins and pats my shoulder as he walks by.
I smirk and shake my head. Jaxon’s not wrong. For such a small person, Cassie can eat a lot of food, and sometimes, she even gives the guys a run for their money.
I note that Jaxon seems to be in a better mood with me now that we’re home. Not only did he look directly at me when he spoke, he smiled and patted my shoulder. I only hope the change lasts.
Caleb drags two more bags into the house and pauses by the stairs. “I’m going to bring these upstairs. I’ll grab the rest in a minute,” he tells me with a quick kiss to my forehead.
Lucky for them, Dad and Leanne only had one bag each. Unlucky for Dad, Leanne wanted him to carry the new furniture into the garage and help her plan the refurbishing of it. Dad suggested a long nap instead, and I can’t say I blame him—I could sleep for hours even after my car nap.
With everyone else busy, I decide I need to be somewhat useful. I grab the handle of the two suitcases closest to me and begin the ascent up. It figures I would pick two of the heaviest suitcases to haul up a million stairs.
I get about three steps up before I decide to drag them or risk my arms falling off under the weight. They have wheels, I may as well use them. The suitcases make a loud clunk on every step, but the obnoxious noise is worth not having to carry them. In retrospect, dragging one at a time would have been better, but I’m committed now. I do pause to ensure they’re not marking up the stairs and luckily they aren’t damaging anything so I continue on my trek. Halfway up the stairs, I have to stop to catch my breath. The task isn’t nearly as simple as I thought it would be, though I refuse to give in and let the giant bags win.
“Riley! What the fuck are you doing?” Jaxon’s booming voice startles me, sending me off balance.
I topple down about five stairs, then land hard on my butt. Jaxon rushes up to me, cursing under his breath. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to make you fall like that.”
I nod and take his proffered hand. He pulls me to standing, and I wince. “I’m fine.”
“What the fuck happened?” Caleb shouts, racing down the stairs as Jaxon helps me stand fully.
“Jaxon pushed her down the stairs.” Cassie’s innocent voice comes from the hallway. “She told him she didn’t like his hair, so he shoved her.”
If looks could kill, the one Caleb sends my brother would have him in an early grave. Cassie’s fib surprises me, but I can’t stop the silent laughter. I manage to cover the sound with my hand, but my eyes water. My shoulders shake with the effort to hold it back. Cassie is the definition of trouble.
“Why, Cassie?” Jaxon whines, slowly lowering himself down a few steps and away from Caleb.
“Because you said I eat a lot.” She grins and walks back to the kitchen, taking a bite of the giant sandwich in her hands.
Jaxon narrows his eyes at Cassie’s retreating back. “You’re gonna get it, sweetheart.” He hops over the railing of the stairs and gives chase, but Cassie’s smart enough to make a run for it.
Caleb takes me in his arms and looks me over from head to toe. “Are you okay? I hope I’m right to assume Cassie is full of shit. Jaxon knows he’d never live to see another day if he did something like that.”
As hard as I try, the giggles refuse to remain silent. I give up and let them bubble out, pressing my forehead to Caleb’s chest. “She’s such a troublemaker.”
Caleb arches an eyebrow in amusement. “What exactly happened?”
“Jaxon yelled at me, and I wasn’t expecting it. I slipped down a few steps and landed on my butt.” I grimace. “It wasn’t a fun fall.”
“What the hell was he yelling at you for?” Caleb glares in the direction of Cassie’s screams and Jaxon’s laughter.
“I was bringing those upstairs.” I point to the suitcases a few steps down from us. “Unfortunately, they rolled nearly to the bottom of the staircase when I fell. All that effort for nothing.”
“Baby girl.” He runs his hand through his hair. “Those each weigh twice what you do. How
did you expect to get them up a massive flight of stairs?”
“I was dragging them.” I shrug. “I didn’t want you guys to do all the work, so I figured I’d help somehow.”
“So that’s what the thumping noise was. I figured Leanne had Mark building in the garage already.” He shakes his head and rubs his hands up and down my arms. “That’s exactly what you should do. Let us do the work and avoid hurting yourself.” He sighs and drops his lips to the top of my head briefly. “I’m going to bring those upstairs, then help Jaxon bring in the last of Cassie’s crap. If you want to help, you could work on unpacking, instead. Is that fair?”
I grin and nod, happy to have a job to do. At least, he is letting me help with something. We head upstairs, with Caleb lifting the two bags like they’re leaves. I frown at the offending suitcases. It would have taken all day, but I would have gotten them upstairs eventually on my own.
Caleb sets the bags in the hall outside his room. “Now, you can drag them if you want to.” He chuckles when I roll my eyes. “I’ll be right back. No more attempts at turning into the Hulk while I’m gone. I’d rather see you in blue, not green.” He winks when my face heats up.
Caleb hurries back down the stairs, chuckling the whole way. While he’s gone, I grab his bag and drag it to his room before taking my bag to my room. Instead of unpacking right away, I sit on my bed and glance around. It seems like ages since I’ve slept in here, and I sort of miss it. Idly, I wonder if Caleb wants to sleep in my room tonight or if he wants to stay in his own bed. I make a mental note to ask him later, then hop up and get to work unpacking.
About halfway through my task, Caleb pokes his head into my room. “Hey, the cars are unloaded. When you’re done in here, want to meet me in my room?”
“Sounds good. I’m almost done with mine anyway.” I pull my shoes from the suitcase and set them in the closet where they go. “I’ll be there soon.”
“Perfect.” He pauses. “I love you.” He backs out of the doorway before I can respond, but it doesn’t stop me.
“Love you, too!” I call loudly, grinning like a loon.
By the time I finish unloading my stuff, I have a full load of dirty clothes to wash so I run downstairs and start a load. It shouldn’t surprise me I’m the first to the washer. When I passed the living room I noticed Cassie passed out, using Jaxon’s lap as a pillow and Jaxon snoring away with the remote hanging from his limp hand. Judging by the channel guide up on the screen, Jaxon fell asleep before he even picked a show. Neither of them touched their suitcases before they set up camp on the couch. Dad and Leanne are nowhere to be found and I assume they haven’t left the garage yet. Leanne had grand plans for the antiques she found. They’ll likely be in there a while.
After switching the washer on, I skip up to Caleb’s room, freezing when I make it to his door. Should I knock? Do I just walk in? Suddenly, I have no idea what to do or how to act.
At the hotel everything was different—we shared a room. I had a key and could come in anytime I wanted. Now, we’re back home, and we have our own rooms. My room isn’t under construction anymore and I don’t need to sleep in his. Plus, isn’t knocking the polite thing to do, soul mate or not.
“What are you doing?” Caleb whispers in my ear.
I yelp in surprise and swirl around, holding my hand over my racing heart. “Caleb, you scared me.”
“Sorry.” He chuckles. “I was just trying to figure out why you were staring at the door like it was going to open itself.”
I blush deeply. “I was trying to decide if I should knock or just go in.”
“Why would you knock?” He scrunches his brows together in confusion. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s your room too.”
“Oh.” Brilliant reply, Riley. I want to smack myself for not saying anything more, but I’m at a loss for words. Caleb sees his room as mine, too. Does that mean he wants to share a room for good? I toy with the idea of telling him my room is his as well, but the moment passes. He reaches past me to open the door.
Silently, I follow him inside and beeline it to his suitcase. If I busy myself with something, maybe my heat in my cheeks will reside. He frowns at me as I unzip his bag and flip it open. “What are you doing?”
“Unpacking?” I don’t mean for it to sound like a question, but I don’t know how he could possibly be confused.
He snorts and rolls his eyes. “Right, but why are you unpacking my crap?”
I freeze in place, my hands hovering over his things. “Do you not want me to touch your stuff?” The hurt in my voice can’t be hidden.
“No, that’s not it at all. Of course, you can touch my stuff.” He huffs and runs a hand through his hair. “But you’re my girlfriend, not my maid. You don’t have to help me unpack. I asked you to come in here to hang out with me while I unpack, not do it for me. I don’t expect you to do that kind of stuff for me. You already packed it all up at the hotel when you didn’t have to. You shouldn’t have to unpack, either.”
“Oh.” I glance back at his suitcase. Any sort of chore was always my responsibility growing up. It’s a habit to simply do it and hopefully avoid any conflict. I know Caleb wouldn’t react the way my mother and Samael did if I didn’t do chores. The difference is I genuinely like doing things for him. “I don’t mind. It’ll make things go quicker, then we can be lazy all night.”
He studies me for a long moment as if to ensure I’m being truthful and not trying to be polite. Finally, he shrugs and lets it go. “If you say so. Though, I’m not sure you could be lazy even if you tried.”
Together we go about the same routine with his bag as I did with mine. First shoes and clean clothes, then dirty clothes. While Caleb takes his toiletries to the bathroom to put them away, I grab his hamper and hurry downstairs to switch the laundry. On my way to the laundry room, I pass a snoring Jaxon and drooling Cassie. I make a pitstop and use the throw on the couch to cover them as best I can with their awkward positioning. Hopefully they won’t get too cold. Once satisfied I’ve done what I can for them, I continue on my way to the laundry room and go about changing over the clothes.
With my load now in the dryer and his in the washer, I collect his basket and rush back upstairs to put the empty suitcase away. Since my closet is bigger and emptier, I decide the bags would be better off stashed away in it rather than taking up space in Caleb’s slightly smaller closet. As I drag it toward the closet, I hear a clunk in the bag and stop to dig for the missed item.
In one of the inside pockets, I find the box my necklace came in. My fingers go straight to the chain around my neck, then follow it down to the beautifully made pendant. Caleb mentioned I didn’t need to keep the box, but I insisted. He picked it out for me, which makes it special and important.
I pop the lid open and gasp when I find a blue rose tucked inside. It wasn’t there when I packed the box, but Caleb must have snuck it inside while I was gathering our things from the bathroom. Not wanting to lose the box or the rose, I bring it to my room where I place it safely on the dresser to look at daily. The blue roses he’s taken a liking to are odd. The red ones from the bouquet made sense and matched my fire mark. The blue ones are pretty, but they’re not what I expected him to pick. Still, I appreciate his thoughtfulness and I’d never voice my thoughts to him.
Shaking off thoughts of roses, I push the suitcase into the closet and close the door. As I turn to leave my bedroom, something catches my eye. I gasp loudly at the sight and shout for Caleb, refusing to move my eyes in case it disappears.
Chapter 13
In hindsight, shouting for Caleb in such a way was probably a bad idea. His thunderous footsteps fill the hall as he rushes from his room to mine.
“What’s wrong?” He demands as his eyes scan the room for danger, pulling me into his arms the second he reaches me.
“What’s that?” I point to the bed.
He exhales heavily and gives me a shaky laugh. “You will be the death of me, woman.” He runs a hand through his h
air, rolls his eyes to the ceiling, and takes a few deep breaths to calm himself. “What does it look like?”
“It looks like a mini zoo on my bed,” I say slowly, still not believing my eyes.
“Pretty much.” He confirms. “But these are stuffed so no messy cleanup or expensive food to deal with.”
“How did they get here?” I look from him to the stuffed animals, then back again.
“Well,” he drags out while he walks over to the bed, picking up the stuffed tiger, “I saw you eyeing them, so I grabbed the tiger when you weren’t looking. Everyone went back later and got you ones they thought you would like. Jaxon picked the monkey, Cassie got you the turtle, your dad decided on the kangaroo, and Leanne chose the otter.”
“Why?” I whisper in awe, slowly shuffling to the bed. They can’t know why the stuffed animals are special to me, but they got them anyway.
He shrugs. “They wanted them to stay together. The way you had them all lined up before we left the gift shop.”
I blink in disbelief. “Really?”
He barks out a laugh. “Okay, no, not really. We just knew you’d probably never had stuffed animals like this, so we thought you would enjoy them. We did watch you line them up, though. That’s how we knew which ones you liked most.”
“I did have one, once.” I drop my gaze to the ground. The memory is a sad one, but it’s also the reason these new treasures are so special to me. “It was a dirty old stuffed bear I found in the library parking lot when I was six. I named him Boo-Boo because he had lots of them. He was missing an eye, and his stuffing was falling out. My mother never noticed I had him, and I kept him hidden from her for as long as I could. Every time I went to the library, I would bring him with me and ask the librarian if the owner came looking for him yet. She always said no.”
Caleb’s finger comes up under my chin, and he brings my gaze to meet his. “I have a feeling this story doesn’t end well.”
“No, it doesn’t.” I shake my head and clench my jaw to prevent my chin from wobbling. “One day, about four years later, Sam came home drunk. He was angry because I didn’t have dinner ready on time. He went into my room and tore it apart. I didn’t have much in there anyway, but he found Boo. He threw him into the fireplace and made me watch as he lit the bear on fire.” I wipe a stray tear from my cheek. “I never dared to want another one after that. He was the first thing I ever cared about, and he got destroyed.”