Significance (Completed)

Significance - Chapter Sixteen

"You're burning up, Maggie."

Caleb had tucked me into his bed in the guestroom after changing my clothes from my soaking wet ones to a House of Heroes t-shirt and his boxers. I didn't complain and he didn't ask permission. He was my significant and he was going to take care of me. When my shirt went over my head and he saw the offense marks around my middle, he was thinking about anything but seeing me naked. His mind raced with curses and things he wanted to do to Marcus. Bad things.

"I'm fine," I croaked.

"You are not fine," he said as he pulled the covers up to my chin. "Are you still cold?"

I nodded. I was freezing.

He took off his shirt and jeans, leaving him only in boxers, and climbed in beside me. We laid on our sides facing each other as he twined our legs and arms, pressing our bodies close as they could get to warm me. He rubbed my arm with his palm and blew a frustrated breath.

"Caleb, I'm ok," I assured him.

"Only because you handled yourself. I wasn't there to keep you safe."

I wanted him to kiss me even though I didn't feel good, to take away his anger. I pressed my lips to his, hoping to ease some of his tension away, and I felt his arm relax a little, but his lips weren't into it. I pulled back, disappointed, and looked at him in the lamplight.

"But I'm ok," I protested.

"Yeah, no thanks to me. Or Kyle. What were you doing with him anyway?" he asked softly.

"He came to the diner when I got off. I'd just gotten your text and he said he knew you were gone and figured he'd come keep me company."

Caleb nodded and pursed his lips angrily. "Good old Kyle."

"I told him no funny stuff and he was completely normal with me, like he used to be. Then it started raining and we ran home but we were soaked and it was so cold. My dad took him home and I took a shower. Then a little bit later, Marcus climbed through my window telling me his father had shot you in the ambush of their house."

I shivered as I thought of it. He squeezed me tighter.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you here without me," he assured.

"At first I thought I was dreaming because I dozed off for a couple minutes but he was so convincing and..." I sniffed and could feel the tears burning as my body started to relive the pain of hearing those words. "And he said..."

"Shh. Don't, Maggie. I told you, I'm not leaving you. You and me, always together. From now on I'm probably going to be some form or version of a tyrant. This is your only warning."

I laughed and sniffed again. "That's ok. I don't care. I just want to be with you."

"And you will be, but first things first. We've got to figure out something to tell your father so he doesn't freak and you can keep him in your life but out of the loop. I don't want to ruin it with him."

"Me neither but what are we going to say? I sure can't think of anything."

"Well, I was thinking you could tell him - and my father can go and talk to him about it - that my family is going on vacation for a couple weeks somewhere and want to take you with us. My dad can be pretty persuasive."

"That might work. Are we going to stay at your house?"

"No. We're going away, just you and me. But your father won't know that. The farther away you are the harder it is for the echoling to reach you. My dad is going to stay here and try to work on figuring this out while I work on keeping you safe."