Another side of Heartland

Chapter 4

-Caleb-

I woke up to sun shining through the window and right into my eyeballs. Sun? There are no windows in the loft. I opened my eyes and remembered I was in the house and closed my eyes and then they shot open again when I remembered Mallory. I picked my head up and then saw blonde, I smiled and laid back down.

I reached for my phone on the coffee table and unlocked it. Three new Text messages.

Lisa : hey Caleb! Jack said that you were alone at the ranch and wanted to know how things were going?

Reply: they are good Lisa! Thanks for checking in.

Ty: hit a spot of phone service and just wanted to check in on the ranch. Everything good?

Reply: yeah man everything is good! Have fun with Amy.

Jake: still up for roping with me this weekend?

I looked at that text for the longest time trying to decide why all of the sudden I wanted to punch him in the face.

Reply: no I got better things to do.

I looked down as Mallory started to squirm around. I smiled at her as she picked her head up and looked at me.

"Good morning Shorty!"

Her eyes widened and she tried to roll off of me and lost her balance, I tightened my arms but that only made us slide off of the couch. Laughing I looked down at Mallory to see her trying to get ahold of herself. Looking into her eyes she stopped laughing and looked me in my eyes, slowly I leaned down and my eyes flicked from hers to her lips and back to her eyes. Smiling slightly, I had just brushed my lips against hers when someone knocked at the door. Jerking back I stood up and helped Mallory up.

Mallory straightened her clothes and headed for the door while I tucked my shirt in and headed for the kitchen.
I was standing at the stove in my socked feet scrambling eggs when Mallory and Jake walked in.
Jake looked as if nothing was wrong in the world but I could see it all over Mallorys face. Jake walked up and leaned against the bar but Mallory walked around to my side and stood close to me, close enough our sides were touching.

"Hey Jake what are you doing out this way?"

'Oh uh I was just wondering about the roping'

yeah, I texted you and told you no.

'Well why?'

Because I don't want to, I said putting all the eggs I cooked down in front of Mallory.

'Hungry Mallory?'

Jake said with a shitty grin on his face. I saw Mallory's shoulders fall and I put my hand on her hip and squeezed it before I took a fork and ate off the plate with her.

'No, I just didn't want to waste two plates.'

Jake turned a little red in the face and spun around to leave. When I heard the front door close I stood behind Mallory and wrapped my arms around her waist.

'Why did you tell him no?'

Because I didn't want to.

'But why?'

Because I don't like that he hurts you.
Mallory turned her head to the side and I could see a faint trace of a handprint on her cheek, reacting before I could think I spun her around and held her face in my hands.

"What happened?"

Tears started to well up in her eyes and she dropped her chin to look at the ground.

'He kissed me, I swear I didn't want him to and I pushed him back but when I did it made him mad and he grabbed me. I swear Caleb I didn't want to kiss him please don't be mad at me.'

Mallorys voice broke at the end of her confession.
I gently tapped her chin to get her to look up at me.

"Mallory, honey, I'm not mad at you, why would you think I would be mad at you?"

She shrugged and squirmed around for a few seconds before she spoke.

'Because you just, we just in the living room'

her voice trailed off and her eyes widened

'oh my god, I was dreaming it wasn't really real, is this real am I asleep right now?'

I watched her spaz out for a few minutes and then I grabbed her cheeks with the palms of my hands and leaned down and brushed my lips against hers. I felt her hands rest on my hips and I placed my lips fully against hers. I pulled back and looked down at her,

"it was not a dream."