Yes, I Am

Chapter Twenty Seven.

"Hey," Caleb said shortly when he picked up- finally picked up- my call. I thought I was done with distances between us. Apparently not.

"Hi," I sighed in relief. Hearing his voice after so long stirred up the strings that held my fragile little heart together and tugged them in all directions until it was ready to launch out of my chest. "Can we talk normally for just five seconds before we get into the whole fight again?"

He was silent for a second. I could even hear the breaks in his breath before he replied, "I would really like that."

I sighed again. "You cannot conceive the hollow density of the void with which I missed you."

"Good to know it's not making you mess up your poetic abilities," he chuckled. After a second, he sniffed, cleared his throat and said softly, "I missed you too."

"I really thought I was doing this right. I had no idea I was screwing up all along," I said.

"Why didn't you tell me you wanted a break from me, Matthew?" he asked, his voice as exhausted as I felt.

"Because it wasn't relevant!" I exclaimed.

"Of course it was relevant!" he shouted back. "You didn't want me anymore. In what world is that not relevant?"

"I didn't want that. I was about to say that. If things we were mistakenly about to say mattered in this world, then trust me, politics would be way more complicated than it is now," I huffed.

I could practically hear him seething on the other end of the line. "You know what?" he said, dangerously calm. "Maybe we really do need a break."

"No, we don't," I said, taken aback. This wasn't where this conversation was supposed to be headed. Why are all my conversations always making the wrong turn over the end of a road leading to a cliff? "We really, really don't. I cannot stress enough how much we really don't. What we do need, however, is good communication."

"We do need that," Caleb agreed.

"I thought you wanted a break," I said.

"No, I didn't. I just said that. I'm usually such a calm guy but you really push all my buttons sometimes," he growled.

"You did want it for a second there," I said.

"I didn't. It just escaped my mouth," he said wearily.

"So you can say that but I can't?" I pointed out smugly in a very 'aha!' manner.

"It's not the same thing!" he exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"Because I said it to you but you said it to some dude who wants to get into your pants. Do you not see the difference?" He sounded so strained, stretching each and every word with abject emphasis.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh," he humored me.

"I'm sorry," I said meekly.

"You are?"

"Of course I am!"

"You really are?"

"Yes, yes, yes. What will it take for you to believe me?"

"Um, let's see. How about you go to that club with me on Saturday night? Then maybe I'll believe you," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Bastard," I muttered.

"What was that, honey?"

"I'll go," I said grudgingly.