The Victim (Book #1)

Chapter 51

Time seemed to pass quickly as my weeks rushed by in a pleasurable blur. I had school to focus on, as well as developing friendships. JJ and I had formed a group of sorts with some other girls in our classes and we all sat together at lunch. It felt amazing to have a place to go, and people to talk to who understood immediately what I was talking about when I complained about the boys or my teachers. There was no need to explain backstory, provide context... they just understood. I didn't try to tell them anything about my past. When they asked me questions about growing up with the Anders brothers, I told them I was adopted and left it at that. They didn't pry and I appreciated that endlessly.

Although I was more open than I'd ever been with people, I still felt very guarded. Asher had continued to try to talk to me to no avail. If Caleb wasn't around to threaten him away, I simply ignored him until he angrily sighed and gave up. He wouldn't get the answers out of me that he thought he could. He wasn't a cop, he was a high school kid, and I wasn't afraid of him.

One Friday night, I was leaving a particularly challenging session with Charlotte.

I sat down on my bed and took a deep breath in and out. In one of my first meetings with Charlotte I was informed that I had PTSD, as well as depression and anxiety. I don't know that I fully believed it, as I hadn't faced much in my life... but Charlotte told me it was common in people with my kind of history. I didn't know how to tell her that she was focusing only on the bad she had heard; my life was full of goodness, too. Today she had mentioned it again in passing but it was really grating on me. I didn't want the labels that therapy assigned. I was a human being, not a diagnosis. I made a decision to tell her what I was feeling the next time we talked. I pictured her response; would she be angry that I hadn't told her sooner, or happy that I'd told her eventually?

Suddenly, the door to my room was thrust to the wall where it made a small scraping sound. Caleb came in with a stern expression on his face and slammed the door behind himself. I looked at him curiously as he sat in my desk chair and continued to glare. As protective as he could be, it seemed unnatural and entirely out of place. I had a foolish desire to push the corners of his mouth up until the smile I knew came back to his face.

He looked at me in my bed, crossing his arms and looking expectant.

"Maya." he said, in a way that would've struck fear in my heart if it was Damon or Dominic saying it.

"Yes?" I asked. I could feel my forehead crease as I imagined why he was upset with me. What did he know? What did I do?

"I've heard the rumors Maya. You can't fool me with your innocent act." His eyes zeroed in on mine like he could extract the answers he was looking for mentally.

"What rumors? I don't know what you're talking about!" I said, mirroring his body language by crossing my arms over my chest. Most of the time, when people claimed something about me or were merely rude, it didn't bother me. I had grown used to it. But when someone I cared about called into question my character, it cut me deeply. I may not be fully innocent, but it wasn't an act. My heart began racing in anticipation. What did he know?

The stern look on his face turned suspicious.

"I know the truth, My. I told Damon, and Brooks too. You aren't getting out of this easily." He said.

"I swear you're trying to be intentionally vague!!! What the hell are you talking about?" I nearly screeched. I was at my wit's end.

I don't think Caleb had ever seen me this stressed or mad. His expression became wary as he started to put the pieces together.

"Everyone is talking about it...about you and Asher and what you've been up to?" he phrased it as a question, despite seeming so confident moments before.

The synapses in my brain were firing off at random. I had no clue what to say or how to react.

"How...what?" I managed to get out.

"Asher is telling everyone... you know, that you two are dating now." He said. I fell back on my bed and whispered angrily to myself.

"What the hell." 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

A/N Y'all I had plans to make Caleb like a lil cutie who was somewhat attractive and then i saw THIS pic online and now... Caleb is hot. Maya just doesn't think so. BUT DAMN LOOK AT HIM (see pic above lol)