Concealed (Unbound, Book 4)

Chapter Forty-Nine

Instead of heading straight from the Manor to get coffee, Calin followed me to his house so that we could drop my car off before driving together to Celestial Java in his. It was still early, and we had nearly an hour before the bell for the first class of the day would ring. Luckily, we found a space to park outside the front entrance, but it was deceptive. As we entered the café, the room full of customers turned to stare.

Not a single booth was available.

I ducked my head and continued to the counter, already knowing by the nod Luna gave me that she could tell how I was feeling.

Luna finished her round of refills quickly and met us by the register. "Go ahead to the back room. I'll get you coffee on your way out."

I smiled and tugged Calin along with me until we shut out the audience.

Slipping off our shoes, we entered the room filled with pillows. Calin settled down and put a pillow in his lap, then pulled me down. I settled my head in his lap, closing my eyes with a sigh as his fingers began to comb through my hair, which I'd left down.

"Hmm. This is nice." I closed my eyes, immediately feeling the familiar weight of sleep start to pull me down.

"I thought we came here to talk," Calin said softly, though I could hear the smile in his tone.

"Hmm. Yep."

"Nora."

"Yeah?"

"You texted me in the middle of the night and practically moved out of the Manor by morning. What's going on?"

I opened my eyes and blinked, wide awake. "Uh..." Shifting, I sat up and crossed my legs beneath me, turning until I was facing Calin. "I need to call Aiden."

"About?" Calin raised his eyebrow, a smirk still pulling his lips up.

"What do you find amusing? I'm serious!"

"I find it very interesting that you seem to think I have mind-reading abilities," he said, laughing loudly. "I'd love to help you, Nora, but I'd also like to know what's going on."

I sighed. "There is so not enough time before school to explain everything that's happened since I went to the Manor last night. Can we..." I cleared my throat and lifted my chin so that I met his clear, too-aware gaze. "Can we call Aiden? I'm staying at your house, so we can go over everything that happened after school."

"If you don't fall asleep first."

I rolled my eyes. "You can take me to your place at lunch, right? I'll nap and then we can talk when you finish for the day."

Calin watched me for a moment as though trying to gage what I wasn't saying, but eventually nodded. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, turning it on and accessing the contacts list. "You want to call Aiden? Not Nancy?"

"Yes. I don't want to talk to her yet. It'll be hard not to tell her about Maible, and I want to explain that face-to-face." I pressed my lips together and nodded. "Try his cell. He's probably already left the house for work. Here, the number is in my list of contacts."

I handed Calin my phone with Aiden's contact already pulled up, and he dialled the number. My leg moved up and down as I tapped my fingers on my knee. Calin reached out with his free hand to still my movements. Once the number was dialled and he pressed send, he put the call on speakerphone. It rang three times.

"Hello?"

A breath I didn't realize I was holding whooshed out of my lunges and my shoulders slumped in relief. "Aiden!"