“Do I look like a commitment sort of girl to you?”“You look like trouble,” he grinned. “When I was growing up, my mother used to tell me to never trust a redhead.”I frowned. “There are only two reasons she’d say something like that.” Caleb raised his eyebrows. “And they are?”“Your father either slept with one, or she is one.”I buzzed under his crooked smile. It extended all the way to his eyes this time.“I like you,” he said.“That’s swell, Boy Scout. Real swell.”

“You look like trouble. When I was growing up, my mother used to tell me to never trust a redhead.”

“I just thought you needed one. You use that weird penny, and it keeps falling out____" His eyes had immediatly snapped to my face, "Where is it? You didn't throw it away, did you?" I'd blinked at him, confused. "No, it's in your office." I couldn't hide the hurt from my voice. His eyes had softened, and he'd come around the table to kiss my cheek. "Thank you, Leah. It was a good idea-really. I needed something better to use to remind me of my place." "Your place?" "In the book." He smiled.”

“I take my first step and then my second, and right before the door closes, I look once more over my shoulder. Caleb is still under the tree, he winks at me, and I smile.”

“After everything happened with you and me, I tried to heal. I knew that I needed to forget you and move on. I hurt so much; everyday felt like a death sentence. I mourned you like you were dead and then, I met Leah. We were set up on a blind date and I remember feeling hope that day. It was the first day in a year that I felt hope. We took our time getting to know each other, I bought her a ring.” He shot me a look to see if I remembered the iceberg.“And then, all of a sudden I missed you again. I mean, I never stopped missing you, but this time it hit me hard. I couldn’t go to sleep for a single night without seeing you in my dreams. I compared everything Leah did to everything I remembered about you. It was like the old wound opened itself up again and I was bleeding out my feelings for you.” I close my eyes at his words. Words that I want to hear badly but that are making my heart ache so terribly I can barely breathe.”

“So then, it’s fair to say that you were thinking about me all week?” Now it was my turn to look shaken. Damn. Just when I had him.“No…and…. no, I will not go out withyou.” I leaned back in my chair and decided to look at the score board. Maybe, if I ignored him, he would leave. The Black Eyed Peas were playing loudly over the speakers. I tapped my foot to the rhythm.“Why not?” He seemed agitated. I liked it.“Because I am a llama and you are a bird and WE are not compatible.”

“I’m sorry, Olivia, for hurting you,” he said hoarsely and my heart heaved in mychest. Why was his voice so gentle? Why wasn’t he screaming at me? I was the onewho did the hurting. It was me. My fault. My sin. My mess. “You will never see me again after today.” He paused and his next words struck me so deeply I would never recover from them. “I will love again, Olivia, you will hurt forever. What you’ve done is…You are worthless because you make yourself that way. You will remember me every day for the rest of your life because I was the one and you threw me away.” And then he left.”