I was sitting on the bottom of my staircase crying my eyes out, when my cell phone rang. I smiled sadly at the caller ID number. Caleb. I wiped my eyes and answered the phone with a meek,"Hello." "Hanna, are you okay?" "Um…yes. Yes Caleb I'm fine," I reassured him. He sighed into the receiver. "Hanna," he prompted. "That does not sound fine. What's wrong?" "I just miss you so much." "Okay, I miss you too, but that's not all that's wrong is it?" He knew me too well. I cleared my throat and started again. " No," I sighed. "Caleb, without you here, I don't know where I belong anymore. Things are getting bad in Rosewood. Well at least for me." His voice instantly got deeper when he spoke, like it always does when he's worried. It gets scratchy. "How bad?" he asked gruffly. "Don't worry I can handle it. You're getting your worried voice," I told him. "Maybe I'm getting the voice because I'm worried." he replied snarkily. "Caleb, I'll be okay! I just miss you, remember? I get upset when I miss you!" "I'll be back before you know it Hanna, I promise," he whispered to me. I shuddered. I started choking back more tears, still unable to speak any longer." I miss you too," he said gently. "Cause I love you. You know that right?" "Of course," I answered shakily. "I love you, too." Tears silently slid down my cheeks. "Good. That's the way I like it," he said, a smile in his voice.
Once again wiping away tears, I moved away from the subject of our love. "So how's your mom?" "She's fine. Good. Great actually," he stuttered. "She's really nice you know? And sincere about everything." I was still worried about him. "So everything's okay? You're okay?" I pushed. "Yes, Hanna. Everything's fine." He breathed for a moment and all I could he was our hearts beating. "Actually, no," he started. "Everything's not fine. I miss you, Hanna!" " I know," I whined. 'But, you just found your mom, Caleb. You can't leave her behind!" "I can't leave you behind, Hanna," he said softer. "I love you." Another pause while we breathed. "You said you felt like you didn't belong, so I'm coming home. Tonight. I'm getting on a plane and coming back to Rosewood." "No, Caleb!" I fought. "I won't let you! You can't just leave!" 'Hanna! I'm doing this for me. I need you, okay? And you need me." Almost sobbing now I answered him with a soft little, "Okay". I didn't want to tear him and his mother apart! I just can't do that! But, it's not really my choice. It's Caleb's. "Hanna?" he asked, milder now. "Hmm?" "Do me a favor?" "I am not loaning you twenty bucks, "I said as an attempt at a joke. He laughed in response. "No, I don't want your money…I just want you to open the door." I looked cautiously at my front door, but finally built up the courage to stand up, wipe away the tears and effortlessly swing open the door. And there was Caleb, holding his cellphone to his ear, looking just as beautiful as I remembered. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak. All I could do was stare at the man I loved. He snapped his cellphone shut and place it in his pocket. Then he stretched out his arms as if waiting for a hug. "This is where you belong, Hanna. Right here."
