"What the hell are you doing here?" Caleb repeated, quickly zipping up his jeans and instinctively placing himself in front of Hanna in order to give her some kind of 'privacy' since she was only wrapped in a blanket.
Hanna was blushing furiously, awfully embarassed, clearly because she was basically naked in front of a stranger. A girl, yeah, but still a stranger.
"I... I thought I could visit you since I had the week free..." the girl muttered, awkwardly shrugging.
"You could have given a call, you know." Caleb scoffed.
"I guess I'd better come back later to unpack my stuff..." she said.
"No, look... I'm sorry... I just... I take my stuff and I leave, don't worry." Hanna said then, from behind Caleb.
Before neither Caleb nor the girl could say anything, she was in Caleb's bedroom with her things to put her clothes back on.
"Who is she?" the girl asked Caleb, smiling mischievously.
Caleb sighed and put his shirt back on.
"She's Hanna." he replied then.
"Yeah, Hanna... You two are together or just fuck buddies or you only know her name?"
"She works at the mall... Anyway, none of your business. You know what, Jess? You always come to the wrong place at the wrong moment."
"Hey, this is my apartment too. We bought it together. Don't forget it."
"So what? I can do whatever I want in my apartment just because it's yours too? Jess, the apartment may be yours, but you don't live here. You just come here once in a while, without alerting, of course. I live here."
"I'm not saying that you can't fuck your little sluts here or anything, I just..."
But then, Hanna got out of the bedroom and Jess stopped suddenly.
"Hanna, you don't have to go, I..." Caleb started, but she cut him off.
"I need to go home. Have a good night."
And then, she walked to the door of the apartment and exited.
"Hanna is not a slut." Caleb told Jess before running behind Hanna.
"Wait!" he called, once he could stop her just outside the building.
"Caleb, please, just let me go." she whined, reluctantly turning around.
"I know exist cabs, but at least let me drive you to the mall to take your car." he replied, trying a smile.
"I'd rather take a cab." she muttered, lowering her gaze.
"Hey... Jess is my sister. She works in San Diego. Before she got the job, we lived here together, though. So, when she has some free time, she likes to come back in LA to see her friends... We barely can stand each other. We're always fighting, like cat and dog." he said then, eventually chuckling.
Hanna couldn't help but feel better at the thought that she was just his sister.
"You don't have to give me explanations. You and I are not a thing. We're just having fun." she shrugged, pretending indifference.
"I want to give you explanations. I told you I'm only seeing you at the moment, and that's true. I didn't want you to be bothered by wondering who was Jess, and..."
"Why should I be bothered thinking about the identity of that girl?" Hanna interrupted him, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Maybe because earlier you were thinking about what would happen if you fell for me, and I just wanted..."
Hanna interrupted him once again, cursing herself for the words she had let slip from her mouth earlier.
"Caleb, it was just... Never mind. We're not together, nor in love, and we don't owe each other explanations on our private lives. I'm just a little slut to you, right?" she replied, a little angrier than she would have wanted to appear.
"God, you heard that idiot of Jess, didn't you? Hanna... Do you really think that you're just a little slut to me?"
Hanna looked at him and swallowed. He seemed so genuine. So honest. He was so handsome, cocky and cute at the same time. And Hanna knew that she liked him. Really liked him. In a dangerous way.
"I'll see you at the mall." she whispered then, before turning around and walking away.
And Caleb, this time, let her go. He let out a deep sigh. Why did he care so much of that girl? It had never happened before.
He came back in the apartment finding Jess unpacking her stuff. He took a beer from the fridge and climbed on the couch.
"Look, I'm sorry if I interrupted something earlier..." Jess started, but Caleb cut her off.
"Whatever, Jess. I'm not in the mood to talk about Hanna right now."
"Well, you seem to care a lot about her..."
"I do, but still, I don't want to talk about her... Nor with you."
Jess stopped what she was doing and sat on the couch next to Caleb, sighing.
"Caleb, I know we've never been confidants with each other, but... You can open up to me." she told him.
Caleb took a sip of his beer and then looked into her eyes.
"I think I'm falling in love for the first time in my life." he confessed.
Hanna arrived home pretty upset. She had had sex with Caleb, then she had asked him something that she shouldn't have, and then his sister had seen her basically naked. And now, as if it wasn't enough, Caleb was pretty sure that she felt something for him. And the worst thing was that it was true.
She climbed on bed and sighed. Maybe she shouldn't have taken Aria's advice. Caleb was nice, but Hanna knew that he clearly wasn't interested in a relationship, he had always made clear that he didn't want to commit and, well, she didn't want to either at first, but now something was changed. And she was sure that now Caleb thought she was just a stupid chick who believed in true love, which for him didn't exist. His pretty little slut. One of his many sluts. The only thing that seemed right to do now, was stop seeing Caleb. She needed someone else, she couldn't go on that way.
She took her mobile and was about to call Aria, when it started ringing. It was Caleb calling. She let it ring until the call went off by itself. And before she could call Aria, a text from Caleb arrived.
Pick up pls. Don't avoid me.
He was right. She was trying to avoid him. She obviously didn't reply to the text and then, finally, she called Aria, only telling her to come over.
"I'm just one of his little sluts and I kinda feel something for him, do you understand? You were wrong, I shouldn't have kept seeing him. Now I'm in a huge mess..." Hanna whined.
She had told Aria her whole day with Caleb: their lunch break, Joe, their joined hands, the sex, Jess, their talk... Everything.
"He didn't say that you're one of his little sluts. These are his sister's words, Hanna. Why don't you make an effort and try to believe him? Just talk to him!"
"And tell him what?"
"That you think you're starting to feel something for him?"
"I'll never tell him that. I've already made a mess with that stupid question today... You should have seen his expression... He became pale, he stopped stroking my hair, and... He just doesn't want to commit. He told me that from the beginning. It's me the one who made a mistake... I... I have to stop seeing him. I should have done it before... But now that's the only thing I can do."
"You'd regret it, Hanna. Why don't you just talk to him? Try to explain him how do you feel and then, well, if he doesn't understand you or anything, let him go. I think that you like him in a way in which you've never liked anyone, and I know that you'd regret not to have given him a chance. I'm sure he was completely honest when he told you that he liked you not only physically. And he seemed to be so nice with you at lunch, with that pizza dude. I think he genuinely cares about you. He never met love, okay, but maybe with time, who knows, you may change this. So talk to him."
Hanna sighed.
"It's awkward between us now. After what it slipped from my mouth today, I... I don't know if I can talk to him." she told Aria, biting her lip.
"Hey... Listen to me just one more time." Aria replied, taking her hand.
Hanna sighed again, lowering her gaze.
"I'll think about it during the night." she said then, slightly nodding.
"Okay." Aria smiled.
Hanna gave her a small smile back, then Aria took her coat.
"I should go home, it's getting late." she said then.
"Yeah, well... Thank you, Aria. I know I'm a mess..."
"You're not a mess, Hanna. You know you can count on me for anything." Aria replied with a wink.
The two shared an hug and then Aria left Hanna alone with her thousand thoughts.
When five minutes later the doorbell rang, Hanna was sure it was Aria who had forgotten her scarf there, so she went to open the door in her bathrobe, since she was about to have a shower.
But it was Caleb.
She remained motionless and speechless.
"Hey." he breathed out, with his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
Hanna swallowed and didn't say anything, but she didn't slam the door either.
"May I come in? I won't stay too long, I promise." he said.
Hanna sighed and let him in, even if she absolutely didn't know what to tell him. She closed the door and let Caleb sit on the couch, then she sat next to him.
"Why don't you answer my calls?" he asked.
Hanna stared at her own lap and didn't answer him, so he continued.
"Are you still embarassed for what happened today with my sister? Or maybe are you mad at me for something? Did I do something wrong?"
Hanna sighed and finally look into his eyes.
"You did nothing wrong, Caleb. It's just me. I think we have to end this thing between us." she said, in a serious tone.
"Why?" Caleb asked then, totally displaced.
"Because I don't want to see you anymore."
"I don't believe you." Caleb replied, firmly.
Hanna sighed and moved her gaze away again, but Caleb gently turned her to him and continued.
"Hanna... We've been so good today... Well, at least until my sister opened that damn door. You can't just decide that you don't want to see me anymore. I can't believe you. I think I know what's actually the point here. Look... I thought a lot about what you asked me today. What would happen if you fell for me. I'll be honest... I don't know what would happen. And maybe you're avoiding me and you don't want to see me anymore right because of this. Because of what you told me about guys. The fact that they leave when things go further than 'just sex'. And it's totally legit for you to think that I'd do the same if you fell for me. I'm just a guy who doesn't even know what love is. You're scared about this, aren't you?"
Hanna didn't reply, so Caleb went on.
"Hey... What you heard from Jess today, the 'little sluts' thing, well... She talks like that to me just because she knows how I 'handle' relationships with girls... Just sex. She knows this, but... She doesn't know you. You're different from all the girls I've met, Hanna. You're not one of my little sluts, believe me. You're so much more than that."
"Then what am I to you?" Hanna managed to whisper.
Caleb took a deep breath and then answer her.
"I don't know, but... I really don't want this thing between us to end. And I'm not talking about sex, I'm talking about... You and I. I'd like to keep eating with you during your lunch break, driving you home or wherever you need to go, taking you by the hand when we're walking side by side, giving deadly glances to the guys who check you out, and... The truth is that I don't want to lose you. It's totally legit for you to fear that I would leave, I can't make you promises about that, I really wish I could, but I can't. Because I don't know if I can keep them. I don't know if I could be a stability for you, or even your boyfriend, but... I don't want to lose you. When today you walked away after that question and after Jess, and then I stopped you... I saw how much you were upset. And when I saw that, I thought I could have lost you. And that has scared me to death. I've never been so close to any girl in my life... I know we've known each other not for so long, but... That's what I feel. I know that it may sound selfish, but... Don't run away from me. Please."
"Why should I keep this up knowing that sooner or later I'll be hurt by it?" Hanna asked, feeling tears forming in her eyes.
Caleb wiped away the one which fell from her right eye with his thumb.
"Because... Maybe I'm the one who's falling for you." he breathed out.
Hanna felt her heart stop beating. She slightly widened her eyes and Caleb pursed his lips.
"Look... I don't know what exactly you're to me, because I don't know how to call what's going on between us, and... And it's true that I don't know what love is, how a serious relationship works, and all these things... I don't know if I'm ready to try, I don't know if I could be the guy for you, I just... I don't know anything. But I feel something for you, and the thought of losing you makes me sick. I don't want to hurt you, though, so if you think that ending this between us it's the best thing to do, well, I'll respect your choice. But I thought you should have known the way I feel... Or... The way I think I feel about you. Since the day I saw you walking in my store with your friend, you've become my obsession. Because you were hot. But when I've had the chance to know you, to really know you, well... Then I realized that you're truly special. And I've liked you everyday more." Caleb continued, nervous.
Hanna didn't know what to say. Caleb thought that he was falling for her? She hadn't had considered this. Aria was right once again. He wouldn't have said all those things just for her body. Now it was clear to her that he wasn't only interested in sex. But she didn't have totally clear what he wanted now.
"Caleb... What are you exactly asking me?" she breathed out.
Caleb bit his bottom lip and shrugged.
"I'm asking you not to run away from me. Let's keep having lunch together, hanging out and everything. I want to keep seeing you. But... I can't promise you that we'll be able to build something serious in the future because, even if I think that I'm falling for you, I don't know if I'll be able to be the kind of man that you deserve by your side. So... If you think that this will hurt you... Well, I'll let you go. It's up to you. Just promise me you'll think about it." he said, eventually giving her a small smile.
"Okay." she whispered simply.
"Okay." Caleb echoed, nodding.
Hanna bit her lip and lowered her gaze, not knowing what else to say.
"Well, I'd better go home. I don't want to think about what Jess is doing at the apartment right now." he said, standing up from the couch.
Hanna chuckled and nodded.
"I'll see you tomorrow." she said, looking up at him.
"Sure."
And then, Caleb gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.
"Goodnight, Hanna." he said then.
Hanna smiled slightly.
"Goodnight, Caleb." she replied.
Caleb couldn't help but take her head in between his hands and print another kiss on her forehead and, only after that, he went to the door and left.
Hanna roamed a hand through her hair and climbed on the couch once again.
What was going on between her and Caleb?
A/N: Hey guys! I'm finally back :) So sorry for being so late, college stole me for exams :/ for the guest who asked, luckily I passed it :D thanks! Pllspobyhaleb, thanks for telling me about my grammar mistake. I used "bited" instead of "bit"... Oops xD I'll pay more attention now, hopefully my English will get better ;) Anyway... I received a lot of wonderful reviews and I'm really happy that you guys are enjoying this story! I would have never thought I'd write an AU, they're not my thing, but this try made me change my mind. And you guys liking it are a reason more to keep it up ;) Thanks so so much for the support :) So... Jess is Caleb's sister, yes ;) her name is a tribute to the "New Girl" character, because I love her and the show so much :D Anyway, this was a pretty intense chapter, Hanna and Caleb are finally facing their situation, so I can't wait to read you thoughts about it... Don't forget to leave a review ;) Soon I'll update all my other stories, don't worry :) Thanks for reading and everything! Love you guys, until next time! xx -Atramea.