Gravity (Greenford #2) - Romeo Alexander Page 0,61

right, sorry,” Caleb backed away from the door. “Come on in.”

Samuel stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “No, I should have called or texted first. I just couldn’t think of what to say, and I thought ‘hey, we should talk’ would come off as really ominous, and I don’t want to do that to anyone.”

“So you decided to show up on my doorstep instead,” Caleb noted, unsure if he was exasperated or amused, though considering it was Sam, probably a bit of both.

“I never said it was a good plan,” Samuel said.

“Well, you’re here. And you’re looking good,” Caleb noted, looking him over.

“Uh, thanks. Been trying to do a little better by myself the past couple of weeks, I guess,” Samuel muttered, fidgeting with his shirt.

“I’m guessing you’re here to talk.”

“I am.”

“Alright. Want some water? I hear talking is thirsty work.”

Samuel smiled at that. “I would love some.”

Which proved the perfect opportunity for him to get his head back on straight. Caleb set Axel gently on the back of the couch, motioning for Samuel to make himself comfortable before stepping into the kitchen and out of sight.

He stopped once he was out of view, leaning against the counter and taking a deep breath. Caleb hadn’t known if the two of them would continue on the path they’d been on for the past few weeks or if Samuel would break down and finally confront him with his decision. On the one hand, he suspected Samuel would retreat to old habits and just let the situation pass without further comment. On the other, he thought that maybe Sam’s earnest desire to do better, to be better, had been genuine and he might end up confronting the problem directly.

Yet, having Sam waiting for him in his living room wasn’t as great a comfort as he’d thought it might be. It meant that a decision had been made, and now they were both going to have to face it together. Caleb honestly had no idea which way Sam was going to lean, and he was terrified to find out.

That fear didn’t stop him from opening the fridge and grabbing two bottles of water, however. Nor did it keep him from walking into the living room, finding Samuel in one of the armchairs. Axel had positioned herself on the table beside the chair, sniffing at Samuel’s shirt quizzically but not quite approaching him either.

“We’re getting to know one another,” Sam said, thanking him as he took the bottle of water.

“She’s a little cautious,” Caleb noted, sitting down on the couch. “But she warms up pretty well when you give her time.”

“When she gets there, she’ll get there,” Sam said, glancing at the cat with a smile.

Was he talking about the cat or himself then?

Caleb took a deep breath. “So…”

Sam chuckled, though the sound was a little frazzled and fragile. “Right. Probably shouldn’t draw this out and make it even worse than it already is. God knows, just showing up is a bit of a surprise.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Caleb said, feeling his heart rate pick up at Sam’s phrasing.

“Alright, then I’ll get right to it,” Samuel said, taking a drink of water before putting it between his legs. “I’ve been seeing a therapist.”

That...was not the answer Caleb had been expecting. “Oh?”

Sam nodded. “It was originally Lucas’s idea, and really, I thought he was full of shit. Which he can be. But it turns out he had a good idea, which he has on occasion.”

“Is it strange that I find your grudging praise for your friend to be a source of comfort?” Caleb asked.

Sam chuckled at that. “No, it’s not strange. I guess it must be nice to know that I can be difficult with everyone. Olivia is no different.”

“That’s the therapist?”

“Yep. Nice lady, doesn’t take my shit and gives me hell when I need it. Honestly, I kind of like her.”

“Like attracts like,” Caleb said with a snort.

Sam grinned at that. “I told her that once, and she laughed pretty hard. I’ve only seen her a few times, but we’ve talked, and we’re getting into...things. It’s weird.”

“Weird because it’s working, or weird because you’re talking about yourself so openly?” Caleb asked.

Sam shrugged. “It’s weird because I think it could work, or is working, haven’t made up my mind on that yet. And it’s weird because I’m starting to open up, not completely, but I’m getting there, really digging around and getting answers to my problems. So, both? Neither?”

“Succinct, though not very efficient,” Caleb said