However, Paige briefly stuck her tongue out at Katrina, who scowled in silent reply.
“You’re up early,” Katrina absently observed before taking a sip from her glass.
“Yeah, couldn’t get back to sleep,” he replied with a tired sigh.
“Don’t you have to teach later this morning?” Paige asked.
“Thankfully, no. The semester just ended, and I’m taking the summer off,” he explained.
Katrina procured a small pillow next to her, placed it on her lap, and lightly patted it with her hand. “Why not lay your head down?” she suggested.
He shrugged and lay prone with his head on the pillow as he stared at Paige. “I thought we wouldn’t see you until later in the summer. What brings you to town?”
“I’m actually headed to my contract job, but thought it would be nice to visit for a few days on my way there. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course not,” Katrina insisted. “We’re happy to see you.”
“You’re always welcome here,” Caleb added with a yawn, to which Paige appreciatively winked at him.
Katrina sat her glass down on the end table to her right and pulled a comforter from across the back of the couch. She smoothly unfolded it and draped it over him. “Tell us what you’ve been up to,” she prompted as she soothed her fingertips through Caleb’s hair.
As Paige recounted her packing activities at her home in California, the preparations for her contract job, and a host of other information, Caleb was lulled into a comfortable state. Somewhere during the drone of Paige’s conversation, his eyelids grew heavy, and he effortlessly fell asleep.
As Katrina waited for Paige to finish speaking, she momentarily reassessed Caleb’s state of consciousness before looking at the young vampire across from her with a curious expression.
“Now that Caleb’s asleep, why don’t you tell me why you’re really here? Not that you’re not welcome here, of course, but we’ve known each other a long time, and I recognize when something’s up with you.”
The edges of Paige’s mouth upturned slightly with amusement at her friend’s direct query. Always looking for the angle, aren’t you, Red? The truth was that she felt slightly uneasy about her reason for being there. Her feelings weren’t something she was used to laying out for everyone to see. “Remember the conversation you and I had with Caleb at my townhouse back in March?” she asked.
Katrina nodded. How could I forget? You confessed some strong feelings for my mate that night.
While not entirely surprised over the revelation, she had felt a little uncomfortable with it. Still, Paige had been very open and honest with her, which had reassured her somewhat.
“Caleb said I had nothing keeping me in California anymore,” Paige offered, and then paused to look over at the young man across from her to assess his state of slumber. “Well, after you both left, I didn’t think too much about it. Then the past couple of weeks, I’ve been mulling those thoughts over a little bit. Frankly, I’ve been feeling a little lost without you two around. So, I figured I would stop by on my way overseas. I wouldn’t mind spending a little time with our boy, in fact. Maybe scope out some of the houses that he’s been nice enough to check into for me?”
Katrina was reassured that her friend seemed to be laying everything out on the table in a straightforward manner. A sardonic smile crossed her lips.
“It’s silly, but it almost sounds as if we’re negotiating joint custody over him, doesn’t it?”
“Aren’t we?” Paige insisted.
“Fair enough,” Katrina amicably conceded as she continued to run her fingers lightly through Caleb’s hair. “Naturally, I’m sorry if I seemed a little suspicious.”
“I’d be surprised if you weren’t, Red.” She was all too aware of her friend’s tendency for suspicion, and possessiveness, when it came to Caleb.
“Caleb was correct when he said that you’re always welcome here, Paige,” Katrina insisted. “Your timing’s pretty good, actually. Caleb’s been rather stir-crazy around here as of late with all the spare time on his hands.”
Paige smirked, content with her friend’s more settled manner. “Oh, I think I can take care of that for you.”
* * * *
Chapter 2: Messengers
When Caleb awoke, he immediately recognized two things. First, the room that he was in was dark except for the dim illumination of a digital clock on the nightstand. Second, he was lying in a bed rather than on the living room couch. Still groggy and feeling somewhat dazed and disoriented,