Free Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles Page A

The girl he'd obviously already spent time with tonight is really pretty. She's got big brown eyes, perfect blonde hair, and a waist so small it's a wonder all her internal organs can fit inside her body. Maybe they're all stuffed into her huge boobs instead.
    "No, I'm not kidding," I tell her, finding my voice again. "Caleb, come back to our suite."
    He looks confused.
    "Your shirt is still in my room," the girl says with a big grin. She probably expects him to blow me off, and she's probably right.
    To my surprise, Caleb slings an arm over my shoulder. He smells like beer. "I gotta go with her."
    I can detect a slight slur in his speech, confirming that he's not completely sober.
    The girl ducks back in her room, but reappears a second later. She whips his shirt at him. "You're a loser," she says, and then looks at me. "You can have him."
    When she slams the door, it's just Caleb and me standing in the hall. I shrug off his arm. He hasn't put his shirt back on and his zipper is still undone.
    "Are you coming?" I ask impatiently.
    I'm kind of surprised that he follows me back to our suite. I unlock the door.
    "I need help," Caleb slurs as he drapes his arm across my shoulders again. I can feel the heat of his bare skin through my clothes. In the past I would have done anything for Caleb to put his arm around me. But not now.
    "You have beer breath," I tell him, pushing him off me. "And if you want help zipping up your fly, you've asked the wrong girl."
    He stumbles into the suite behind me and collapses on the couch. "So you're the wrong girl for me but the right girl for Matt?" he asks.
    "Shut up, Caleb. Matt's just a friend."
    "I don't think so. I think you've moved on to him."
    "My relationships are none of your business. And just because I talk to a guy doesn't mean I've moved on to him."
    "Right. I knew that." He looks around, confused. "Wait, where's the rest of our little dysfunctional group?"
    "At a movie."
    "Why aren't you with 'em?"
    As if on cue, a sharp pain starts at my ankle and shoots up my calf. I would suck in a breath, but I don't want Caleb feeling sorry for me. "I need to rest my leg."
    He pats the cushion next to him. "Take a load off and sit next to me."
    Caleb's hair is sticking up in all different directions and that damn zipper is still open as a reminder of what he was doing with that girl tonight. Problem is, he still looks good. My top lip curls, thinking about him and that other girl. "No."
    "Come on, just for a second."
    His eyes are at half-mast and he's attempting to act all vulnerable and innocent, but I know better.
    "You should probably go to bed before Damon catches you drunk or on drugs or whatever you ingested tonight," I tell him.
    "Sit with me for a minute, then I'll disappear into my room and you won't have to see me for the rest of the night. I promise." He fumbles with his fly and finally zips and buttons his pants, then leans his head against the back of the couch. "And just so you know, I didn't do drugs. Could've, but didn't. Don't want to end up like my mom," he mumbles.
    That's the first time I've heard him talk about his family since this trip started. I hear a distinct sadness in his voice when he mentions his mom, which makes him seem even more vulnerable.
    I stand right in front of him, determined to be the rational one. "You were drinking tonight. Don't deny it."
    His lips curve into a small smile. "Yeah, I drank. Feels good to not have to think about ... everything."
    I hesitate. Being close to Caleb isn't a good idea. "I should report you to Damon."
    "Yeah, you should."
    I sigh. "But I won't."
    "Why not, Mags? Could it be that deep down in that frozen heart of yours you still like me?"
    He reaches out and pulls me toward him. Not being very steady in the first place, I stumble forward, but he cradles my body with his arm and gently lowers me to the couch until I'm lying down. Under him.
    "Don't answer that question," he says.
    My brain tells me to scramble away and keep