Free Right in Time by Dahlia Potter Page B

kept having flashes of Kendall on his computer screen, crying as they finally ended everything.  He was not without tears himself, but regardless, he couldn’t help but see the hurt he had put upon her.  What Thomas had done to Maggie was completely different, but he still couldn’t help but worry that things may fall by the wayside again, for both of them.  The closer and closer he got to Toronto he couldn’t help but think about the possibility of seeing her again.  His friends had mentioned casually that she was in town for work.  His mind toyed with this.  Toronto was a big city, he surely didn’t have to see her.  But deep down, he was also aching at the chance to.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter Nineteen
     
    Caleb’s first two days in Toronto played out like a jetlagged, hungover blur.  Purely because he was both jetlagged and hungover. 
     
    Once his friends got a hold of him, it was like he had never left.  Only things were amped up even more because he was only in town for a week.  Seeing his family, going to his old hang outs; he truly did love this city.  On Tuesday night, he and his band had picked up their old time slot at their regular gig at a bar downtown.  Just as they were finishing setting up their equipment and ready to go on, he heard Bryan yell out to a face he had yet to spot in the crowd.
     
    Kendall.
     
    Caleb couldn’t help but feel the pit in his stomach grow.  He hadn't seen her since they broke up and being in the same room as her put this wash of emotions over him. He turned around and instantly spotted her. Actually, it was her auburn hair he spotted first from across the room; she hadn’t changed a bit.  Except for the fact that he could easily spot the nervousness that was behind her smile.  She was just as beautiful as he remembered. The beer hadn't kicked in yet so it wasn't the liquor talking as an excuse and all he could do was shake his head to get that thought out of his head. 
     
    “Hey guys.” She said as she approached the stage.  The rest of the band jumped off the stage to give her hugs and when done, he could see her looking at him, still on stage, from the corner of her eye.  He could sense that she wanted to say something and he did too, but in that moment, he couldn’t think for the life of him what that would be.  Thankfully, he was saved by the bar’s manager letting them know it was show time.  Watching her in the audience, the memories started coming back to him.  And post-show, when he actually manned up and said hi to her, it only got worse. 
     
    And the liquor didn’t help. 
     
    He found himself laughing at inside jokes again and the little quirks she had triggered various things in his mind.  She had the softest lips and had a tendency to bite his lower lip every now and then when they kissed which would always illicit a growl from him.  And a cheeky smile from her. 
     
    His mind kept wandering to more and more of the things he shouldn't be thinking about any more if you catch the drift.  Caleb just found himself falling back in to an old routine.  Same city, same friends, same girl.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter Twenty
     
    Caleb woke up the next morning with the hangover from hell.  He was starting to think that that was going to be a running theme this trip and would most likely continue for the next three days he was in town.  Sitting up (much too quickly) caused his head to spin and him to groan at the pain that combated him.  That groan only intensified when his phone started to ring.  How did that ringer get so loud?! He couldn’t help but think to himself.
     
    “Hello?”
    A short pause was finally followed by a “Hi.” In a voice that instantly made him wake up.
    “Kendall.  Hi.”
    “How are you feeling this morning?”
    “Well, my head is about to explode.  Besides that, not too shabby.  You?”
    “Yeah,