Caleb P.O.V
The morning after Aidan got back was hectic. From when I woke up, most of it was a blur. We ate, we talked about his father, we changed and left the dorms. That's all, really. We'd decided to meet up with his father, but Aidan had assured us we would leave if he said anything we didn't like.
So, as of now, we were sat in a coffee shop around ten minutes from the dorms, waiting anxiously for his father to show up. He texted Aidan saying he'd meet us at around 11, and it was 10:40. We came early so we could calm our nerves with something to drink before the devil showed up.
I bounced my leg anxiously and bit my lip. I'd never met Caleb's father before, but the stories he had told me about him made me not want to. He sounded like a cruel man, and his looks mirrored that perfectly. His face was enough to make any grown man cry, in my opinion.
A hand placed itself atop of mine, and I knew simply by the way my body felt electric from the touch that it was my boyfriend. I smiled, clutching his hand back and squeezing it before turning my head and planting a kiss on his cheek. He flushed, not expecting it, and I laughed, feeling my worries slowly shrink until I felt completely calm and ready for whatever was to come.
"It's gonna be fine, right? I mean your dad can't be that bad. We're in public. And if something happens, we can just leave,", I ramble, looking at my cup of hot chocolate. Aidan rests his chin on my shoulder and tilts his head to the side, sighing.
"Of course we can leave, babe. If you feel uncomfortable, just tap my leg and we'll leave. It'll be okay, I promise,", he assured, fiddling with my fingers to calm his own nerves. I smile and rest my head on his, soaking up the moment as much as I could before his dad arrived. He wasn't normally this affectionate in public, but his nervousness makes him extra clingy, so he'd been a little more touchy ever since we left. Not that I'm complaining, of course.
Ten minutes later, Mr Langston waltzed in, an expression on his face that was much too smug for my liking. Both Aidan and I scowled briefly before facing him with a stone-hard, stoic expression so he wouldn't get a reaction out of us.
Sliding into the seat directly across from me, he took a moment to call a waiter over and order a coffee, then placed his hands on the table and stared at me for a minute, as if assessing me.
"Hmm... Interesting. Hello, boys. It's good to finally meet you, Caleb. Son. It's a pleasure to see you've not let your standards slip as much as your talent,", he said, rather passively might I add. Oh my god. I've only known this man for a few minutes, but he makes my blood boil way too much. I resist the urge to tap Aidan's leg, instead of sitting on my hands and offering a faux smile, introducing myself formally to his father.
"Nice to meet you too, Sir. I'm Caleb Micheals, Aidan's boyfriend,", I chime, trying to break the awkward atmosphere being created by the sheer anger radiating from the pair. He glances in my direction, forgetting about his son, and smiled, opening his mouth to say something before he was interrupted by the waitress bringing his drink over.
He grabbed it from her hands, muttering a thank you and taking a sip from it before placing the cup done harshly on the wooden surface of the table.
"So, Caleb, how old are you? And what course are you taking in university? I heard from Aidan that the two of you seem to be on the same campus,", he asked, keeping a straight face. Aidan seethed by my side, but I took a deep breath and a sip of my own drink before responding.
"W-well, I recently turned nineteen, and I'm doing the same course as Aidan. I'm training to become a police officer, but given the current situation, my current career path may have to be postponed slightly,", I respond, rubbing my neck out of embarrassment.
He simply nods, staying silent as he continues to drink his coffee. For the next thirty minutes, he converses with Aidan, leaving me some time to think through what I'll say if he asks me anything, and also some time to calm myself down after speaking to him. Wow, who knew one short conversation could be so nerve-wracking.
A quiet ding erupted from my phone, snapping me from my thoughts. It was a text from Riley, asking when me and Aidan would be back. I checked the time and realised we'd been gone for around three hours, and we promised we would be back in time to hang out with Riley and Jordan, so I took the opportunity and said that we'd be back in 20 minutes.
"Uhm, Aidan,", I mumble, and they stop their conversation, looking at me expectantly. "I-I feel kind of tired and unwell, do you think we could go back to the dorms so I can rest for a bit? I'm awfully sorry to cut this chat short, Mr Langston, I'm just not really feeling 100% today,", I bluffed, yawning and holding my stomach slightly for extra effect.
Apparently, my act had worked, because even Aidan looked concerned while Mr Langston nodded in faux sympathy. I internally cheered, relieved that we could finally leave. Hopefully, he'd chatted with Aidan about whatever crap he had plotted, and he could fill me in back at the dorms.
"Of course, my boy. Rest up. I'll be in touch soon. Good day,", he said, standing up and walking to the register to pay for our drinks. I smiled shortly, but returned to my acting, leaning on Aidan as we walked to further prove my excuse of feeling ill.
As soon as we'd walked around the corner and far enough away that he wouldn't be able to hear or see us, I pulled Aidan to a stop. He turned back, blue and green eyes full of concern making contact with mine. He brought a pale hand to my forehead, feeling my temperature.
"Are you alright? Do you feel sick or anything? Your temperature seems normal, but your blood pressure might be too high from all the stress. Do we need to take you somewhere?", he panicked, but I shushed him, bringing a finger to his lips. He looked at me in confusion, and I laughed, shaking my head.
"I faked it to get us out of there. I was bored and our friends wanted us back,", I shrugged, an innocent smile on my face. His jaw dropped, but he pulled me along again and we continued our journey back to the dorms.
"You little snake. I was seriously worried back there. You're really convincing, you know?", he chuckled, squeezing my hand. I didn't reply, only nodded, and we walked the majority of the way back in silence. Something seemed to be on his mind, but I thought it best to leave him for a while before prodding.
However, as we were about five minutes away, I stopped him again to ask him what was up.
"You okay, babe? You look bothered about something,", I ask. He just nods, sighing as he pulls me to a bench nearby. Confused, I sit down and look at him. His features make him look stressed, but there seems to be something beneath it. Worry, maybe?
"My dad said why he wanted to meet up before we left", was all he said. I tilted my head, prompting him to go on. He stayed quiet for a few seconds, taking deep breaths before he continued. "He made a proposal,"
"Go on,", I encouraged.
"Well...", he began.