Categories > Books > Anita Blake > Friends
Chapter 4
"Gregory, why do you bother with Caleb?" Stephen looked puzzled. They were sitting in the dressing rooms backstage at Guilty Pleasures with Jason and Nathaniel. The other two looked up, waiting for an answer. Stephen and Jason didn't like Caleb much; he didn't seem to be anyone's favorite person.
"He's part of the Pard. Micah gave him another chance. It's hard to change your life. He doesn't have anyone." Gregory looked defensive about it. The rest of them looked skeptical. He wasn't going to tell them how he really felt.
"You gave me another chance. Did you forget?" The brothers looked at each other. "I did a lot of things, bad things. I got another chance." They'd been through a lot of bad things together.
"You're my brother. I knew what Raina and Gabriel were like. We all did." Stephen just didn't see what Caleb had to do with anything. Nathaniel and Jason stayed out of it but Nathaniel had a small smile on his face as he glanced sideways to check Jason's expression. Jason looked distressed at the mention of his former Lupa.
"Please, let's don't talk about them. I still have nightmares." Jason shook his head like he could shake the memories off. "We're all willing to give Caleb a chance but he's still a jerk." Greg shrugged and said nothing.
"So are you Greg, just not in the same class." Jason's grin had returned; he liked giving Gregory a hard time.
Nathaniel surprised them all. "He's not so bad; he doesn't know how to forgive himself. So he figures we can't forget or forgive either. It makes people behave badly." Nathaniel looked at Gregory. "We'll try harder. You're right, Gregory."
"Thanks, Nathaniel." Gregory knew Nathaniel probably had more to forgive Caleb for than the others. He'd suffered at Chimera's hands, even though Caleb hadn't had anything to do with Nathaniel's torture, or mine he reminded himself. Caleb hadn't been there.
"So, are we going to hang around here all night?" Jason was ready to leave. "Nathaniel, I'll give you a lift?"
"Yeah, I'll be right there, Jason." Jason and Stephen walked out carrying on a running argument about music. Nathaniel waited until the other two were out of hearing range. "He'll come around Greg. It'll work out." Nathaniel watched Greg's reaction. He'd seen Gregory looking at Caleb when he thought no one was watching. And he'd seen Caleb eyeing Greg on the dance floor.
"It doesn't matter. Jason's right. He's a jerk." Gregory shrugged, looked away, and left the room.
Nathaniel picked up his bag and followed. He smiled to himself; he'd have to tell Jason and Stephen to lay off Caleb. Maybe Gregory was in love; he was definitely in something, more than the "I think Caleb's cute" that he'd shared with Nathaniel. He frowned a bit thinking about Caleb. Nathaniel didn't want Gregory getting hurt.
"Gregory, why do you bother with Caleb?" Stephen looked puzzled. They were sitting in the dressing rooms backstage at Guilty Pleasures with Jason and Nathaniel. The other two looked up, waiting for an answer. Stephen and Jason didn't like Caleb much; he didn't seem to be anyone's favorite person.
"He's part of the Pard. Micah gave him another chance. It's hard to change your life. He doesn't have anyone." Gregory looked defensive about it. The rest of them looked skeptical. He wasn't going to tell them how he really felt.
"You gave me another chance. Did you forget?" The brothers looked at each other. "I did a lot of things, bad things. I got another chance." They'd been through a lot of bad things together.
"You're my brother. I knew what Raina and Gabriel were like. We all did." Stephen just didn't see what Caleb had to do with anything. Nathaniel and Jason stayed out of it but Nathaniel had a small smile on his face as he glanced sideways to check Jason's expression. Jason looked distressed at the mention of his former Lupa.
"Please, let's don't talk about them. I still have nightmares." Jason shook his head like he could shake the memories off. "We're all willing to give Caleb a chance but he's still a jerk." Greg shrugged and said nothing.
"So are you Greg, just not in the same class." Jason's grin had returned; he liked giving Gregory a hard time.
Nathaniel surprised them all. "He's not so bad; he doesn't know how to forgive himself. So he figures we can't forget or forgive either. It makes people behave badly." Nathaniel looked at Gregory. "We'll try harder. You're right, Gregory."
"Thanks, Nathaniel." Gregory knew Nathaniel probably had more to forgive Caleb for than the others. He'd suffered at Chimera's hands, even though Caleb hadn't had anything to do with Nathaniel's torture, or mine he reminded himself. Caleb hadn't been there.
"So, are we going to hang around here all night?" Jason was ready to leave. "Nathaniel, I'll give you a lift?"
"Yeah, I'll be right there, Jason." Jason and Stephen walked out carrying on a running argument about music. Nathaniel waited until the other two were out of hearing range. "He'll come around Greg. It'll work out." Nathaniel watched Greg's reaction. He'd seen Gregory looking at Caleb when he thought no one was watching. And he'd seen Caleb eyeing Greg on the dance floor.
"It doesn't matter. Jason's right. He's a jerk." Gregory shrugged, looked away, and left the room.
Nathaniel picked up his bag and followed. He smiled to himself; he'd have to tell Jason and Stephen to lay off Caleb. Maybe Gregory was in love; he was definitely in something, more than the "I think Caleb's cute" that he'd shared with Nathaniel. He frowned a bit thinking about Caleb. Nathaniel didn't want Gregory getting hurt.
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