"Losing my mind,"

O N W A R D S;

Caleb sat on the edge of his bed with a solemn look on his face. What had happened to him over the last week or so was so unexpected, so unreal that it could have come out of fairytale. Caleb held the Hennessy in his hand and took a large sip. Who would have thought that after five years, the woman he loved would pop back into his life in this way.

Caleb didn't or for want of a better word couldn't imagine himself seeing her ever again. But here he was, planning the next visit he'd make to the hospital. Caleb had spent a large portion of his day already thinking about her, how she looked, how beautiful she still was and how much he needed to know why she'd left him.

Over the years he'd made up different ideas as to why she'd just disappeared. It was the something he'd done to keep himself sane and those made up stories helped him sleep better at night. The variations of each story made him chuckle at how much he was grasping at straws just to heal his ego. At one time he'd even made himself believe that she'd been kidnapped and was being held against her will.

Although Caleb knew that wasn't the case and after some time he'd just come to the conclusion that she left because she was scared of loving him. Scared of being hurt so she did the only logical explanation, she ran but the Georgia he knew, or thought he knew didn't run away when she was scared so it was hard for him to believe that. Caleb sat up thinking long and hard, and suddenly his mind found its way to his child, his son.

His dead son.

He had had a little boy, a boy that he'd only just found out about. Georgia had planned the funeral without him, done that all by herself and then Caleb thought about what Adrian had said about Georgia being in pain but if that was so, why hadn't she reached out to him, what was keeping her back? He shook his head at his thoughts and threw the remaining of the Hennessy down his throat. He closed his eyes enjoying the calming sensation it brought him and soon he was fast asleep.

~*~

If not for the vibration of his cell phone Caleb didn't know when he would have woken up but staring at the bright screen in the darkness he should have thought twice before picking it up.
"Hello." His voice was groggy.
"Caleb?" The voice was feminine and familiar and it only took him a second to realize that he should have let the phone ring out.
"Daniella?" He asked rubbing his eyes, "It's late, why are you calling me?"

The woman on the line scoffed, "It's eight o'clock in the morning Caleb!"
He slapped his hand to his forehead, "Oh shit!" He muttered standing up, knocking over the empty bottle of Hennessy.
"I've been trying to get you for a whole week now Caleb! Where are you?" Her voice sounded angry.
"I tried calling the office but they said you were out! What the hell does out mean?"

Caleb scoffed, "Stop minding my business Daniella!"
"I don't owe you anything"
There was silence on the other end of the line and Caleb checked to see if she had hung up, "You know you're right Caleb, you don't owe me anything I'm just the girl who keeps your bed warm at night, right? Is that it? I'm not your girlfriend so I don't have the right to know your whereabouts."

Caleb let out a breath suddenly feeling as though he'd been too rude to her, "No, c'mon Daniella you're more than that..." he trailed off.
"Am I?" Her voice trailed off, "Because honestly I don't think so,"
Caleb had never given Daniella what she wanted, the title she wanted. It wasn't as if he hadn't been frank with her about what their relationship was or how he'd be going about it, it was the fact that she thought she could make him change his mind, make him fall in love with her. Daniella loved him, he knew that as much but his insistent downplay of what their relationship kept fueling her fire.

He knew he didn't love her, sure he cared about her but the two had totally different meanings. But I guess if Caleb really wanted to end her infatuation with him he shouldn't keep her in his bed but she was a cure for his loneliness and while you could say he should just date other people there was a piece of him another woman would never get and while starting over with someone new seemed like the best idea he knew that it wouldn't last long.

Trust was the issue, he couldn't put his trust in another human being again in fear of them taking off and leaving him. So he needed to keep it casual with Daniella to prevent his heart from breaking again. If Daniella could understand that what she wanted from him was not possible and she should just leave him alone it would cure the guilt that constantly ate at him whenever she called.

"Let me buy you lunch later this week." His guilt said into the phone, "On Friday, at The Palace in Manhattan, at noon."
He heard her sigh, "Fine."
"Great, I'll see you then."
"Mhm."
"Alright bye."
"Yes bye."
He hung up the phone.

Friday was a few days away so he had time before their meeting. An hour later he was exiting his hotel room and walking down towards the lobby when a group made up of four reporters with cameras buzzed around him.
"Mr. Hearst, it is true you haven't been at the office in more than week?"
"What's been keeping you away?"
"Does the board know about your whereabouts?"

Caleb covered his head and pushed his way away from them making it to his car and driving away. How the hell did they find him? And why were they on his ass? As he pulled up and walked towards the entrance to the hospital Caleb recognized the face of the man waiting by the door as Sloan Hall, Georgia's ex. His face looked as if he hadn't shaved in a few days with bloodshot red eyes. At Caleb's approach he narrowed his eyes and stalked towards him.

"You're the guy they're allowing Georgia to see!" He jabbed a finger at him, "Who are you?"
Caleb chose to ignore him, and went to move around him but he grabbed his arm, "No, you don't get to walk away pretty boy! You tell me how you know her or so help me god!"
Caleb yanked his arm away from him, "So, so, what.." he stuttered, "What was she cheating on me with you?.... if that bitch was only, is that why they won't let me see her?"

Caleb scowled, "They won't let you see her because you hit her." He snapped.
Sloan shook his head, "That was an accident, it only happened once...."
"Doesn't matter, it happened. Now move!" Caleb said angrily.
Sloan scoffed, "Who do you think you are?"
Caleb didn't answer and just walked into the hospital leaving him outside, where he should stay.