The barista calls our order, breaking the moment.Caleb grabs both cups, handing me mine.Our fingers brush, and even that small contact sends electricity up my arm.We find a small table by the window with a partial view of the marina in the distance, and I wrap my hands around my coffee, letting the warmth seep into my palms.Outside, people rush past on the sidewalk, heading to their own destinations.The city moves at its usual frantic pace, but in here, in this moment, everything feels slower.
There’s something different about Caleb lately I can’t quite place.He’s changed since the whole showdown with Luis.There’s an intensity to him now.He watches me when he thinks I won’t notice, picks up on little things about me even I don’t pay attention to.It’s strange being the focus of this kind of attention—not the kind that wants something from you, but the kind that just wants to know you.It’s unfamiliar territory, and I’m not sure what to make of it.
Ever since Luis’s arrest, I was sure Caleb would bring up ending our fake dating arrangement, but he’s not once brought it up.Instead, he took me out to lunch and dinner last week to an upscale restaurant.He got me flowers on our way home last Friday.He spent half of Sunday fixing the leak in my sink before caving and calling a plumber.He’s just… there.He’s started inserting himself into the tiny parts of my life, and it scares me.
What scares me more is how much I’ve come to like these intrusions.A part of me dreads the moment when he decides it’s time to end our arrangement, to pull away from this intimacy we’ve built.The truth is, these feelings for Caleb have been growing for weeks, maybe longer.I just refused to acknowledge them.I’ve been falling for him gradually, with each small gesture, each moment of unexpected kindness.He’s managed to charm his way into my heart when I wasn’t looking.I’ve been fighting it, denying it, but I can’t anymore.I have real feelings for Caleb Wilder, feelings that weren’t part of our deal.
I take a sip of my coffee, hoping it might clear my head or at least give me something to focus on besides the man sitting across from me.When I look up, I find Caleb watching me in a way that makes my pulse quicken.Has he been studying me this whole time while I’ve been lost in my thoughts?
Caleb clears his throat, his expression shifting to something more serious.“Have you heard back from your family?”The abrupt change of subject catches me off guard, but I’m grateful for it.Safer territory.
I grip my coffee cup a little tighter.“Rafael called to check up on me last Saturday.”
“Did you answer?”
I nod.“Yeah.I did.”The surprise in Caleb’s eyes makes me smile despite myself.“Don’t look so shocked.I can be mature when I want to be.”
“What did he say?”
“Asked how I was doing.If I was okay.”I take a sip of my coffee, letting the bitter taste ground me.“He sounded worried.”
“And Marco?”
I look down at my cup.“He’s called a few times, but I haven’t been able to pick up yet.”The unspoken question hangs in the air between us.Caleb doesn’t ask, but his eyes do.
“My mother hasn’t called,” I say finally, answering what he doesn’t say.I try to smile, trying to hide the pain I know is visible in my eyes.“It’s fine.I’m used to it.Not like I’m ready to forgive them anytime soon.”I look out the window, watching the people pass by, each caught up in their own lives, their own dramas.
I feel Caleb’s eyes on me, studying me.Then he reaches out, his hand covering mine on the table.His touch is warm, steady.“You’re not alone, Eve,” he says, his voice quiet.“I’m right here with you.”
I look at him, really look at him.His blue eyes hold mine, sincere in a way I’m not used to seeing.No teasing, no challenge.Just Caleb, offering something I didn’t know I needed.
“I know,” I say, and to my surprise, I mean it.
When he holds my gaze, something shifts between us, something uncertain but exciting.After a few minutes, I laugh awkwardly and look away, suddenly too aware of how close we are, how intimate this moment feels.
“You know, I’ve figured out one good thing about you coming to Thalvyn,” I say.
He quirks an eyebrow.“What’s that?”
“We became friends.”The words sound strange as they leave my lips, too small for what’s grown between us, too big for what we agreed to.
Caleb looks startled at my words.He sets his coffee down, his expression thoughtful as he seems to muse over what I’ve said.Something flickers across his face—disappointment?Frustration?
“You’re right,” he says finally.“But we’re more than just friends.”His tone has a meaningful edge to it, and for a moment, my heart soars.But I force it down immediately.I know better than to read into things, to hope for more than what’s been explicitly offered.
“If you’re referring to our benefits arrangement—” I start, keeping my tone light.
“No.”He cuts me off, his voice firm.His eyes lock onto mine with an intensity that steals my breath.“That’s not what I’m talking about, Eve.I will never be satisfied with just friendship from you.”My heart beats so fast I can feel it in my throat.I stare at him, trying to process what he’s saying, what he means
My phone rings, the shrill sound cutting through the tension between us.I fumble for it, cursing the timing.The yacht decorator’s name flashes on the screen.
“We have to go,” I say, my voice sounding strained even to my own ears.“It’s the decorator.”
Caleb just gives me an easy smile.“Let’s go, then.”
My mind races as we walk back toward North Cove Marina.I glance at him as we walk, his profile sharp against the blue sky.The spring sun catches in his golden hair, and my fingers itch with the sudden, inappropriate urge to run through it.
This wasn’t part of the plan.These feelings, this confusion—none of it was supposed to happen.We had an arrangement, clear terms, boundaries.And now?
