Caleb takes a step towards me, and my skin prickles with goosebumps. “Because I couldn’t stand there and watch that guy put his hands on you.”
When he stops mere inches from me, I tremble. My neck cranks to meet his height, and I hold his stare. “That doesn’t explain why we’re here,” I murmur.
His hand cups my cheek, and I’m swept into immediate pleasure that bursts across my skin. It’s unnerving and takes me by surprise. I nearly topple over my own feet. It’s a tenderness I want to live a thousand times over.
“I just…” he starts. “I needed to be close to you.”
My eyes burn at the sincerity of his words. Either he’s a good liar, or he’s being serious. I’ve been headfucked by him one too many times to know what’s real and what’s not, and yet, I ended up here after promising myself I would stay away.
I might be weak, but the matebond is hard to resist.
“Stay tonight,” he whispers. “Here. With me.”
“I can’t tell if you’re messing with me,” I say through shaky words.
Caleb looks defeated as he lowers his forehead to mine. “I never wanted to mess you around in the first place, but I had no other choice.”
“What do you want?”
His thumb smooths over the curve of my jaw, and I’m trembling like a leaf. “I’ve been waiting my entire life for this,” he whispers.
I close my eyes before tears spring because they are words I never thought I’d hear. The pleasure that erupts inside me is near euphoric, something I’ve never felt in my life, when all I’ve known is pain and suffering.
“I thought you didn’t like me,” I state, my emotions getting the better of me.
“I was an asshole to you. I didn’t know how else to handle it.”
“Yeah,” I croak. “You were an asshole. You hurt me, the day you tackled me to the ground.”
Caleb’s throat bobs, and undeniable guilt swarms his eyes. “I never meant to. I wanted to scare you off, but when you fell, I didn’t mean to collide with you. I took it too far. I wanted for you to not even look in my direction, but I failed at doing that.”
His chest heaves, and shame swarms my body—but not my shame…his.
“You could have explained. I would have tried to understand.”
He wrinkles his nose. “I wasn’t ready to confess. Ihatetalking about him.”
I nod because I despise talking about my family, too.
“I’ve had to hide my emotions for the majority of my life,” he rasps. “And when it came to you, I acted like I didn’t care because he can manipulate me when I show too much emotion.”
My brows crease as he speaks, not fully grasping what he means.
“I didn’t want you to get involved in this,” he carries on.
“It’s too late for that.”
Caleb brushes his forehead against mine. “I know.”
“I don’t know if I trust you,” I whisper.
“I understand,” he says softly. “I thought staying away from you would be easy, but it’s been hell. And I need to keep you safe.”
I press my lips together as he continues to stroke my cheek. “Even if we both wanted this,” I say solemnly. “It’s impossible, right?”
Caleb’s eyes close as if he’s in severe pain. “I need time to work things out, but he can’t know about you. He can’t know you’re my mate. Not yet.”
“Or ever?”
