I stared at him, shocked not just by his language but by the conviction behind it.
“If you break her heart, I will be seriously pissed. Like seriously, seriously pissed.”
“Relax. No one’s breaking hearts. We’re taking things slow. No commitments on either side.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. You’re obviously in love with her. You’re just too scared to admit it.”
The accusation hung between us like a challenge.
Was I just scared?
I did have strong feelings for her. Strong, unconditional, unwavering, un-fucking-relenting emotions that had been gnawing away at my insides for days.
They’d been there from the moment I first held her. They made my heart race, my stomach churn, made me want to vomit every time I thought about her leaving. Feelings that turned me into a walking cliché ready to make over-the-top declarations.
Fuck.
Maybe he was right. Maybe I was falling in love with her.
“I’m not scared to admit anything,” I lied through my teeth. “But jumping in prematurely could hurt us both. I care about her a lot, but I won’t claim love until I’m sure. Right now? Hell, right now I don’t know much.”
“Haven’t you learned anything from me, big brother?” He frowned. “There’s no time to be wasted. Why do you think I took the chance to talk to her in the first place?”
“Because you’re an unrelenting flirt who couldn’t pass up the opportunity to torment a beautiful woman.”
“Okay, yes, there’s that,” he agreed with a quirk of his lips. “But it’s so much more. When I see a woman like Jamie, I see a chance to make a good memory, and I never know which one might be my last.”
“Don’t talk like that.” My hands clenched, the need to fight something, anything, building like pressure inside me. “You’re going to have plenty of chances. You can’t give up.”
“I’ll never give up, but that’s the point. I hope to have years and years of chances. But just in case, I want to make as many good memories as possible while I can. Time is precious. You should remember that, too.”
“I love you, Caleb. You’re too smart for your own good, and you make me look like an ass. But I really love you.”
“You’re supposed to say that to Jamie, not me. But I love you back.” His grin was genuine, practically pain-free. “And you can thank me for introducing you in your wedding speech.”
I wished Jamie was here to see his smile. Once again, it was because of her that light had found its way back into this room.
“Now you’re jumping way ahead. Like I said, it’s not a fairy tale.”
“What’s not a fairy tale?” Celeste asked, walking back into the room.
“Eric and Jamie,” Caleb said before I could get out a word.
Meddling little shit.
“What about them?” Celeste persisted.
“Eric’s in love with her.”
“Yeah, so?” Even in question, she managed to scowl. “I thought we already knew this. Why is it big news?”
Apparently, I was obvious to everyone but myself. Was I this transparent to Jamie?
“Will you both give it a rest? I don’t need you convincing me you know my feelings better than I do. Topic closed.”
A soft knock interrupted us. Jamie stood in the doorway, tears sparkling in her eyes.
My heart soared and plummeted simultaneously. How much had she heard? But more importantly, why did she look so devastated?
