Page 60 of Caleb

“It is,” Caleb agreed, though his eyes were fixed on her instead of the view.

He took a step closer, his hands sliding down to hers, and she felt the shift in his energy. Gone was the nervous tension—replaced by something deeper, something raw and vulnerable.

“We need to talk,” he said, his voice steady but soft.

Taylor turned to face him fully, her heart pounding. “Okay,” she said, her voice cautious.

He took a deep breath, his hands tightening around hers as he searched for the right words.

“I need to tell you something. And I need you to listen, Taylor. No interruptions, no walls—just... listen.”

Her heart thudded inside her as she nodded. “Okay.”

“I’ve spent my whole life running from things,” he began, his voice quiet but raw. “From emotions, from people, from love. And I told myself it was because I didn’t want to hurt anyone. But the truth is, I was scared. I’ve been scared for as long as I can remember.”

Taylor stayed silent as she watched him.

He looked up at her then, his eyes filled with an emotion so raw, it made her nervous. “When I left college without saying good-bye, it wasn’t because I didn’t care. It wasn’t because I didn’t love you. It was because my father was tearing our family apart with an extramarital affair. He wanted to leave my mother, and she was threatening to kill him. Not long after I got home, my father, a very good pilot, took my mother up in the family plane. I don’t know what happened up there, but they were killed in a plane crash.”

Taylor’s breath caught, her hands freezing mid-twist. “Oh my God, Caleb,” she whispered. “I had no idea.”

He nodded, his jaw tightening. “I didn’t tell anyone. Not you, not anyone at school. I just... shut down. I came home to deal with the fallout, and then I found out something that...” He paused, swallowing hard. “I suspect my father crashed that plane on purpose. If my mother wouldn’t divorce him, he’d end it for both of them.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Taylor’s mouth opened, but no sound came out.

“My parents’ marriage was a disaster,” Caleb continued, his voice cracking. “They fought constantly. My father was controlling, my mother was miserable, and the house was filled with tension every single day. When I found out about the crash, all I could think was he couldn’t take it anymore. Maybe he decided if he couldn’t be happy, no one would.”

Taylor reached out instinctively, her hand covering his. His fingers trembled beneath hers.

“I thought if I stayed with you, I’d ruin us the way my parents ruined each other,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “I thought I wasn’t good enough to make a relationship work. That I wasn’t good enough for you.”

Tears burned at the corners of Taylor’s eyes, and she squeezed his hand. “Caleb...”

“I was wrong,” he said, his voice firmer now. “I was wrong to leave you, wrong to run from what we had. And I’ve been wrong ever since. You deserved better, Taylor. You and Liam both deserve better.”

She blinked back tears, her throat tightening. “Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because I love you,” he said. “I’ve always loved you. And I can’t let you leave without knowing that.”

Taylor’s heart stuttered as the words she had longed to hear for so long washed over her like a wave. She stared at him, her emotions tangled with relief, anger, and love.

“I needed you to fight for me, Caleb,” she said, her voice trembling. “I needed you to fight for us, for Liam. And when you didn’t...”

“I’m fighting now,” he interrupted, his eyes locking onto hers. “I’m here, Taylor. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Before she could respond, Caleb pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. He dropped to one knee, his hands trembling slightly as he opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond ring.

“Taylor,” he said, his voice steady despite the emotion in his eyes, “I love you. I love Liam. I want us to be a family, and I’m ready to do whatever it takes to make that happen. If you want to move to Chicago, we’ll go as a family. If you want to stay here, we’ll stay. I need you to know I’m all in. No more running, no more hiding. Will you marry me?”

Tears streamed down Taylor’s face as she stared at him, the sincerity in his words breaking down every wall she had built to protect herself.

“Yes,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Then, stronger, “Yes, Caleb. I’ll marry you.”

Relief flooded his face as he slid the ring onto her finger, his hand steady despite her tremor.

“I never stopped loving you,” Taylor said.

Caleb rose to his feet, pulling her into his arms, and their lips met in a kiss filled with every unspoken word, lingering emotion, and promise for the future.

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