Page 21 of Caleb

“Good, let’s do it again for old time's sake,” she said.

The universe had handed him his deepest wish on a silver platter—no questions, no awkward moments, just his for the taking. Why did it feel so empty?

CHAPTER9

Taylor stirred, the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the curtains and casting shadows across the room. Caleb’s steady breathing filled the quiet, his arm draped loosely over her waist. She blinked, the haze of sleep slowly lifting, when the sharp buzz of her phone shattered the stillness.

She froze, her heart lurching as she reached for her purse and yanked out her phone. The screen lit up with her mother’s name.

Her pulse quickened, dread tightening inside her like a knot pulled too tight. A phone call this late was never good. She slid out of bed, careful not to wake Caleb, and tiptoed into the bathroom and closed the door.

“Mom?” she whispered her voice tight with worry.

“Taylor,” Grace said, her voice strained but steady. “It’s Liam. He’s in the hospital.”

The words slammed into Taylor, her breath catching. “What? What happened?”

“He started coughing worse this evening,” Grace explained. “He was struggling to breathe, so I took him to the ER. They said it’s RSV. They’ve admitted him to monitor his oxygen levels.”

“Oh my God.” Taylor’s knees threatened to buckle as panic surged through her. “Is he okay? Is he...”

“He’s stable,” Grace assured her quickly. “But they want to keep him overnight, maybe longer. The doctors are taking good care of him. I’m not leaving his side.”

Panic surged through her, a crushing wave at the thought of her baby lying sick in a hospital bed, and she wasn’t there to hold him, to comfort him, to make it better.

“I’m coming home,” Taylor said immediately, moving toward her clothes.

“Taylor, there’s nothing you can do right now,” Grace said, her tone firm. “Get some rest and come in the morning. Liam’s in good hands.”

There was no chance she’d wait until morning—not when her baby needed her now.

“No,” Taylor said, her voice hardening. “I’m coming home now. Text me the hospital’s name and address. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Grace sighed, but she didn’t argue. “Okay. Be safe, sweetheart. I’ll keep you updated.”

As the call ended, Taylor quickly dressed, her hands shaking as she pulled on her skirt and blouse. Caleb stirred behind her, murmuring something incoherent, but she didn’t look back.

She slipped out of the room, clutching her phone tightly, and stepped into the empty hallway. Leaning against the wall, she exhaled sharply, her heart pounding as she stared at her mother’s text with the hospital details.

RSV.

Her lungs tightened at the thought of Liam struggling to breathe, his little body hooked up to machines. Guilt crashed over her, sharp and suffocating.

How could I have let this happen? I should never have left my baby.

She pushed off the wall, heading for her room. Her steps were quick, her mind racing with everything she needed to do. Book a flight. Pack her things. Get to Austin as fast as possible.

When she reached her room, she quickly changed clothes and threw everything into her suitcase with frantic movements, her thoughts spiraling. The past few days felt like a blur—work, Caleb, the tangled mess of emotions she’d tried so hard to suppress.

What were you thinking? You slept with him again.

Her hands stilled on the zipper of her suitcase as the memory of Caleb’s touch flashed through her mind. The way he’d kissed her, held her, made her feel alive in a way she hadn’t in years.

* * *

If only heweren’t so emotionally locked up, dragging his fears and insecurities behind him like invisible chains. It wasn’t that Caleb didn’t feel—Taylor could see the weight of his emotions in the way he looked at her, in the way he hesitated just long enough to let the walls come back up.

But whatever had broken him before, whatever shadows he carried, kept him from reaching for anything real, anything lasting. And it was maddening because she knew he felt something—something he’d never let himself admit.

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