Page 22 of Caleb

Last night had been reckless, impulsive. The kind of mistake she’d vowed never to make again. And yet, a part of her couldn’t deny the truth—it had been the best night she’d had in as long as she could remember.

But it was over now. Whatever spark had ignited between them, whatever memories had resurfaced, it was done. There was no room in her life for second chances or old heartbreaks. Her son needed her—he was her world, her priority. Everything else, including Caleb, would have to stay in the past where it belonged.

Taylor zipped the suitcase with finality, forcing the thought aside. There was no time for regrets or second-guessing. She had to get home. Liam needed her.

By the time she reached the airport, her heart was pounding for an entirely different reason. She handed over her ID and ticket, barely registering the clerk’s polite words. As she boarded the plane, the weight of everything settled heavily on her, the guilt, the fear, clawed at her throat.

She stared out the window as the plane taxied down the runway, her reflection faint against the dark glass. The last twenty-four hours felt surreal—a mix of joy and heartbreak, of laughter and longing.

The thing that had always drawn them together, whatever invisible force it was, still burned strongly between them. Taylor could feel it, humming in the air, pulling her closer to Caleb in a way that made her pulse race and her defenses waver.

But she couldn’t let it into her heart. She couldn’t afford to.

Letting him in would mean making a bad decision, one she couldn’t take back. Right now, her focus had to stay where it belonged—on her son. Liam needed her in a way Caleb never would.

Caleb was a man who had walked away before and had survived without her. Liam, on the other hand, depended on her completely. And she couldn’t let anything, not even the lingering ache of what might have been, cloud her judgment.

And now, all she could think about was Liam. His sweet smile, his contagious giggle. She could only pray she’d see them again soon, that the doctors were right and he was stable.

As the plane ascended, Taylor closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. Whatever had happened between her and Caleb, whatever feelings had been reignited, none of it mattered now.

Though she hated that her son was sick, part of her couldn’t help but feel that leaving Caleb’s room before he woke up had been for the best.

Good-byes were messy. They stirred up emotions she’d rather leave buried, opened doors she didn’t want to walk through. Slipping out quietly, she avoided the awkwardness of explanations and lingering looks.

This way, there were no complicated conversations or regrets to unravel. Just a clean break. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself as the memory of the night before lingered, far more vivid than she wanted it to be.

Liam needed her. Her son was her world. And she would make sure he was okay, no matter what it took.

CHAPTER10

Caleb stirred, blinking into the dim room, his body heavy with the haze of sleep. For a moment, he stayed still, the remnants of the night before wrapping around him like a memory he didn’t want to let go. He reached across the bed, his fingers brushing the cool, empty sheets where she should have been.

His eyes opened, and he turned his head, half-expecting to see her lying there, her hair a tousled mess against the pillow, her face soft with sleep.

But the bed was empty.

The quiet in the room felt sharper now, the absence of her presence more deafening than the early-morning city noise creeping through the window. He sat up, panic tightening his breathing as his gaze swept the room. Her shoes weren’t by the chair. Her purse wasn’t on the desk. Her clothes were not lying on the floor.

She was gone.

Caleb scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to shake off the heaviness settling over him. Maybe she was just in the bathroom. Or getting coffee. But even as the thoughts surfaced, he knew better.

Had he dreamed it? Was last night even real?

Caleb half reclined on the bed as the previous night’s events swirled in his mind. The way Taylor had looked at him, the warmth of her touch, the electricity in every kiss—it had felt so vivid, so tangible.

And yet, she was gone.

Why would she leave without saying good-bye?

His gaze darted to the door as if she might walk back in at any moment, offering some logical explanation for her absence. Maybe she’d just returned to her room, needing space or time to think. That sounded like her—practical, measured, always retreating when things got too complicated.

But something about the empty bed and the stillness of the room made his heart ache. It didn’t feel like she was coming back.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, the cool floor grounding him as he stared at the spot where her clothes had been piled the night before. Nothing remained. No sign that she’d ever been there.

Something sharp twisted in his gut, an ache he hadn’t anticipated. He hadn’t expected her to stay forever, but waking up alone, with no explanation, no good-bye hit harder than he cared to admit.

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