Page 30 of Caleb

“The other night was a mistake,” she interrupted, her tone sharp enough to cut through his attempt at explanation. “I don’t know why you’re here now, Caleb, and honestly, I don’t think I want to.”

“I’m not asking for forgiveness,” he said finally, his voice tight, his gaze steady but conflicted.

“Maybe you should,” she shot back, her voice laced with the sharp edge of years of pain. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to have the man you’re dating just vanish without a word? To spend weeks wondering if you did something wrong, only for him to finally return your countless calls and end it without even giving you a real reason?” Her throat tightened, but she forced herself to keep going, her words unwavering. “Do you know what kind of hell that was, Caleb? Because I do.”

“I don’t understand. We had the best time together the other night.”

In some ways, she almost felt sorry for him—how could he not see the tangled mess of emotions she carried for him? It wasn’t simple, not by a long shot. What she felt for Caleb straddled a fine line between love and hate, each emotion battling for control depending on the moment.

“Well, here’s something to understand,” she said, her tone sharp. “I’m fine without you. I’ve been fine for a long time. So, if you came here looking for something, you’re wasting your time.”

For a moment, Caleb said nothing, his gaze locked on hers. Then he nodded once, his jaw set. “I’m sorry, Taylor. I can see I hurt you. Take care.”

Those two words—I’m sorry.She had waited years to hear them, dreamed of how they might undo the pain he’d left behind. But when he finally said them, all she felt was anger, sharp and unyielding. And yet, deep in her heart, buried beneath the resentment, she knew the truth she hated to admit – she still loved him.

Now, as she watched him walk out the door, that love twisted into something bitter, leaving her torn between letting him go and wishing he’d turn back around. Tears filled her eyes with the weight of his absence and presence both unbearable. She stood there for a long moment, Liam’s laugh echoing faintly from the other room, wondering if, this time, she’d made the right choice in letting him leave.

CHAPTER14

Caleb stood in the small florist shop on Main Street, surrounded by the sweet, heady scent of roses and lilies. He shifted awkwardly, feeling out of place among the vases and pastel greeting cards. The shop owner, a cheerful older woman, looked up from the arrangement she was working on and smiled at him.

“Can I help you, son?”

He nodded, clearing his throat. “Two dozen roses. The best ones you’ve got.”

Yesterday, he’d been an idiot.

Showing up on Taylor’s doorstep, thinking he could somehow make things right with a simple conversation—it had been naïve, and she’d made it crystal clear that forgiveness wouldn’t come easy. And why should it?

He realized that what he’d done to her was like swallowing a bitter pill. Back then, his mind had been clouded with grief, drowning in the aftermath of his parents’ sudden deaths and the overwhelming task of settling their chaotic estate. Every memory, every painful reminder of their toxic marriage, had weighed him down, convincing him that love—marriage—wasn’t in the cards for him.

So, he’d run. He’d thought it was the only way to protect himself, to escape a fate he feared repeating. But standing on Taylor’s doorstep yesterday, facing the consequences of that choice, he realized that running had cost him more than he’d ever imagined.

The clerk’s smile widened. “Got yourself in trouble, huh?”

“Something like that,” he muttered, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans.

The woman moved to the display case, selecting long-stemmed roses with care. Caleb watched her, his mind spinning. Roses were a start, but they weren’t enough—not for Taylor. Not for the woman he’d hurt more than he’d ever meant to, the one who still haunted his thoughts every night.

After what he’d done, roses were a bandage on a wound too deep for quick fixes. But they were something—a first step.

And yet, as Caleb stood there, thinking about Taylor with that mix of strength and vulnerability that always pulled him in, he couldn’t help but wonder what the hell he was doing.

Why was he trying so hard to make things right with her? Why was he showing up at her door, bending over backward to fix something he’d broken years ago?

He knew the truth, even if he hated admitting it to himself. He would never marry. Never fall in love. Love was messy, unpredictable, and always came with a price. He’d seen it destroy his parents, chip away at them until nothing was left but bitterness.

So why was he here? Why couldn’t he just let Taylor go and walk away?

When the woman handed him the bouquet, he thanked her and drove straight to Taylor’s house. The entire ride, his grip on the steering wheel tightened, his mind replaying their last conversation. The look in her eyes when she’d told him how much he’d hurt her, the sharp edge to her voice as she reminded him of how he’d left without a word.

He parked outside her parents’ house, the sight of her porch stirring memories of her laughter, her quick wit, and the warmth that always surrounded her.

Don’t screw this up,he told himself as he walked to the door.

Balancing the bouquet in one hand, he knocked. The sound echoed louder than he’d expected, and his stomach tightened as he waited.

When Taylor opened the door, her expression shifted from surprise to something guarded, her arms crossing instinctively.

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