Page 8 of Caleb

Taylor jabbed the button for her floor, crossing her arms as she leaned against the opposite wall. Caleb wanted to melt into the paneling.

The elevator jerked to life, the tension inside palpable. He tried to focus on the glowing numbers above the doors, counting down the seconds until freedom.

The lights flickered once.

Then again.

The elevator shuddered to a halt, plunging them into a sudden, jarring silence.

Caleb blinked in the dim emergency lighting, his stomach sinking. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He just knew Eugenia was responsible for this.

Taylor turned slowly, her eyes narrowing. “What did you do?”

“What did I do?” Caleb spluttered. “I pushed the button like a normal person. This is not my fault.” Not completely, anyway.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. “Great. Just great. Of all people to be stuck on an elevator with.”

He fumbled for the emergency phone, lifting it with a grimace. “Hello? The elevator’s stuck. Two of us are inside.”

The crackling voice on the other end offered no comfort. “We’re aware of the issue. Maintenance is on the way. It may take a while.”

Caleb hung up and met Taylor’s glare.

“How long is ‘a while’?” she asked, her tone laced with exasperation.

He shrugged helplessly. “Could be five minutes. Could be an hour.”

She groaned, dropping her bag to the floor as she leaned back against the wall. “This day just keeps getting better.”

Caleb ran a hand through his hair, trying to ignore how her presence filled the tiny space.

“So,” he said awkwardly, leaning against the opposite wall. “How’ve you been?”

She gave him a pointed look. “Really? You think now’s the time for small talk?”

“Well, it’s not like we’re going anywhere,” he muttered.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, looking anywhere but at him.

The silence stretched, heavy and uncomfortable. Caleb shifted, the confined space amplifying his every movement. He cleared his throat, desperate to fill the void.

“Look, Taylor, about?—”

“Don’t,” she said sharply, cutting him off again. Her voice wavered slightly, but her glare was steady. “Whatever you think you’re about to say, don’t. I’ve spent years moving past it. I don’t need an explanation.”

Caleb flinched, her words hitting harder than he expected. “You’re right,” he said quietly. “You don’t. But I want to say it anyway.”

Taylor’s eyes flicked to his, a flash of vulnerability breaking through her guarded exterior. She said nothing, but the tension in her posture softened—just slightly.

“I messed up,” Caleb admitted, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. “Back then, in college. I should’ve handled things differently. I should’ve?—”

The elevator jolted suddenly, cutting him off. As it started moving again, both of them grabbed the railing for balance.

Taylor let out a shaky breath, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “Well, looks like you’re off the hook.”

The doors opened on her floor, and she stepped out without looking back. Caleb watched her go, the weight of everything unsaid pressing against his heart.

Eugenia’s voice echoed in his mind once more, smug and insistent:Don’t blow your last chance at love.

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