Page 3 of Curves and Waves

I tensed. Had he noticed my attempts to avoid him? "What do you mean?"

He shrugged, but I could see the hurt in his eyes. "It's just we used to hang out all the time, you know? Movie nights, game days. Now I barely see you outside of group stuff with Jake."

Guilt gnawed at me. I hadn't realized he'd noticed my gradual withdrawal. "I didn't mean to. I've just been busy."

Caleb studied me for a long moment. "Is that all it is?"

My heart raced. Did he know? Had I been that obvious? "What else would it be?" I asked, aiming for casual and missing by a mile.

He opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a loud cheer as the ship's horn blasted, signaling our departure.

Saved by the horn. I'd never been so grateful for a loud noise in my life.

As the ship began to move, the energy on deck heightened. People cheered and waved to the crowd on the dock. Caleb and I stood in comfortable silence, watching the shoreline slowly recede.

"Hey," he said suddenly. "Remember that summer we all went to the lake? When we were, what, sixteen?"

I smiled at the memory. "Yeah, of course. Why?"

"Remember how scared you were to jump off the cliff into the water?"

I rolled my eyes. "I wasn't scared. I was being sensible. That jump was dangerous."

Caleb grinned. "Right. That's why you stood at the edge for twenty minutes, psyching yourself up."

"I was assessing the trajectory and water depth," I protested weakly.

"Uh-huh. And I suppose the way you were shaking was just excitement?"

I elbowed him in the ribs. "Shut up. We can't all be adrenaline junkies like you."

His expression softened. "You know what I remember most about that day?"

I shook my head, curious.

"The look on your face when you finally jumped. You were terrified, but you did it anyway. And when you came up out of the water..." He trailed off, his eyes distant. "You looked so alive. So free."

My breath caught in my throat. The intensity in his gaze made my knees weak.

"I've always admired that about you," he continued softly. "Your courage. The way you face your fears head-on."

I swallowed hard. "I'm not always brave," I admitted.

Caleb's hand found mine on the railing, his thumb tracing circles on my skin. "You're braver than you think."

The moment stretched between us, charged with unspoken words. I found myself leaning towards him, drawn by some invisible force.

And then a wave crashed against the side of the ship, spraying us with salty mist. We jumped apart, the spell broken.

I laughed nervously, wiping water from my face. "Maybe we should head inside. I think I've had enough sea spray for one day."

Caleb nodded, running a hand through his damp hair. The motion lifted his shirt slightly, revealing a tattooed hip bone that made my mouth go dry.

We made our way back inside, navigating through the crowded corridors. The narrow hallways forced us close together, and I was hyperaware of every accidental brush of his arm against mine.

"So," Caleb said as we approached our cabin. "Any dinner plans?"

I shook my head. "Not really. I thought I'd check out the Cabernet bar, maybe find a quiet corner to read."

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