Page 131 of Well That Happened

Not cautious.

Not hesitant.

But real.

Raw.

The kind of kiss that answers every question I didn’t know I was asking.

I find Caleb in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a mug of something steaming in his hand. The overhead light casts soft shadows across the tile, and outside the window, the yard is swallowed in dark. The hush of the house is deceptive, like it’s holding its breath. My chest feels the same. Too full. Too loud. And nowhere to put it.

“How is she?” I ask.

“Okay,” he says. “Tucked in for the night. Gray’s with her in case she needs anything.”

I nod. Makes sense. Gray’s got good energy—calming, steady.

“You’ve been weird all night,” Caleb says without looking up.

I lean against the counter, arms crossed. “I’m always weird.”

He smirks. “No, this is different. You’ve been brooding like a guy in a bad indie film.”

I hesitate, then sigh. “Saw you with her. Earlier.”

Caleb raises an eyebrow. “Yeah. We don’t exactly keep it subtle.”

I’d stumbled on them in her room—despite her hurt ankle, she was kissing him like her life depended on it. “That a problem?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No. Yes. I don’t know. It’s not… her. It’s me.”

Caleb sets his mug down, giving me his full attention. “You like her.”

I shrug, trying to play it off, but the weight in my chest says otherwise. “Who doesn’t? She walks into a room and suddenly the air’s different. Like you’re awake for the first time in weeks.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“The problem is I wasn’t supposed to. I told myself this was your thing. Grayson’s thing. Not mine.”

Caleb leans back, studying me. “It doesn’t have to be like that.”

“I don’t know how to do this. Share. I barely know how to want someone without turning it into a disaster.”

He chuckles softly. “Welcome to the club.”

I glance at him, searching for any sign of resentment or anger. “You’d be okay with that?”

Caleb’s expression turns serious. “Depends. You gonna treat her like she’s some phase you’ll regret later?”

“No.” I pause, the truth settling in. “She scares the hell out of me. Which probably means I’m already in too deep.”

He nods slowly. “Then yeah. I’d be okay with it.”

We sit in silence for a moment, the unspoken understanding hanging between us. The dynamics are shifting, and while the path ahead is uncertain, one thing is clear: Rilee isn’t just a fleeting connection. She’s becoming something more—for all of us.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Rilee

---