Page 20 of Changing Caleb
“Don’t you get it though, man? I’m trying so hard, so fucking hard to make her realize I’ve changed.”
Brady nods. “I do see that. The Caleb I know would’ve picked a fight with that asshole and carried Casey out over his shoulder. The next time we’d see you two, you would’ve been in love all over again.”
“I’m done. She wants me to let her go, I’ll let her go.”
As I say these words, I feel sick. I want to do what Brady said the old me would have done. I want to be that man again.
“Okay. Tell you what, I’ll help you find Avery, and then we’ll all get the hell out of here.”
“Fine.”
“You good?”
“Yep. I’m good, man.”
I don’t have any choice but to be. I’ll let her go. Even if it’s the second hardest thing I’ve ever done. The first was losing her to begin with.
22
Casey
He always gets to me. Every single time. Will I ever escape him? How he makes me feel?
My skin grows hot just thinking about him. I can still taste him, even over the champagne and the vile guilt building up inside of me as Derek naively clings to my waist as we chit-chat with my friends.
As if I wasn’t just upstairs lip-locked with Caleb in a sinful betrayal. As if I wasn’t just clinging to him, wishing it was more than just a kiss. There’s no such thing as just a kiss with Caleb. It only took one kiss for me to be his for all those years. Dammit, I’m still his.
“I think it’s about time to call it a night,” I say when there’s a break in the conversation.
Jade smiles and gives me a big hug. “I’m so glad you came. Thank you.”
“Anything for you.”
“How about one more dance?” Derek asks. “Then, we’ll get out of here.”
He’s genuinely having a good time, letting loose. That’s something I rarely see him do. He’s typically preparing for a class, studying and making notes. I like this side of him. Gives me a glimmer of hope that I can make things work with him. Ishouldmake things work with him. I have this great guy who wants to marry me one day, give me kids, and I’m thinking of what Caleb said.
We can get us back.
I used to love us. The drama was exciting, eliciting so much passion that our sex life was explosive. We couldn’t get enough of each other. Being with Caleb was like an adrenaline rush. Until it all came crashing down.
“You look absolutely beautiful, Casey.” His eyes focus intensely on mine, his lips nearing my treacherous ones that were only moments ago plastered to Caleb’s. “I don’t tell you enough. I’m so incredibly lucky to have bumped into you on campus that day.”
My heart physically aches as he gives me praises I don’t deserve. I shouldn’t have let that kiss happen.
“Derek, I’m the lucky one.”
He laughs easily and shakes his head as if I’m crazy while he holds me closer. It’s then that I can feel the heat of someone watching us, pulling my eyes upward until I’m looking into Caleb’s fiery eyes.
The jealousy is radiating off of him. He said he’s changed, but I can see that he’s still the same man he always was. At least, some of him is still here. Still the same Caleb.
I force myself to look away and tuck my face into the safety of Derek’s neck. When I look up only seconds later, he’s gone.
“Let’s go back to the hotel.” Derek’s lips brazenly graze my neck, surprising the hell out of me since there are so many people around. “Or maybe we can find a room here before we leave.”
My eyes snap to his. “What?”
He smiles at me. “That’s what you want, isn’t it? I only want to give you what you want, Casey.”
