Caleb’s P.O.V
I sat in my usual seat, tapping my fingers against the desk as the morning announcements droned on. It was ridiculous that I even noticed, but the empty seat two rows behind me felt like a gaping hole in the room. Aurora wasn’t here. I didn’t know why that bothered me. It shouldn’t. But for some reason, it did.
I slouched further in my chair, running a hand through my hair and forcing my gaze to the front of the classroom. It wasn’t my problem. She wasn’t my problem. Maybe she was sick. Maybe she just didn’t feel like showing up. Either way, it had nothing to do with me.
But Caroline had other ideas.
“Do you know why she’s not here today?” she asked, her voice light but probing, like she already knew the answer. “It’s been a week already…”
I didn’t look at her. “Don’t know. Don’t care.”
Caroline scoffed. “You don’t care? She’s your mate, Caleb.”
I stiffened. My jaw clenched so tight I was surprised my teeth didn’t crack under the pressure. “We don’t know that for sure,” I said, my voice flat, controlled.
Caroline turned in her seat to face me fully. “Keep telling yourself that,” she said, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Maybe one day you’ll actually believe it. And you’ll regret this decision the second you turn eighteen next week and find out she’s really your mate”
I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. She was wrong. She had to be wrong. Because if she wasn’t, then that meant the uncomfortable tightness in my chest, the way my mind kept drifting back to Aurora’s absence, wasn’t just some stupid coincidence. And I wasn’t ready to face what that meant.
Not yet. Maybe not ever.
“Like I said…we don’t know for sure.”
Caroline scoffed at me. “Trust me, you’ll know just how big of a fool you had been as soon as the bond snaps in place, and since she’s human, who wouldn’t instantly fall head over heels in love with you after what you put her through; you’ll be the one running around after her, begging her for forgiveness for being an asshole…which isn’t going to be a possibility if you keep up your attitude.”
My frown deepened. “That’s a very detailed description of what may or may not happen in the future, especially from someone who hasn’t even turned eighteen or found their mate yet.”
“You have absolutely no remorse, you proud, idiotic wolf!” Caroline rolled her eyes when I remained silent beside her, before taking out a notebook and beginning to scribble on the pages.
Caroline simply shook her head and gave me a knowing smile, before she turned to face the front of class, where the history teacher was handing out test results.
I turned my attention back to the class as well, but no matter how hard I tried, I just wasn’t able to focus on anything at all.
And apparently…the only person who knew me better than I knew myself…was Caroline.
“Caroline,” I started, my voice calm but firm. “I need to understand. What did I do so wrong?”
She finally met my gaze, her blue eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite place—was it frustration? Disappointment? Something else? She let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head before turning slightly in my direction.
“You really don’t see it, do you?” she murmured, leaning back slightly.
I clenched my jaw, willing myself to stay patient. “See what? That I tried to help? That I did something good?”
Caroline’s lips pressed into a thin line before she exhaled through her nose. “Tell me this, Caleb,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “If someone offered you that scholarship—if you had the chance to take it, even though you could afford to pay for school yourself—would you take it?”
I frowned, taken aback by the question. “No,” I answered honestly. “Of course not. I don’t need it.”
“Exactly,” she said, nodding slowly, as if I had just proved her point. “But Aurora does.”
“Yes, and that’s why I helped her,” I argued, my frustration seeping into my voice. “Why is that so wrong?”
Caroline sighed again, but this time, there was something softer in her expression—something almost sympathetic. “Because Aurora might need it, Caleb,” she said quietly. “But she hasn’t earned it. And for someone like her—someone as fiercely independent as she is—taking something she didn’t earn would feel like a failure, not a victory.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but the words died on my tongue. I wanted to tell her that Aurora deserved the scholarship more than anyone, that she worked harder than half the students who applied, that I was only giving her what she had already earned in spirit. But I knew what Caroline meant.
Aurora wasn’t just independent—she was proud, stubborn, and relentless in proving that she could stand on her own. By intervening, I had taken away that choice from her. I had stripped her of the chance to prove to herself that she could do it without anyone’s help.
I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a slow breath. “I just…wanted to help,” I said finally, my voice quieter this time.
Caroline gave me a small, knowing smile. “I know,” she said. “But sometimes, helping means letting people overcome their struggles on their own.”
I sat at my desk, staring at the papers in front of me, but the words blurred together. The scholarship letter—her scholarship letter—lay among them like a mocking reminder of my mistake. I had thought I was doing the right thing, believed I was giving her an opportunity, a future she deserved.
But now, as everything settled, I finally understood how badly I had fucked up. I should’ve approached it differently. I should’ve talked to her, should’ve asked her what she wanted instead of assuming I knew what was best for her. My intentions had been good, but my execution? A disaster.
"Well, well," Caroline's voice cut through my thoughts, laced with amusement. "It looks like you finally figured it out."
I glanced up at her, scowling. "Figured out?"
She grinned, shrugging her shoulders mischievously. "That you messed up," she said, her eyes glinting with something that made me wary. "I can see it all over your face, Caleb. The guilt. The regret. The overwhelming realization that you are, in fact, an idiot."
“Oh, stop it!” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I was trying to help her."
"And yet, you ended up making things worse," she pointed out, ever the merciless observer. "It's almost impressive, really."
I groaned, leaning back in my chair. "Not helping, Caroline."
"Oh, I'm not here to help. I'm here to enjoy this." She smirked before casually adding, "Oh, by the way, I ran into Aurora the other day."
My entire body went rigid. "Where?" The word left my mouth before I could stop it, sharp and demanding.
Caroline chuckled, tilting her head. "Oh? So now you do care where she is?"
I clenched my jaw, realizing too late that I'd walked right into her trap. Damn her. She had planned this. She had wanted to see if I would react, if I still cared, if I was still that fool who had upended someone’s life with good intentions and bad execution. And the worst part? She was right. I did care. Too much.
"Caroline," I said, my voice low, warning. "Where did you see her?"
She just smiled, leaning forward, her elbows resting on her knees. "Relax, Caleb. I'm not going to keep it from you. But you should really ask yourself why you’re so desperate to know."
I knew why. I just wasn’t ready to say it out loud.
I leaned back in my chair, watching Caroline as she finally admitted, “Alright, fine. I go to the diner a lot. I like eating there, and I talk to Aurora sometimes. That’s where I saw her.” She shrugged as if it were nothing, but I could tell by the slight tilt of her lips that she knew exactly what she was doing.
“That’s good for you,” I said casually, keeping my voice even, but in my mind, I was already making plans. I needed to see Aurora for myself. There was something about hearing her name from Caroline’s mouth that made it feel more real, more urgent. I had to know what was going through her mind. What she had really meant when she had told me that she quit and why she hadn't been showing up at school for a whole bloody week! I just…I had to find out.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Caroline smirking, and I knew I wasn’t as subtle as I thought. She had that annoying ability to read me like a damn book, which made lying or keeping anything from her nearly impossible. I decided to ignore her, refusing to give her the satisfaction of calling me out. But of course, Caroline never let things slide.
“You’re already thinking about going there, aren’t you?” she teased, her voice laced with amusement.
I exhaled sharply through my nose, shaking my head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She laughed, leaning forward, resting her elbows on the table. “Please, Caleb. You’re so predictable. The moment I said her name, your whole demeanor changed. You suck at hiding things from me.”
“Maybe you should mind your own business,” I muttered, but there was no real bite to my words.
Caroline grinned. “I would, but watching you squirm is way too entertaining.”
I rolled my eyes and looked away, but I knew she wasn’t wrong. Having a best friend who could read me so easily was a pain, but at the same time, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Even if it meant she would never let me live this down.