Emma’s POV
I couldn’t hold it in anymore; but when I confronted Caleb after school, his reaction didn’t help.
“You’re overreacting. She’s just messing with you,” he said, leaning casually against his car. “Don’t let her get in your head.”
“She’s messing with you. And you’re letting her, encouraging her. Do you even realize what she’s doing?”
“Of course I do. She’s trying to make you jealous. And judging by this conversation, it’s working.”
His words left a bitter taste in my mouth. I crossed my arms, glaring at him.
He sighed, stepping closer and cupping my face with his warm hands. “Emma, come on,” he said softly, his smirk fading into something gentler. “I’m not interested in Vanessa. You know that.Vanessa can play all the games she wants, but she’s not going to win. I’m with you, not her. ”
I wanted to believe him, but the knot in my stomach didn’t unravel. Vanessa wasn’t just flirting—she was planting seeds, sowing doubt wherever she went. First she did that with Logan, now with Caleb. Her whole existence is about torturing me. And Caleb, whether he realized it or not, wasn’t doing much to stop her. I could feel the distance growing between us. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that Vanessa wasn’t going to stop until she had exactly what she wanted.
“You need to set boundaries with her,” I said finally. “Or I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”
Caleb’s expression hardened for a moment, but then he nodded. “Fine. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll talk to her.”
“I need to know I can trust you.”
Caleb’s grin returned. “Trust goes both ways.”He kissed my forehead and climbed into his car. “See you later, princess,” he said with a wink before driving off.
But if I thought that something would change after that day, I was gravely mistaken. Caleb would show up late to our plans, his excuses vague and unconvincing. “Vanessa needed help with something,” he’d say, shrugging like it was no big deal. Or, “She wanted to talk about some school thing. You know how she is.”
The problem was, I did know how she was. And I knew exactly what she was doing.
Logan saw it, too. I caught the flicker of frustration in his eyes every time Vanessa hovered around Caleb. He didn’t hide his anger well. The tension between them was palpable, the air crackling like a live wire.
Logan cornered Caleb one day by the lockers, his tone sharp. “You’ve got some nerve.”
Caleb smirked, leaning casually. “What’s your deal, man?”
“Emma’s my deal. You’re sneaking around with Vanessa, making excuses. She deserves better.”
Caleb’s eyes narrowed, but he forced a laugh. “You’re overreacting. Vanessa’s just a friend. Emma knows that.”
“Cut the crap,” Logan said, stepping closer. “If you can’t be honest with her, walk away. Because if you keep hurting her, I will make sure you regret it.”