The tension between Caleb and me had been simmering for days, but tonight it finally boiled over. He showed up at the bar just before closing, his jaw clenched and his energy radiating something volatile. I could tell from the second he walked in that he wasn’t here for a casual visit.
“Why is he always around?” Caleb demanded as soon as the last customer left.
I blinked at him, taken aback. “Who?”
“You know who,” he snapped. “Logan. He’s everywhere, Emma. At school, here, hanging around like he’s waiting for his chance.”
I sighed, grabbing a rag to wipe the counter. “Logan isn’t waiting for anything, Caleb. He’s just... around.”
“Don’t play dumb,” he said, stepping closer. “He’s not just ‘around.’ He’s got his hooks in you, and you don’t even see it.”
I dropped the rag, meeting his glare. “You’re being ridiculous. Logan and I are—”
“Don’t say it,” Caleb interrupted, his voice sharp. “Don’t say you’re just friends, because we both know that’s a lie.”
His words hit too close to the truth, and my frustration flared. “You don’t get to do this,” I shot back. “You don’t get to show up here, accusing me of things that aren’t even happening.”
“Aren’t they?” Caleb’s laugh was bitter, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “You think I don’t see the way you look at him? Or the way he looks at you?”
“Logan’s with Vanessa,” I said, my voice rising. “And I’m with you. What more do you want from me?”
Caleb’s eyes darkened, and before I could stop him, he grabbed an empty glass from the counter and hurled it against the wall. It shattered with a sharp crash, shards scattering across the floor. I flinched, my heart pounding in my chest.
“I want you to stop lying to me!” Caleb shouted, his voice echoing in the empty bar. “I want you to stop pretending he doesn’t mean anything to you.”
The room fell into a tense silence, the only sound the faint hum of the jukebox in the corner. My hands were trembling, but I forced myself to stay calm.
“You’re acting like a child,” I said quietly. “And this? This isn’t love, Caleb. It’s control.”
He took a step back, his chest heaving. For a moment, I thought he might argue, but then his expression shifted, the anger draining from his face.
“I just don’t want to lose you,” he said, his voice breaking. “I see the way you’re slipping away, and I don’t know how to stop it.”
I crossed my arms, my throat tightening. “You’re the one pushing me away, Caleb. You don’t trust me, and you don’t even realize how much that’s hurting us.”
His shoulders slumped, and for the first time, he looked defeated. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, his voice barely audible.
I didn’t respond right away, the weight of his apology hanging in the air. Finally, I turned and grabbed the broom, sweeping up the shattered glass. “I think you should go,” I said, not looking at him.
Caleb hesitated, and I could feel his eyes on me, but he didn’t argue. The door closed softly behind him, leaving me alone in the quiet bar with only the mess to remind me of the wreckage we’d created.