I step out quietly, and find him pacing the room, phone pressed to his ear. His free hand rakes through his hair over and over.

When he sees me, he stops—and stares.

I realize then I’m still basically naked, towel barely holding on, water trickling down my chest. His eyes linger a second too long before he forces himself to look away.

Right. Because that isn’t awkward.

I rush past him toward my suitcase and pretend like I didn’t notice.

I check the time—close to 9 p.m. Wherever Sarah’s headed, she’s probably already on her way.

Caleb’s still on the phone, muttering responses. I can’t help but eavesdrop. The way he’s tense, guarded—it’s like his dad’s calling the shots on every move he makes.

Even about Sarah?

Is his dad that involved? That explains the pressure. The way Caleb tries to please everyone.

I pull on boxers, toss the towel, and get dressed in a navy button-down and beige cords. When I turn around, Caleb’s marching toward me, phone in hand.

“So, Sarah’s going to a club called Sweeties tonight.” He shows me her story.

She’s with another girl I don’t recognize—dark skin, long black braids, both of them smiling with colourful drinks in hand. The caption reads: Sweeties with my sweetie tonight! with a kissing emoji.

“Well, at least we know where they’ll be.” I give a half-smile.

“Yeah. Remind me to give her a talk about internet safety,” Caleb says, shaking his head with a soft laugh.

We fall into silence.

His gaze lingers on mine again—and this time, it feels different. Not awkward. Not tense.

Warm.

I should feel weird. But instead, I feel... seen. Like something unspoken is finally making itself known.

Shit.

“So, are we going to talk about—” I start.

“We don’t have to,” he cuts in, a small smile playing on his lips. “How about we just... get out of here. Grab a drink. Go find our girl.”

He winks.

“My girl,” I shoot back, matching his energy.

A flicker of something—jealousy? pain?—crosses his face. It’s gone so fast I almost doubt I saw it.

“Sure. Keep telling yourself that.” He smirks, then turns toward the bathroom.

I watch him go, heart thudding.

I don’t know what’s happening between us. But something shifted tonight.

Or maybe it was always there.

And I just didn’t want to see it...until now.

17

caleb

I'm starting to think this is the worst idea ever.

I love Sarah. I came here with a purpose, and I did have every intention of seeing it through. But the closer Nathaniel and I get to her, the heavier the ring feels. I’ve never considered myself anything other than straight. I genuinely love women. I love the way they look, the way they smell, how they feel against my body. Yeah, there’s no doubt that I’m sexually aroused by women.

But the more time I spend with Nathaniel, the more it messes with my head.

Because the fact is... the way he looks is pretty fucking amazing too. Not to mention, the scent of him drives me insane—I just want to bury my face in his neck for days. And how he feels against me? The way his strong hands grip my forearms, or how his waist feels between my thighs when I pin him down? Fuck—it’s like it wakes up every nerve in my body.