“Yeah, we can do that. I'll ask my parents about it. It would probably be a good idea for them to have it anyway.” I wanted to quickly change the subject because if he was worried, then I would worry more. “Ready to go?”
“I've been ready for the last five years, at a minimum.” He flashed me a grin that sent goosebumps all over my body and opened the door.
We were silent on the drive to the coffee shop, the kind of easy quiet between two people who had known each other for years, but it was more than that. When Ethan had cut me off from most of my friends and family, it probably left Caleb with a bunch of questions.
When we first got to the coffee shop, I reached for the truck door but Caleb put his hand on my arm. “Hold on. Don't move.” He got out, put his cowboy hat on and walked around to my side of the truck.
“Such a gentleman. Thank you.” I flashed him a nervous smile as he held out his hand to help me out of the truck. As I moved so the truck door could be closed, he placed a gentle hand on the small of my back, causing me to slightly tense up.It’s Caleb. It’s Caleb. He is safe.
Caleb opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it. I couldn’t help but wonder if he picked up on my nerves. If he did, he hadn’t said anything yet, and for that, I was thankful.
Caleb walked beside me but made sure he was two steps ahead of me when we got to the door. He opened the door to the coffee shop and gave me a smile as he motioned for me to walk in first. He asked me to order first, and I ordered something that felt familiar, a hot vanilla latte with oat milk. He insisted on paying for my coffee and us getting breakfast as well. He recommended an egg white breakfast sandwich and asked them to remove the cheese from mine.
I gave him a confused look, but he smiled warmly in return. “How did you—” I stopped mid-sentence when his smile widened, causing a sudden feeling of butterflies in my stomach.
“Your groceries were all dairy free, and you got oat milk in your latte just now.” He winked at me as they gave him the table number, and he pointed at an open table by the window. That wink. I gave him a smile as we walked to the table.
“This spot okay? I figured you would like the view.”
I nodded and he set the table number down. Before I had time to move at all, he pulled out my chair for me and waited for me to get settled, before sitting across from me. I sat in the chair and adjusted my purse in my lap, focusing on the little number card on the table. I wished my heart would calm down, even just a little.
Caleb was just being Caleb. The guy who I grew up with and had carried my books in the hall just because he could. He was the one who always made sure I made it to my car safely or would walk me to my door. He'd done this back when we first became friends. This wasn't new, but somehow, it felt different.
Ethan was the reason these simple moments with Caleb felt different. I knew that, so why could I not shake the negative thoughts?
“You okay?” Caleb interrupted my thoughts, obviously picking up on my nervousness. His voice was warm, not judgmental or annoyed. Instantly, my face felt hot. I had to be a deep shade of red now, so I did not look directly at him for a few seconds.
“Mhm. Yeah, I'm fine.” I nodded quickly.
He looked towards the counter to see if our order was ready. He didn't push the conversation, just offered a smile. I followed his gaze, but my mind was wrapped up in the thoughts of everything Caleb had done so far—the flowers, the doors, the chair, and paying for the food.
It was thoughtful and sweet, but it scared me.
Ethan was kind at first, too. Over time, he changed. He had used kindness like bait. Even though I knew Caleb was not anything like my ex—not even a little bit—my heart hadn't picked up the message yet. My brain hadn't settled.
The second the coffee cup hit the table, I wrapped my nervous, cold hands around it, trying to steady myself. I realized I had been twirling the strap of my bag around my fingers. The coffee somewhat solved both of those problems.
Caleb looked at me again, then smiled—calm, patient, not even a hint of frustration in his eyes about my silence.
I knew I had to say something, or he may think I didn't want to be here. “Thank you for inviting me to coffee today. I know it's just coffee, but..”
“It's notjustanything,” he said simply. His eyes were soft and his voice kind. He reached out and touched his fingertips to the back of my hand. I subconsciously flinched. Caleb pulled his hand back and just looked at me with that same steady, patient look in his eyes. “I - I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be. I’m sorry I startled you.”
I started to say something but couldn't find the words. Instead, I gave a small smile and took a sip of coffee while the quiet settled between us again.
As if he knew something was bothering me, he leaned back, giving me room to breathe. I let myself breathe. Just for now. Just for a moment.
