His Heart Stayed Flat for Me, Raced for Her, I Stayed for Neither Chapter 05
“Caleb, you’re insane.”
I hung up, contacted the testing agency to explain what happened, and finished every single step of the study abroad process.
At graduation, the whispers started again.
“Emily is so pathetic. She turned down a good school for some random college. She’s still trying to weasel her way in.”
“She doesn’t care about her future. Why would she? She doesn’t have any self-respect.”
I walked into the classroom and found my seat.
Someone had written all over my desk in red marker.
[Slut] [Homewrecker] [Desperate]
The desk drawer was full of trash.
When they saw my face, the whole room burst out laughing.
I yelled, demanding to know who did it. The only response was more laughter.
Then Caleb and Olivia walked in.
They both froze when they saw the mess on my desk.
Caleb’s eyes swept across the room, and he barked, “Who did this? Clean it up. Now.”
It was the first time he had ever lost his temper in public.
A few guys stepped forward after a few seconds of silence.
Someone tried to calm him down. “Caleb, it was just a joke. She brought it on herself. She’s just desperate, following you to Millbrook when you don’t even like her.”
“I don’t…” Caleb started to answer automatically.
The room went quiet again.
“Wait… do you actually like Emily, Caleb?”
“No way. He can’t even stand being near her…”
Everyone looked at Caleb, waiting for his answer.
I was waiting, too.
If he would just say that he was the one who changed my application. If he would just admit that we had been together.
The rumors would fall apart on their own.
But Caleb didn’t.
He gave a cold laugh. “Of course not. I would never like her.”
Then he took Olivia’s hand. “I have a girlfriend. Don’t start rumors.”
The crowd erupted again.
I ran out of the room crying.
The laughter followed me. Sharp and loud.
I had heard it for so many years.
My phone buzzed. Messages from Caleb.
[I didn’t mean what I said. Don’t take it to heart.]
[Emily, please be mature. Don’t embarrass me in front of everyone.]
[I’ll break up with Olivia when school starts. We’ll get back together.]
He didn’t know that every time he said “I don’t like her” in front of other people, he was driving a knife into my chest.
He wanted to avoid looking bad. So he trampled my dignity into the ground.
…
On the day I left to study abroad, Caleb found me.
“Where are you going, Emily?”
“To school.”
His eyes lit up. He grabbed my suitcase out of my hand. “Does your school start this early? I’ll take you to the airport.”
Caleb grabbed my suitcase, then pulled me into a car.
“Come on, Emily. Stop being mad. We said we’d get back together when school starts.”
At the airport, Caleb pulled me into a tight hug.
“Emily, wait for me at school. I’ll come see you in a couple of days.”
After I passed through security, I didn’t go to the gate he thought I was going to.
I turned and walked to the other side of the terminal.
I opened my phone. A message from Caleb: [Text me when you land. Wait for me.]
I looked at it for two seconds, then blocked his number.
Caleb, I’m never going to see you again.
