Caleb’s POV
I stood there, stunned, staring at the message in front of me. Wilson? Of all people, Wilson had been responsible for the mission I had admired for so long.
I’d heard stories and whispers of someone who had pulled off an impossible retrieval under the cover of night, getting out without leaving a trace. I’d always assumed it was some elite operative, someone untouchable. But Wilson? It didn’t seem possible.
I let out a low whistle, running a hand through my hair as the weight of the revelation settled in.
A man I had dismissed too easily had turned out to be far more capable than I’d ever given him credit for. Admiration wasn’t something I gave out lightly, but Wilson had earned it.
Now, knowing what he did, my respect for him had deepened. There was something more to him, something that demanded I take notice.
Before I could process it further, a knock on my door broke the silence in my room. The sound was soft but urgent, pulling me from my thoughts. I frowned, not expecting anyone at this hour.
Slowly, I moved toward the door, my hand hovering over the handle. Caution got the better of me, so I peered through the peephole.
My heart stuttered in my chest when I saw her. Ashley. Her face was a mess, tear-streaked and swollen, eyes red as if she’d been crying for hours. Her usually vibrant energy was dulled, replaced by something desperate and broken. My throat tightened at the sight of her like this.
A part of me wanted to open the door right away, to let her in, to hold her. But I couldn’t, I couldn’t keep doing this. She had chosen others over me, more times than I could count.
She had never truly valued me, not the way I wanted, not the way I deserved. My heart ached for her, but that didn’t mean I could keep being her second choice, her fallback when everything else crumbled around her.
I stood there, battling with myself. My fingers itched to turn the handle, but my mind screamed at me to stop. To think. To remember.
“Caleb, please,” I heard her voice muffled through the door, shaky, raw. “Just a minute. Please.”
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second before opening the door a crack, just enough to see her face clearly. Her eyes met mine, wide and pleading, and for a moment, I almost gave in.
But I hardened myself. I had to. “What do you want, Ashley?” My voice came out rougher than I intended, but I didn’t soften it. Not this time.
She wiped at her eyes, sniffling. “I just need to talk, okay? Just… Can I come in? Please?”
My instinct was to say no, to protect myself from what always followed these moments with her. But something in her expression, something raw and vulnerable, made me step aside.
I didn’t say a word as she walked in, her movements slow, as if the weight of the world pressed down on her.
The door clicked shut behind us, and before I could even speak, she was on me. Her arms wrapped around my neck, her body pressing into mine with a desperation that caught me off guard.
My hands instinctively reached for her waist, but I stopped myself and tried to push her away.
“Ashley-” I started, but her lips silenced me.
The kiss was a shock, sudden and overwhelming. My resolve crumbled as her warmth seeped into me. For a split second, I let myself fall into it, let myself feel her in the way I had always wanted to.
But then I remembered. I remembered the countless times she had pushed me aside, the countless times I had seen the burning desire in her eyes for Rolan.
I pulled back, breaking the kiss, even though every part of me screamed not to.
“Don’t do that,” I chided gently, but my voice was firm, though my heart raced. “Don’t kiss me like that if you don’t mean it.”
Her eyes were glossy, her lips trembling. She looked at me, pained, as if my words had cut her deep. But I couldn’t budge, couldn’t let myself fall into the same pattern again.
“Caleb, I-I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I didn’t know where else to go. I just… I didn’t know what else to do.”
I stared at her, the conflict waging a war inside me. I wanted to comfort her, to tell her everything would be okay. But we weren’t there anymore. I wasn’t that guy anymore.
“You don’t come here when you’re broken and expect me to fix it,” I said softly, stepping back to create space between us. “Not when you’ve never chosen me when it mattered.”
Her eyes widened, and she blinked rapidly as if trying to hold back fresh tears. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, her voice cracking. “I just… I don’t know how to do this.”
“Yeah, I know,” I sighed, and my tone was softer now, more resigned than angry. “But you can’t keep doing this to me. I’m not going to be the guy you run to when everything else falls apart. You don’t get to do that to me anymore.”
Her lower lip trembled, and for a moment, I thought she might argue, might try to convince me otherwise. But she just nodded, looking utterly defeated.
“Your time’s almost up, Ashley,” I said, my voice hoarse. I didn’t want to be cruel, but I couldn’t keep letting her do this. “You wanted a minute. Now you’ve got a few seconds left.”
She stared at me, her eyes searching mine for something, mercy, maybe. Or forgiveness. But I held firm, even as it tore me apart inside.
Ashley opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. She just stood there, shaking slightly, before turning and walking out of the room.
The door clicked softly behind her, and with it, the weight of everything we had, and everything we hadn’t been, settled in the silence.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, leaning against the door.
A new phase. That’s what this was. For her, for me. There was no going back now.