Casual Sabotage

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"I choose..." I looked right to Caleb; I turned to the left towards Brian. "You."

"Really?" Brian asked, his eyes filling to the brim with tears. "You really mean that, Sal?"

"Yeah." I smiled, stepping towards him. "It's always been you, Brian."

"I-I don't know what to say..." He stammered out.

"Just kiss me." I chuckled softly.

Brian leaned in and pressed his lips to mine as his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me into his embrace. The touch between us ignited the passion that I had tried my best to bury and everything felt so right in that very moment. After we broke away, I turned to Caleb and could see the hurt in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Caleb." I apologised as he shook his head, smiling painfully.

"It's okay, Sal." He accepted. "I should have known that no one could compete with your first love."

"I never intended for things to play out this way." I frowned. "My aim wasn't for me to hurt you."

"Seriously," Caleb shrugged. "It's okay, I understand. I thought maybe by trying to marry you it would make you see that I love you. But I can't change who your heart has already decided to go after."

He sighed heavily. "I only stayed here for you, Sal. I think maybe this is a wake-up call that I need to get back to Idaho and be with my family."

"You were so good to me." I reassured. "Caleb, I hope you find the right person for you. Thank you for these past few years, you've really shown me how to love myself. You helped me to heal."

"There's no need to thank me." He laughed softly. "That was all part of the deal."

"Even so, I'm extremely grateful for the years that we spent together." I expressed appreciatively.

"Just make sure you come and say goodbye when you come to collect your things." He smiled small.

"I will." I replied.

He pulled me into a tight hug and I could feel the animosity wash away from him. Caleb wasn't mad or angry that I had chosen Brian; he knew that our chapter together had come to a close and he was ready to go off and rewrite his own life story. I watched him pull away and turn to leave the chapel, soon feeling a comforting hand slip into my clasp and squeeze tightly.

"He handled that well." Brian commented. I turned to him and locked my eyes onto his.

"He really did." I agreed.

"Still..." Brian lowered his voice. "I'm so relieved that you chose me."

"I only wish that we had fixed the tension between us all those years ago, Brian." I sighed. "We could have stayed together and I wouldn't have ended up hurting Caleb."

"I wish that it had been that way too, Sal." He comforted. "But I guess things had to play out this way to show us both that we need each other, whether things are at rock bottom or not."

He pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Promise me that if things ever sour between us again, that we'll talk it out properly rather than letting it build and fester up inside of us."

"I promise." I proclaimed.

"C'mon," He smiled. "Let's head home...our home."

**

The love that Brian and I shared was quickly turning into passion. His hands clasped firmly at my waist as he pressed me hard against the front door to his apartment. He peppered kisses all over my jaw and neck, growing hungrier in his response. We barged through the entryway and Brian was quick to guide me backwards towards the bathroom.