Without warning, I reached down and gave her ass a hard smack.
"That's for spray painting my car," I said.
Her breath hitched, and she bit her lip, trying to suppress a smile. "You're such a caveman."
"Caveman? How about this?" I said, smacking her...
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Esmeralda's POV
I woke up in a haze, the lingering warmth of Caleb's body next to me still dancing across my skin. But as my eyes fluttered open, the reality hit me like a cold splash of water. He was gone. My heart sank as I wrapped the blanket tighter around my shoulders, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable in his big, empty bed.
"Caleb?" I called out softly, my voice echoing in the quiet apartment. No answer. Panic twisted in my gut. Where the hell was he? I slid out of bed, the cool floor sending a shiver up my spine. I needed to find him.
As I padded through the apartment, a feeling of dread clung to me. The place felt so different without him—like the air had thickened and the colors had dulled. I pushed the door open to the balcony and found him standing there, his back to me, staring out at the city with a hard expression that made my heart drop.
"Caleb?" I stepped outside, my voice barely a whisper, unsure of what I'd find. But the second he turned to face me, I felt the heat drain from my face. His eyes were cold, distant, as if he'd put up a wall between us overnight.
"What do you want, Esmeralda?" His tone was sharp, cutting through the morning silence like a knife.
"Did you sleep at all?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. "You left without saying anything."
"Yeah, well, maybe I didn't want to deal with your bullshit this morning." He rolled his eyes, the casual dismissal stinging more than I wanted to admit.
"Bullshit? Last night was... special," I protested, searching his face for some sign that he felt the same. "I thought we had something. I thought you cared."
"Cared?" He laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "You're Trevor's sister, and you're my step-sister. Do you really think I'd get tangled up in that mess? I don't need any more complications, especially not from you."
I felt my heart clench at his words, a mix of anger and hurt bubbling inside me. "So that's it? You just throw me away like I'm nothing?" I took a step closer, desperation clawing at my throat. "I'm not just some random girl, Caleb! We had something real!"
"Real?" He spat the word like it was poison. "It was a fucking mistake, Esmeralda. You're just a distraction, and I can't afford to have you around. You need to go."
"Go?" I repeated, the word hanging in the air like a death sentence. "You want me to just leave? After everything? You think I can just forget how you made me feel?"
"You think this is about feelings?" He stepped forward, invading my space with a predatory intensity that sent shivers down my spine. "This is about survival. You're a fucking liability, and I can't risk that. I'm not about to let you drag me down with your bullshit."
"Bullshit? You're the one acting like a fucking prick!" I shot back, my anger flaring. "You think you can just push me away like I don't matter?"
"Because you don't!" he snapped, his voice rising. "You're just Trevor's little sister, and I'm not here to hold your hand. I won't let you become a problem I have to deal with."
His words hit me like a slap, and I felt tears sting my eyes, but I refused to let him see me break. "You're an asshole, Caleb! I thought you were better than this!"
"Better? You really don't know me, do you?" His expression hardened, and I felt the last bit of warmth between us freeze into an icy wall. "Get the hell out. Now."
My heart shattered, but I stood my ground, my anger mixing with the hurt. "Fine! If that's how you want it, I'll go. But don't you dare act like you didn't want me here last night!"
I turned on my heel, each step away from him feeling like a knife twisting deeper into my chest. As I stormed out of the apartment, the weight of his rejection crashed down on me like a tidal wave. I could still feel the remnants of our connection, but the harsh reality was clear: I was alone.
