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14. Answers

ENNY'S P.O.V

"Caleb!" I yell after his retreating body. "Wait up! I've got a question."

He stops and turns around in the dimly lit hallway, waiting for me to catch up to where he is. "Go for it." He crosses his arms and leans against the wall, his wet hair spiked up in a weird way.

"Same question from earlier." As I say this, his posture sulks and he darts his eyes towards the ground. "What happened? Why did you change? Why did you push me out of your life? Caleb...I cared so much about you...you were my closest friend, you were practically my brother! I just want to know what happened that made you change your mind about our friendship so quickly."

He looks at me, his lips sealed shut, and he just stares. I stare back, waiting for a reply that's 2 years late.

"oh man," He says, shifting uncomfortably. "This is so much more awkward than I thought it would be."

"Did I do something?" I ask, sitting down on a nearby bench. "Please, I need to know. You have no idea how much this has been eating away at me."

"Well..." He pauses, staring at the wall. And then he takes a deep breath and lets it ALL out. "Do you really hate working with me that much that you just go around telling people it? I heard what you told Henry. I know I've over-reacted, but it really hurt to hear you say those things. I can't believe you would want him, of all people, to take my place. Look, I know I'm not the most ambitious person in the world, but if you wanted me out of the business or you wanted me to change my ways, you should've just told me to my face instead of letting me hear it from some asshole who I absolutely despised. I just lost it. I lost my faith, my trust, some of my respect for you. And that's what happened."

My chin is just about resting on the carpeted floor of the hallway as I stare at his exasperated expression. I have no idea what he's talking about. "Caleb...what did I say about you?"

"Are you seriously making me repeat this?" He throws his arms up in the air. "It was hard enough to hear it once, but-"

"CALEB!" I yell. "Shut up, okay?! Look," I stand up walking over to him until I'm standing only a few feet away from him. "I have no clue what I said about you. I don't remember ever talking bad about you to Henry. Ever. So you need to stop fussing and tell me exactly what you heard."

He sighs. "You said you hated working with me. That I was annoying. That 'you couldn't wait until I left so that you could work in peace'."

"I never said that."

He scoffs. "Well, that's hard to believe."

"Why?"

"He had a recording of you saying it on his phone!"

My eyes widen. "What?"

"It's true isn't it."

"No, Caleb! I NEVER said that about you! It almost hurts that you would think that I would say something like that!" I'm searching my brain for who I could've been talking about, or why I might've said those words. And then it hits me and I laugh.

"You think this is funny now?" He asks me quietly.

"You're so dumb. Do you wanna know who I was talking about?" I ask him.

"yeah, I do. I've wanted to know for two years."

"I was talking about the intern we hired. Billy? Do you remember him? How he would constantly slurp his drink, no matter how full or empty the cup was? Or how he chewed with his mouth open? Man, he was so damn obnoxious." I tell him. "Caleb. I need you to know that I would never ever say something like that about you. I love working with you. You only annoy me occasionally, but I think very highly of you. So stop doubting yourself because you rock at your job. And trust me. I would never want Henry to replace you. Ever."

As I explain this, his posture relaxes more and more, until he's standing casually in front of me.

"I am so relieved right now, because I have been dwelling on this for the longest fucking time."

"Language!"

"Oh I'm sorry. Because I have been dwelling on this for the longest fudging time."

"Better." I say. "But wait, I have a question for you. Same time period."

"Shoot."

"Okay, so...did you really point a gun to Henry?"

"WHAT?!"

"He told me that you threatened him with a gun and told him to back off from me."

"That is absolutely insane. I never did that, Enny. Hell, I don't even have a gun!"

I shake my head looking at the floor. I had guessed that a while ago. Especially after I found Henry sleeping with another woman. What a douchebag. "I knew it. That fucking asshole! Better watch his damn door 'cause I'm gonna bust it down and punch him in his ugly face from hell. How dare he pull a stunt like that. Try to break a friendship for a part of a business. Ugh!"

"Now who needs to watch their language?" Caleb asks with a smirk.