Dare to Fall

Chapter LVI

Caleb stepped forward, a bouquet of roses in hand. "I got you these. I hope you like them."

I accepted the bouquet, inhaling the sweet scent of the blooms and smiling at him. "Thank you so much—"

Before I could finish, he leaned in and kissed me, catching me completely off guard. My mind raced, but I instinctively pulled back. I didn't want to encourage any misinterpretation of our relationship, especially with everything swirling around in my head.

"I like you, Hailey," Caleb said, his voice earnest.

My heart sank as I heard a loud thud. I turned to see Cayden standing frozen in the doorway, his expression a mix of shock and hurt. He dropped the bouquet of roses he had brought for me, petals scattering across the floor. So that's what his message had been about.

"It's not what it looks like," I stammered, desperation creeping into my voice as I looked at Cayden. His lips pressed into a thin line, and I saw him swallow hard, fighting to keep his composure.

"Yeah, it's not," he echoed sarcastically, his eyes darkening as he turned on his heel and stormed out of Amelia's house.

"Cayden, wait!" I shouted, urgency pushing me to follow him. I cast a quick glance back at Amelia, who stood wide-eyed, her face a mixture of confusion and concern. She pointed toward the door, silently urging me to chase after him.

Caleb reached out, grabbing my arm to hold me back. "Hailey, wait—"

"Let go of me!" I pulled away from him, disappointment and anger simmering beneath the surface.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—" he started, but I cut him off.

"I don't care right now. I have to talk to him!" I ran out the front door, calling out to Cayden as he made his way toward his car. "Cayden, please! Just listen!"

He turned to face me, but his expression was cold, hurt flickering in his eyes. "I... We... He... I didn't kiss him. He kissed me," I rushed, trying to explain myself.

"Clearly, you were enjoying it," he shot back, sarcasm dripping from his words. "Thanks for ruining what could have been a good moment. Now I feel like a complete idiot."

I stepped closer, my frustration boiling over. "You think this is easy for me? You were the one who decided to throw yourself at Katie when I suggested we end things! You were with her the next day!" My voice rose with each word, the heat of the moment clouding my judgment as I poked his chest, my anger giving way to desperation.

"At least I didn't kiss anyone else!" he shouted, fists clenched at his sides.

"What the hell, Cayden? I didn't even kiss him! I don't like Caleb! You need to get over it!" I insisted, my voice cracking with emotion. I wanted him to see reason, to understand how everything spiraled out of control.

"Yeah, I'll get over it once I'm done getting over you!" he yelled back, his words hitting me like a punch to the gut.

I inhaled sharply, the weight of his statement hanging between us. I could feel my heart racing as he unlocked his car, the engine purring as he opened the door.

"Cayden, listen to me," I said, my voice softer now as I reached out to caress his cheek, hoping to break through his anger. "I love you. It was just a kiss. Stop making it such a big deal."

He rolled his eyes, frustration etched on his face. "A kiss that was about to escalate! What would you do if you caught me kissing another girl? Would you be okay with that?"

"Okay, that's it! At least I didn't lose my head in the moment! I'm not the type to jump into bed with someone the day after a breakup!" I shot back, anger and hurt spilling over.