Chapter 3: Double Standards

Natalie and Derek were both caught off guard.

Natalie snapped out of it quick, yanking me aside. “Is this the coworker you meant?” Her eyes were sharp, voice low and trembling.

Aubrey answered for me, breezy and bold. “Yeah, I’m Caleb’s new assistant, Aubrey.”

She hopped in the back seat, waving at me. “Come on, Caleb, let’s go. I’m starving.”

I moved to follow, but Natalie stepped in my way, her jaw clenched, eyes darting between me and Aubrey.

Her voice cracked: “Seriously, Caleb? You’re just gonna sit back there with her like it’s no big deal?”

I looked at her, feigning confusion. “She’s just a bro, Nat.”

I shot a pointed glance at Derek up front. For a second, Natalie was speechless, lips pressed tight.

On the drive back, Aubrey chattered away about pizza spots, her dog, the nightmare of HR paperwork. The front seats stayed dead silent.

Normally, Natalie would be loud, Derek even louder—always talking, always laughing. But tonight, Derek’s attempts at small talk fell flat. Natalie didn’t even look his way.

After we dropped Derek and Natalie off, she unbuckled and got out: “You drive up front.”

I just stared at her, my voice flat. “Worked all day, Nat. I’m exhausted.”

“Don’t wanna drive.”

She hovered by the door, waiting, but I just turned my head, eyes closed, shutting her out.

The silence stretched, then Natalie slammed the door so hard the whole car shook.

She stormed inside after me, her face stormy.

Once I’d changed shoes, she finally broke the silence. “Who is that woman? What’s really going on with you two?” Her voice trembled, eyes darting, lips pressed in a thin line.

I lit a cigarette, blowing the smoke between us, watching her try not to flinch.

“Just a bro.”

“A woman dressed like that is your bro? Seriously, Caleb? You say you’re busy at work, but are you just out with her? Does she dress like that for late nights with you?”

“You made her your assistant—just ‘cause she’s hot?”

I felt my own temper flare. “What, so only you get to have bros? Guess I missed the memo. She’s great at her job—why shouldn’t I make her my assistant?”

“Of course there’s a problem! She’s a woman—how can a woman be your bro?”

I laughed, sharp and cold. “Funny, you never saw an issue with your ‘bros’ until now.”

Natalie went pale, lips trembling, hands shaking. “Derek and the guys are different—we grew up together…”

I cut her off. “Aubrey and I are different, too. If anything was gonna happen, it already would’ve. Wouldn’t even be your turn.”

“Whatever. I’m showering.”

I left her standing there, fists clenched, eyes glassy.

After that night, we slipped into another cold war—barely talking, barely looking at each other.

A few days later, her parents called us over for dinner.

At the table, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Natalie’s mom pushed the casserole dish toward me, her smile tight. Her dad just stared over his reading glasses, waiting for my answer.

“Caleb, Natalie’s our only daughter. She picked you, someone not even from Maple Heights. You better treat her right.”

Natalie and I had met in college. I’d planned to move back to Ohio, but she was an only child and couldn’t leave her family.

For her, I stayed here in Maple Heights, worked my way up, bought a house, built a life.

She never wanted to work, so I covered everything—gave her spending money, made sure she never had to worry.

But none of it seemed to matter now.

With her parents behind her, Natalie looked smug all the way home. She sat in the passenger seat, twirling her hair, lips curled in a little smile—the kind that made me realize: I watched her smile, and for the first time, it felt like I was the stranger in my own story.