Chapter 14: Secrets in the Elevator

Caleb took me back to his off-campus apartment.

It was only a five-minute walk.

But I felt tortured the whole way.

Afraid passersby would see my tail, I used the excuse of being cold to get Caleb to give me his jacket.

Worried my ears would pop out, I pulled the hood over my head.

When the elevator arrived, Caleb held the door for me, and I got in.

The elevator next door opened, too.

"Caleb?" Derek’s voice called out. "Why are you back so early?"

"Come out for a drink."

"No, I have something to do," Caleb answered coldly, leading me into the elevator.

Derek’s gaze naturally landed on us.

I was pressed tightly against Caleb.

His hoodie covered most of me, and the hood hid my face.

Derek didn’t recognize me and chuckled:

"The sun must be rising in the west. First time I’ve seen you bring a girl home."

Caleb calmly pulled me into his arms. "I’m heading up. See you."

The elevator doors were about to close.

Derek reached out to stop them. "Come on, since I’ve seen you, introduce us."

"Let me see which girl finally brought our woman-averse Caleb down from his pedestal."

My heart pounded as the elevator ticked upward, the lights blinking for each floor. I buried my face deeper in Caleb’s chest, praying Derek wouldn’t recognize me, clutching the fabric of the hoodie so tightly my knuckles went white. The elevator’s faint scent of metal and cheap pine cleaner mixed with Caleb’s warm skin, and I realized—this was a moment I’d never forget, not in a thousand ordinary college nights. But as the elevator doors slid shut, I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was about to change—for better or worse.