Chapter 6: Declarations and Dares

“Caleb, do you have to interfere even when old classmates catch up?”

Derek’s tone was sharp, but Caleb didn’t flinch. He drew me a little closer, his thumb tracing slow circles on my shoulder.

“Catching up is fine, but there are some boundaries, Derek. After all...” Caleb had the air of a victor, his gentle smile carrying a hint of provocation. “Natalie is my wife now.”

Caleb’s voice was velvet-smooth, but there was an edge beneath it, a challenge he didn’t bother to hide. His fingers tightened just a little around me, protective and possessive all at once.

“And... we also love each other deeply.”

When he said this, Caleb sounded a little unsure. He sneaked a glance at me beside him. My heart did a weird little flip, but I kept my eyes on the floor, not ready to unpack what that meant. The next second—

[Guess those jeans really are doing him favors tonight.]

I bit my lip, eyes darting briefly to Caleb’s jeans. The thought was sly and ridiculous, and it made me snort softly. Caleb’s face went crimson, and he looked away, clearly having caught my stray thought.

Caleb closed his eyes. Forget it.

He let out a breath, collecting himself.

“Deeply in love?”

Derek sneered. “Natalie only married you because you grew up together, just got used to each other’s presence. Otherwise, why would she have been with me?”

Derek’s voice trembled, anger and hurt warring in his expression. The hum of voices from the dining room faded into the background as the air thickened between us.

Caleb’s hand around me tightened slightly. His fingertips were cold.

I could feel the tension in his grip, the way his whole body seemed to brace for a fight.

“Because I was young and immature.”

I replied calmly, “Whether we love each other is between us as husband and wife. We broke up so many years ago, it’s not your place to comment on my marriage.”

My voice was low, steady. I met Derek’s gaze without flinching, feeling the old confidence I hadn’t realized I’d lost.

I didn’t like this kind of scene. I went to the reunion not to watch my husband and ex argue. Derek probably didn’t expect me to defend Caleb. He looked a little pale. “That’s not what I meant...”

He ran a hand through his hair, at a loss. The bravado slipped, leaving just the boy I once knew, uncertain and exposed.

Caleb was satisfied, smiling happily. “That’s right, Derek. The past is past, why keep clinging to it?”

He flashed a bright, almost smug grin, as if daring Derek to push further. The tension began to ebb, replaced by a faint awkwardness.

Derek’s anger simmered. His voice was tight: “If you hadn’t schemed back then—”

He took a step forward, fists clenched, but stopped short when a new voice cut in.

“Hey, why are you two both here? I was wondering where everyone went.”

The class president’s appearance interrupted Derek.

The door to the hallway swung open, flooding the space with noise and laughter. The class president beamed, oblivious to the tension he’d just diffused.

I tried not to laugh as the class president shook out his hand, shooting Caleb a look like he’d just arm-wrestled a grizzly.

He introduced himself enthusiastically, then asked, “You’re Caleb, right? I heard about you back in high school. You really are as impressive as they say—seeing is believing.”

His handshake was firm, eyes wide with genuine admiration. The chatter in the dining room swelled again, everyone eager to reconnect after so many years.

[...You were always the first to gossip, how could you not have seen him?]

[Oh, and he’s the leader of the Natalie and Derek shipper club.]

[Whenever the two of us were together, he made the most fuss.]

I shot a side-eye at Aubrey, who tried and failed to hide her smirk. Some things never change.

“Yes, I’m Natalie’s husband.”

Caleb’s voice was clear and strong. The words rang out, definitive in a way that left no room for argument.

When Caleb shook hands with the class president, he used a lot of force. The class president gasped.

He let out a surprised yelp, flexing his fingers as if to check for broken bones. Caleb just smiled politely, all innocence.

“Sorry, I’ve been training for long-distance running lately, so my grip is strong.”

[What does long-distance running have to do with grip strength?]

I snickered under my breath, hiding my grin behind my glass of water. Leave it to Caleb to invent new logic on the fly.

The class president had the same question, but seeing how friendly Caleb looked, he quickly let it go. “Childhood friends who are now married—congratulations. It’s just a pity I didn’t get to drink at your wedding.”

He clapped Caleb on the back, eyes twinkling with good-natured teasing. The awkwardness faded, replaced by laughter and the clatter of silverware.

“Next time you definitely will.”

Caleb’s voice was warm, the hint of a real smile in his eyes. For a moment, everything felt as easy as it had in the old days.

Derek smiled, but there was no warmth in it.

Derek’s eyes lingered on me, heavy with everything left unsaid. I had the sinking feeling this night was just getting started.