Chapter 10: Viral Chemistry

In the big lecture hall the next day, I was dozing in the last row.

Half asleep, I felt a gentle movement beside me.

Someone draped a jacket over my shoulders.

Warmth seeped in.

I squinted—Caleb was focused on his laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard.

He looked so at ease, the morning sun catching in his hair. The lecture buzzed on, half the class on their phones or sipping their third cup of coffee.

"Thanks."

I mumbled and drifted off again.

When class ended, Rachel and Tyler burst in, all dramatic flair.

“Natalie, let’s go out—I found a restaurant with amazing decor!”

“Hey? You go to Silver Hollow too?”

Rachel stared at Caleb, her eyes burning with creative fire again.

She bounced on her heels, camera in hand, like she was about to shoot the next viral couples TikTok.

Caleb closed his laptop and nodded politely at her.

I sat up and handed his jacket back.

His gaze swept over Tyler, who was busy booking the restaurant, then he took the jacket slowly.

Rachel’s eyes flicked between me and Caleb, brow arched.

She reached out to him:

“Hey, classmate. Let’s get to know each other again.”

“I’m Rachel, a photographer.”

“I’d like to invite you to be my model. The pay’s good.”

“Think about it?”

Caleb shook her hand halfway, polite but reserved:

“Sorry, can’t. Got too much on my plate.”

Then he took his laptop and left.

Rachel sighed, patting my face:

“Natalie, you promised to model for me before. Sigh, I wanted to shoot a couples set, but now I can’t find a male model. I’m so stressed.”

I rolled my eyes.

When did I ever agree to model for her?

Tyler, done with the booking, perked up:

“Why can’t you find one? I’m right here.”

“Me and Natalie—our looks, we’re a natural pair.”

Rachel and I rolled our eyes at the same time, about to retort—

A shadow loomed over us.

Caleb had returned.

He pressed his lips together and looked at Rachel:

“Is the pay immediate?”

Rachel’s fox eyes narrowed, a satisfied smile blooming:

“Of course.”

She flashed him the kind of grin that usually meant she’d just closed a deal with a top model agency.

“Caleb, is Natalie made of poison or something? Why are you so far away from her?”

“Closer! Natalie, hook your arm around his neck!”

“I’m shooting a couple’s photo, not an ID picture!”

Rachel waved her camera with one hand, pointing at me and Caleb with the other. Her creative energy was on full blast, practically bouncing around the studio.

I reached out, hooked my arm around his neck, and pulled him down—our noses just a few inches apart.

I lowered my voice: “High hourly pay, cash on the spot, and you’re still this stiff?”

Our knees bumped. Caleb’s hand hovered at my waist, like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed. I grinned, tugged him closer, and the camera snapped.

Caleb knelt in front of me, holding my ankle, his grip a little shaky: “It’s not for the money.”

His cheeks turned faintly pink, but he held my gaze like he wanted to say something more. The camera clicked, the flash catching in his eyes.

I gave a nonchalant “oh,” shot a look at Tyler’s glowering face, and teased:

“Caleb, your hand’s trembling. Are you scared of Tyler?”

I dragged out the words, deliberately provoking him.

He squeezed my ankle tighter, then loosened his grip, a reluctant tenderness in his touch.

“Natalie, Caleb, change pose!”

During our standoff, Rachel gestured at us with her camera.

Caleb moved behind me, arm wrapping around my waist, pulling me close, chin resting on my shoulder.

His faint scent enveloped me.

I could feel his breath on my cheek, steady but a little uneven.

“Seriously, do couple photos have to be this intimate?”

“Natalie, did Rachel find something on you?”

Tyler stood up, face dark.

In the midst of the argument, I felt a soft kiss land on the back of my neck.

Warm breath brushed my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.

“I’m not afraid of Tyler. I’m just afraid you’ll be troubled.”

Caleb’s voice was low and gentle.

With indulgence—and temptation.

The shutter clicked, freezing the moment. Rachel’s face split into a delighted grin, while Tyler threw up his hands in mock despair. In that instant, the world seemed to shrink to just me and Caleb, tangled together under the bright lights and the weight of everything left unsaid. And as the flash faded, Caleb’s fingers lingered on mine—like he was finally ready to hold on, no matter who was watching.