Chapter 5: Exposed, Defended, and Kissed

"Aubrey! Wake up! The photos are viral!"

My phone buzzed. Tanya’s face was pale, voice urgent. I sat up, heart pounding.

"Why does this feel familiar?"

Déjà vu hit hard. I braced for more scandal.

"This time it's photos! Posted on the forum, anonymous jerk said you sent them to Caleb privately!"

I grabbed my phone, scrolling the campus Reddit-style forum. My stomach dropped.

What?

Headlines blared, speculation rampant. My heart raced, dread settling in.

I was confused, browsed the campus forum, and saw the hottest post pinned on top.

[Clingy girl sends photos to swim team captain, disgusting behavior]

The accusations were brutal, the comments worse. I felt exposed, helpless.

"Not long ago I found Caleb's phone, I swear I just wanted to find out whose phone it was so I used tricks to unlock it, then found this girl sent lots of photos to Caleb, I was disgusted, Caleb is our campus star, so I secretly saved and posted the pics, can't let only me be disgusted, let's defend Caleb together."

I clenched my fists, rage building. Tanya cursed under her breath, vowing revenge.

Below were three photos of me, all with dark backgrounds, distant lights, me sleeping in a corner with a coat over me.

They’d caught me at my worst, vulnerable and unaware, in the student union corner. The comments were cruel.

Wasn't that me drunk on Thanksgiving night?

I remembered the blurry memories, the rabbit mascot, the comfort. Now, it was being used against me.

[Blatant seduction]

[Shameless]

[Isn't that Aubrey from design?]

[Yeah, it's her]

......

"Which..."

Tanya read aloud, voice trembling. I hugged her, tears stinging my eyes.

"Which trashy green tea pervert did this!"

“Two-faced mean girl,” she snapped, pacing the room. I nodded, grateful for her outrage.

Seeing Tanya more agitated than me, I was moved to tears.

She was the best roommate, always ready to fight my battles.

"But I never heard Caleb lost his phone!"

I wondered who had access, who could betray him like that.

Tanya called Marcus, after hanging up, looked even gloomier.

She bit her lip, eyes dark. Marcus’s voice was grim on speaker.

"Aubrey, Marcus said Caleb never lost his phone."

I stared, confusion mounting. If it wasn’t lost, who had the photos?

......

"So you think maybe Caleb..."

Tanya hesitated, not wanting to suspect him. I shook my head, refusing to believe it.

"Impossible!"

I insisted, voice trembling. Tanya nodded, agreeing.

"His account was hacked."

She theorized, searching for answers. I felt numb, helpless.

......

"Tsk, I know Caleb isn't that kind of person!"

Tanya hugged me, reassuring me. I clung to her, desperate for comfort.

"So then..."

I wondered who else could be behind it. Tanya stared, deep in thought.

"Could it be Derek? After last time, he wants revenge?"

His name stung. I remembered our fight, his anger. Was he really capable of this?

Derek?

I didn’t want to believe it, but college drama knows no bounds.

No matter what, he was someone I liked.

I felt betrayed, memories souring. Tanya held my hand, supporting me.

If he really did this, I'd regret liking him forever.

I wiped my tears, vowing never to fall for someone so cruel again.

Tanya saw me silent, probed: "You don't still li..."

I shook my head, firm in my decision.

"I don't like Derek anymore. The one I like now is Caleb."

My confession was soft but strong. Tanya beamed, pride shining in her eyes.

Tanya instantly teared up, just as she was about to hug me, the phone rang.

It was Marcus, voice urgent. Tanya put him on speaker.

"It's Marcus, he said Caleb admitted it."

My heart raced, hope sparking.

"What?"

I sat up, bracing for the truth.

"Admitted he likes you."

Tanya grinned, eyes sparkling. I covered my mouth, overwhelmed.

When the incident reached its peak, Caleb logged into the campus forum with his own account.

He posted a statement, clearing my name, defending me, and acknowledging privacy concerns.

"1. I never lost my phone. 2. The photos were secretly taken and saved by me, I sincerely apologize to Aubrey who didn't know, sorry. 3. Someone unlocked my phone and stole the photos, then spread rumors online. 4. The culprit has been identified. 5. The one who liked Aubrey first was me, she never chased me."

With this, Caleb's response pushed the incident to a new high.

I pinched my face and legs, still feeling unreal.

Tanya hugged me, squealing. I laughed, finally free from shame.

At that moment, the counselor called, told me to go to the office.

Student Affairs wanted an incident report—campus police would document if needed—and to review evidence responsibly. I braced myself, determined to face the music. Tanya offered to come, but I waved her off.

There, I ran into Lillian.

She sat in the waiting room, face cold, eyes narrowed. I sat across from her, refusing to back down.

Sure enough, she was the culprit.

The counselor explained, voice gentle but firm. Lillian glared, unrepentant.

"I did it, during swim team practice phones are confiscated. I watched him unlock it, so I easily got in. Found those photos in his album, sent them to my Messenger and deleted the records. But I don't regret it."

She crossed her arms, gave an eye roll, and dabbed at fake tears for the staff.

Lillian combined softness and malice well, teary for the teacher, unrepentant to me.

She tried to play the victim, but I saw through her act.

"After that video spread, seeing her in Caleb's clothes, so close, I knew she'd take advantage!"

She pointed at me, voice shrill. I glared, refusing to be shamed.

Wow, so quick to smear, my fists clenched.

I considered swinging, but kept my cool. Tanya would be proud.

At that time, you were still with Derek, yet eyeing another man—shameless!

The hypocrisy was astounding. I rolled my eyes, biting my tongue.

Sigh. All women.

I exhaled slowly, choosing not to escalate the counselor’s room.

Knowing she did wrong because Caleb liked me, I felt...

Vindicated, but still angry. I wanted justice.

Couldn't forgive her!

I stood my ground, demanding accountability.

Everyone's love is love!

I defended myself, refusing to let jealousy ruin my happiness.

"Teacher, I feel my reputation and mental health are seriously harmed, I want to call the police."

Student Affairs explained the steps: file an incident report, loop in campus police for documentation, and notify the Dean’s office if policies were violated.

The counselor was torn, wanted us to reconcile, but Lillian's attitude was too much.

She refused to apologize, insisting she was justified. I held firm, refusing to back down.

"I support calling the police, and Lillian should be replaced as swim team manager."

Caleb suddenly appeared, backing me up. His presence was reassuring.

Caleb suddenly appeared behind me, I wondered where he'd been.

A staffer confirmed he hadn’t retaliated when Lillian slapped him earlier, and he kept his cool.

Turning, I saw a red handprint on his face.

Lillian actually dared hit him!

The audacity shocked me. Caleb just shook his head, brushing it off.

I was furious, rolled up my sleeves to deal with her.

Caleb quickly hugged me to calm me: "Don't, she's not worth it."

He pulled me close, whispering reassurance. My anger faded, replaced by warmth.

He kissed the top of my head.

I relaxed into it, consenting, a deliberate bit of PDA that sent a message.

He did it on purpose.

I grinned, knowing he was sending a message.

I saw Lillian's face turn black, almost fainting.

She stormed out, defeated. The counselor nodded, promising action.

In the end, after much persuasion, Lillian's parents sent a video to apologize, so we didn't call the police.

She was also temporarily suspended from her manager role while the incident was documented.

With the villain dealt with, time to handle lifelong matters.

Caleb took my hand, leading me outside. The air was fresh, full of promise.

Walking beside Caleb, I asked for confirmation: "You really like me?"

I squeezed his hand, tiny insecurity bubbling up. “Do you mean it?” My cheeks burned.

......

"When did you start liking me? Why? Can you tell me in detail? If this hadn't happened, would you not have confessed? Or..."

I bombarded him with questions, desperate for answers.

"Aubrey, do you know the quickest way to make someone quiet?"

He leaned in, voice low. I shook my head, curious.

"Huh?"

He pressed his lips to mine—mint gum and soft warmth—and my brain flashed, I’m really doing this?

Caleb didn't give me a chance to escape—gently kissed my lips.

I melted, happiness blooming inside me. The world faded, just the two of us.

I was stunned.

I touched my lips, grinning like a fool. Caleb turned away, ears red.

After kissing, Caleb immediately turned away, his ears turning red.

I laughed, teasing him. He scowled, embarrassed.

"Your lips are so soft, Caleb."

He groaned, hiding his face. I giggled, loving his flustered state.

"Aubrey!"

He tried to sound stern, but his smile betrayed him.

As usual, he walked me back to the apartment, but this time we held hands.

Our fingers intertwined, warmth flowing between us. I felt safe, cherished.

But hand-holding came with conditions—answer a question, get a finger.

I invented a silly game, laughing at his protests. Caleb sighed in pretend annoyance, then played along.

Though Caleb disliked my childishness, he doted on me and agreed.

He squeezed my hand, pretending to be annoyed. I smiled, basking in his attention.

"When did you start liking me?"

He paused, thinking. "The year before last."

One finger.

I gasped, surprised. Caleb just smirked.

"The year before last? What triggered it?"

He explained, voice soft. "Sophomore fall—I was about to start swim team training, saw a girl painting at the mural wall; when I came out in the afternoon, she was still there. Three hours straight, she never left." Paint fumes and cold fingers tucked in sleeves, a headlamp later that night—it all came back.

Ah... so it was then.

I remembered that day—lost in my art, headphones on, world tuned out.

Two fingers.

"You liked me because of my effort?"

He nodded, eyes crinkling. "I guess I liked you after discovering your hidden side."

"...What did I do?"

He grinned, recalling old memories. "You agreed to help Derek, but he did it for Lillian—you made wedding clothes for others. When Tanya came to tell you, I was nearby, not eavesdropping on purpose. I thought you'd cry and curse, but you splashed paint from the bucket instead."

"Ahem." So he saw that!

I blushed, embarrassed by my outburst. “It wasn’t my best moment,” I admitted. Caleb laughed, squeezing my hand.

"But later, on a dark windy night, I finished training late and saw that girl still there, holding a flashlight in one hand, painting with the other, muttering about keeping promises... I thought she was so weird."

......

"Weird, but cute." Caleb tried to make up for it.

I playfully swatted his arm, rolling my eyes.

"Thanks a lot..."

I teased, nudging his shoulder. Caleb rolled his eyes, grinning.

"After that, I started noticing you, saw you were so persistent with Derek, gradually got attached, and one day, seeing your eyes only on someone else, I felt bad, realized I might like you."

His confession made my heart race. I squeezed his hand, smiling.

Hearing this, realizing Caleb had a two-year crush on me, I was thrilled.

I bounced on my toes, happiness overflowing. Tanya texted "Called it!"

But I had another question.

I bit my lip, unsure if I should ask.

"Who else knows you like me?"

He shrugged, pretending ignorance. "No one, probably."

......

Is Caleb's aloofness just cluelessness?

I laughed, realizing he was bad at hiding his feelings.

From what I know, Marcus's matchmaking and Ben's attitude when we first met suggest plenty of people know...

I winked, teasing him. Caleb blushed, playfully shoving me.

Forget it, the mood is right, let him save face.

I smiled, letting him off the hook. Caleb grinned, grateful.

"And on fall break, when we went hiking and entered the church?"

He perked up, remembering. "I was behind you in line, but you suddenly ran off, I wondered if I was too obvious, so I moved forward with the candle, but when you showed up I panicked and left." He facepalmed. “I left the candle on the table.”

"...Then?"

He shrugged, embarrassed. "I accidentally left the candle on the table, later secretly watched, found you took the wrong one."

..."

"The one missing water in the birth chart was me."

We turned it into a private joke—no church mysticism—just the way I’d cleaned with water all week.

"You deal with water every day, how could you be missing water!"

He shrugged, playful. "Ahem, I meant you, Aubrey. With you, I'm not missing anything."

"Oh... oh oh oh oh!"

My heart soared. Caleb laughed, ruffling my hair.

"Those words were from Marcus and Ben, they made me say it." Caleb turned away, super awkward.

I hugged him, whispering thanks. He squeezed my hand, smiling shyly.

If you can't say it, don't force yourself—saying embarrassing things just shows how much you like me. Heh.

We walked home, laughter ringing in the air. The future felt bright, full of promise.

Though that forced fortune candle explanation was cheesy, I loved it.

Caleb grinned, embarrassed but proud. I kissed his cheek, loving his dorky side.

"I said too much, ten fingers aren't enough."

I teased, wiggling my toes. Caleb groaned, laughing.

"Ah, if you add toes, I don't mind..."

He gave a resigned smile and shook his head, pretending to be annoyed. I giggled, happy.

"Quiet, don't ruin the mood."

He pulled me close, kissing my forehead.

Kisses, hugs, lifts.

Caleb, this cabbage, was finally won by me—and next up, the mural unveiling and the city meet will put us in front of campus rumors again. Ready or not.

We walked hand in hand, ready for whatever came next.