Chapter 43
Elena' POV
We settled back on the small couch by the window. Caleb poured a small measure of wine into my glass—barely a third full.
I took a cautious sip.
It was sweet. Fruity. Nothing like the bitter burn from the bar last time.
"This is way better than what I had last time," I said before I could stop myself.
Caleb's mouth twitched. "You remember that?"
Heat flooded my face. I took another sip to avoid answering.
"Interesting," he murmured.
I shot him a look. "Don't start."
But there was something lighter in his eyes now. Less cold.
I drank slowly, letting the warmth spread through my chest. The tension in my shoulders began to ease. The tight knot in my stomach loosened.
Caleb refilled my glass without asking.
By the third glass, I could feel the wine working. My thoughts felt softer.
Then my phone buzzed again.
I fumbled for it, scrolling through the avalanche of messages I'd been ignoring all evening.
Damon's name. Over and over.
I found the most recent one and held the screen up to Caleb.
"Elena, don't let him fool you. He's only getting close to you to get back at me. Think about it—why did he suddenly come back? Why you?"
I leaned closer, my arm brushing Caleb's. "Look. He thinks you're using me for revenge."
Caleb went completely still.
I was close enough to catch his scent—snow and cedar and something deeper. It made my head spin.
"Expected," he said finally. His voice was rough.
I tilted my head, studying his face. The wine made everything feel... easier. Less scary.
"Are you?" I asked. "Using me to get back at him?"
His jaw tightened. He turned his head slightly, and for a moment, our faces were only inches apart.
"No."
The word was quiet. Certain.
I believed him.
---
I set my phone down and took another sip.
"You know, you're kind of cold," I heard myself say.
Caleb raised an eyebrow. "Am I."
"Yeah. You always have been." The words tumbled out, uncontrolled. "Even when we were kids."
He didn't deny it. Just watched me with that steady, inscrutable gaze.
Then—because the wine had apparently destroyed every filter I had left—I kept talking.
"I remember this one time..." My voice got smaller. "Damon and I... we tore up your homework."
Caleb froze.
"I didn't want to," I added quickly. "Damon... he pulled me along. And I was stupid. I just—" I bit my lip. "I wanted to apologize. But you always looked so... unapproachable. Like you'd bite my head off if I got too close."
Silence.
Then Caleb said quietly, "So you never did."
"No." I stared down at my glass. "I'm sorry. I was a coward."
Another long pause.
"It's in the past," he said finally.
But his tone wasn't dismissive. It was... tired. Like he'd heard those words before. Like apologies didn't mean much anymore.
I looked up at him, my chest aching.
He's so used to being hurt that he doesn't even expect people to care.
"And there was that time you jumped into the lake," I blurted out.
Caleb's expression darkened.
"The day after Christmas," I continued, my voice shaking slightly. "I followed you to the bridge. And then you just... jumped."
I could still see it. The way he'd stood there, so still, staring down at the frozen water. And then the sudden, terrifying plunge.
"I thought something happened to you. I thought—" My throat tightened. "I had nightmares about it for weeks. Just... you, falling."
Caleb's gaze dropped to his glass. His fingers tightened around the stem.
"So you jumped in after me," he said quietly.
I nodded. "I thought you were dying."
"I pulled you out, then got a fever for three days." I tried to smile, but it felt forced. "But it was worth it."
He looked at me then. Really looked at me.
And for a moment, I saw something in his eyes—something raw.
"Yes," he said softly. "You saved me."
---
The wine was making me reckless.
I reached out and grabbed his arm, my fingers curling around his shirt sleeve.
"I'm not going to avoid you anymore," I said, the words tumbling out in a jumbled mess. "Not because of Damon. Not because of anyone. And I'm going to tell him that we're close."
Caleb's gaze dropped to where I was holding onto him.
"How close?" he asked, his voice carefully neutral.
I blinked. Then started counting on my fingers. "Well, I threw up on you. And I hugged you. And—"
He almost smiled. Almost.
Then I remembered.
Hector's video.
"Hector showed me the footage."
Caleb's entire body went rigid.
I leaned even closer, my voice dropping to a whisper.
"And I have another secret."
He didn't move. Didn't breathe.
"That time in the lake," I said quietly. "When I pulled you out. You weren't breathing. I gave you CPR."
---
Caleb's POV
The words hung in the air between us.
"I gave you CPR."
My entire body went rigid.
She leaned closer, her cheek flushed from the wine, eyes glassy but painfully sincere.
"When I pulled you out of the lake," she said quietly. "You weren't breathing. Your lips were blue. I didn't know what else to do." She paused, her voice dropping to barely a whisper. "I put my mouth on yours. I blew air into your lungs. Over and over until you coughed up the water."
My hand tightened around the wine glass. Hard enough that I heard a faint crack.
A pause. Then she lifted her gaze. Met mine directly.
"You were the first person I ever kissed," she said.
She looked up at me. Her face was close. Too close. I could smell her, and underneath it all, something else. Something that made my wolf stir and growl low in my chest.
Mine.
She reached for the wine bottle and refilled her glass.
"Elena."
She looked up, glass halfway to her lips.
"You've had enough."
Her pupils dilated slightly. Just a fraction. Then she smiled—small, stubborn. "I'm fine."
"You're drunk."
"I'm tipsy." She took a deliberate sip. "There's a difference."
I walked over, reached out, and took the glass from her hand. She made a small sound of protest. "Hey—"
"No more." I set it on the far shelf, out of reach.
Her jaw tightened. For a moment, I saw a flash of something in her eyes—defiance, maybe. Or frustration. She stood up. Too fast. She swayed slightly, and I moved on instinct—grabbed her waist to steady her.
She caught herself against my chest. We both froze.