Ch29

NOVA

The second his lips move from my neck to my cheek, my brain short-circuits.

I know it's supposed to be this harmless, spur-of-the-moment thing because we are jammed together inside a dark wardrobe, but the physical contact hits me like an electric shock would.

I flinch so hard my elbow clunks off the wooden back panel, and my hands are against his chest, shoving him back.

I scramble against the wall, my whole face scrunching up as I scrape my sweater sleeve across my cheek to wipe it off.

I don't know how but I turn around, sitting across from him, our legs touching. Caleb just sits there, blinking at me like I’ve suddenly grown a second head.

A half-amused, completely bewildered grin tugs at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes are wide.

"Whoa, okay, ouch," he says, tilting his head as he watches me scrub at my face. "Was it really that traumatic, Nova? Like, I get I'm not a professional, but I didn't even use tongue. It was literally a cheek kiss."

"No, Caleb, it’s not... I mean, I didn't mean to do that," I stammer, as I try to pull my sweater down and smooth over the look on my face. "You just completely startled me, that’s all. We are literally hiding in here while my brother is walking around outside, and I was just distracted by the noise."

Caleb leans back against the opposite wall, crossing his arms and flashing a playful smirk that doesn't quite reach his eyes. He tilts his head, watching the way my fingers are nervously pulling at the threads of my sleeve.

"Riiight, totally. The noise," he drawls, chuckling softly under his breath as he shakes his head. "Because usually, when girls look like they want to vomit after I get close, it’s just because of background noise. Face it, Nova, you don't actually like me at all, do you?"

"Of course I like you, Caleb, you’ve been super nice to me all week," I blurt out, the words practically tripping over each other because I need him to drop this immediately. "I just think we shouldn't be doing this right now. It's bad timing, and honestly, we really need to focus on staying quiet so we don't get caught."

"Right, because you're totally here for the thrill of hide-and-seek," Caleb says, snickering a little, though his gaze narrow on me. He leans in just a tiny bit closer, his grin turning teasing. "You know, for a girl who suddenly starts texting me and asking me a million questions, you sure jump back fast when I actually take the bait. You’re up to something, Nova. I might play dumb, but I’m really not that stupid."

"I am not up to anything," I lie, wrapping my arms tight around my waist. "I just wanted to hang out with you, okay? If I gave you the wrong idea or made things weird, I’m really sorry, but there’s no big grand scheme here."

"Oh, come on, you can tell me," Caleb teases softly, nudging my knee with his shoe and giving me a goofy smile. "Whatever weird little mission you're on, or whatever mess you've gotten yourself into, just lay it on me. I promise I won't ruin your secret operation, but you've gotta stop giving me these rehearsed answers like you're reading off a script."

"I am not reading off a script, Caleb, there is literally nothing to tell," I insist, forcing myself to look him in the eyes even though my stomach is doing sickening flips. "I’m just super stressed out and scared that we'll get caught. That’s all it is."

Caleb laughs, looking down for a second before his eyes flicks back up to mine. He's still wearing a light expression, but there's a look of curiosity behind it now, like he's trying to solve a puzzle just for fun.

"Okay, let me ask you a hypothetical question then," Caleb says, as he smirks at me. "Say it wasn't me in this closet with you right now. Say it was some other guy. Like, I don't know... if Enzo grabbed you by the waist and kissed you right here in the dark, would you have shoved him away with that exact same look of disgust, or would you be sitting against him praying nobody opened the door?"

My entire body goes rigid. My breath catches squarely in the middle of my throat, my eyes going wide before I can even try to fake a neutral expression, and the silence that stretches between us in the tiny wardrobe is all the answer Caleb needs.

His smile slowly fades as he watches my face, his eyes tracking every single expression I can't hide fast enough. The sudden stillness in my sitting posture, the way my jaw locks and the flushing of my cheeks is an instant giveaway.

"Oh..." Caleb breathes out, his lips parting in shock. He lets out a low, disbelieving whistle and leans back against the wardrobe, staring at me like I’ve just handed him the final piece of an entirely different puzzle. "Oh, wow. Okay. So it is Enzo."

"What? No! Caleb, shut up, that is literally not what I said..."

"Nova, come on, you just turned into an actual statue the second I said his name," Caleb interrupts, calling me out with a blunt, half-amused laugh. "Your face literally said everything. You like your brother's best friend."

"I do not like Enzo!" I snap back, waving my hands between us. "I don't like him! You are pulling names out of thin air right now!"

"You act like I'm confusing, but seriously, you are something else," Caleb says, shaking his head with a wide grin as he looks at me. "If you really are completely head over heels in love with him, then why on earth have you been trying so hard in texting me?"

"For the last time, I am not in love with him!" I wheeze, clutching my hands over my chest.

Caleb nods. "Because, I mean... if your brother ever found out about this..."

"Stop," I cut in. "Caleb, stop talking."

"What will your brother say or do when he finds out you have a silly little crush on his best friend?" Caleb teases. "Actually, knowing Noah, it’s probably way more than just a silly little crush, isn't it?"