Chapter 4

Caleb's POV

As soon as the call ended, Hazel knocked on my bedroom door.

"Come to my parents' house with Casey tomorrow night. Explain that you agreed to let me spend time with Casey and let him experience being in a relationship. That way, Mom and Dad won't get the wrong idea."

"I never agreed to that," I replied.

Hazel paused. "Didn't you agree at the hospital?"

"Mom hadn't eaten for three days, and all of you were waiting for me to give in," I said. "I just didn't want to watch her starve herself any longer. That doesn't mean I agreed to explain things to your parents."

Hazel's expression darkened.

"Meeting my parents is Casey's last wish. Once that's done, it'll all be over. Why make things difficult for him now, when he's so close to getting what he wants?"

Casey stood in the doorway, clutching the sleeves of his pajamas. "Let's forget it. I don't want to make things hard for Caleb."

Gia stepped out from behind him, but she spoke to me instead. "What will the Grant family think of Casey if you don't go? What about his reputation?"

Mom had come too. She looked even angrier than before. "If you put Casey through this, I won't eat today."

Wanda leaned against the doorframe and barked out a laugh. "Here we go again. Last time, Darlene went three days without eating, and you ended up begging her outside her room.

"You've already let Hazel spend time with Casey, so why are you pretending now? It's just one dinner. It's not like it's going to hurt you."

Hazel stopped trying to convince me. She just watched, waiting for me to do what I had done countless times before and put an end to the argument.

I opened my bedside drawer, took out my engagement ring, and placed it in front of her.

"I'm not going, and don't tell anyone I agreed to this."

The ring made a soft clink as it touched the table.

Hazel looked at the ring, and her brows furrowed. "Put the ring away. Don't try to scare me with this. I'll bring you red velvet cake from your favorite bakery tonight."

I had once loved that cake. Before the bakery closed, she had waited in line with me many times for it.

But this time, I said nothing. I walked past them, picked up my bag, and left.

That morning, I went to the bank and reported my debit card missing. The teller issued me a new one.

Then I changed the account where my salary was deposited and printed out my transactions from the past year. I would go through every dollar I had given Gia to hold for me.

That afternoon, I packed everything Hazel had given me into a box and shipped it to the Grant family home.

Gia sent a message in the family group chat. "Caleb even took off his ring and went to the bank. He's really going all out this time."

Mom replied, "He can't leave this family, and he can't bear to lose Hazel. Give him a couple of days. He'll get over it."

Wanda sent a smiling emoji. "I'll be waiting to see him come crawling back tonight.

Hazel sent a head-patting sticker. "Caleb loves me too much to leave."

When boarding began for the long-distance bus, Hazel called. Her name appeared on my phone screen, but I didn't answer.

She was probably sitting at the Grant family's dinner table, waiting for me to explain things to her parents.

I silenced my phone, handed over my ticket, and boarded the bus.