Chapter 10

“Stop pouting or I’ll kiss you,” Carl said, pinching my cheek.

“I’m not pouting,” I insisted, though I knew my tone betrayed my irritation. Deep down, I was seething with jealousy over Caleb entertaining Antonette’s advances. My smile felt forced as I watched them chatting. They were heading somewhere.

“Sure looks like it,” Carl sighed. “But don’t worry, Caleb knows what he’s doing.” He pressed a soft kiss to my cheek, his lips lingering for a moment before pulling away.

“Does he, though?” I muttered, more to myself than to Carl.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“They’re gone, Carl. I don’t like how close he’s getting with Antonette,” I admitted reluctantly.

"You mean how close she's getting with Caleb?"

"Sounds the same to me."

He chuckled softly. “He won’t get cross any line. Trust Caleb, okay? Caleb wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”

“I’m hurting now, Carl,” I admitted, feeling embarrassed. “I know I shouldn't feel this way, but he’s not considering how his actions might affect me. He’s just... oblivious to everything. That woman wants you, now she wants Caleb.”

He sighed, his expression softening. “I get it, Pumpkin. But you have to trust me when I say that Caleb cares about you. He might not always show it in the way you want, but he does.” He paused, tilting my chin up to meet his eyes. “And as for Antonette, she’s always been a flirt. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“But it feels like it does,” I argued, frustration bubbling up inside me. “He shouldn’t have gone with her. They just met. I thought he was...”

“Of course, he is into you.” He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him. I felt the warmth of his body, instantly easing my tension. “I know we planned to enjoy the night together,” Carl murmured, his voice low and soothing. “But trust me, Caleb must have his own reason for his actions.”

I sighed, pressing my face against his chest. “Do you find her attractive, Carl?”

“Who?”

“Antonette,”

His chest rose and fell with a deep sigh. “She’s... attractive, sure,” he admitted almost reluctantly. Yeah, his honesty sometimes hurt. “But you’re more attractive. You’re the one I’m drawn to. You’re the one I want to be with. You are way more attractive in many ways. You don’t have to compete for attention, you know that. Men will be drawn to you without realizing it. It sometimes scares me.”

“I don’t want to compete for attention, though,” I murmured, pretending to sulk as I buried my face against his chest. His words were giving me butterflies. “I just... I want to feel like I’m enough for you, for Caleb.”

“Pumpkin, you’re more than enough for us. You’re like a whole buffet of goodness. I couldn’t handle more even if I wanted to.”

I laughed at his analogy, the tension in my body dissipating. “A whole buffet, huh?”

“Including deserts,” he said, laughing. “Come, let’s see the band,”

As Carl led me through the bustling crowd towards where the band was playing, my heart sank as I caught sight of Caleb and Antonette. She was standing so close to him, chatting animatedly and laughing. Damned, I felt a pang of jealousy shoot through me. Carl must have noticed the change in my demeanor because he squeezed my hand reassuringly.

“Hey, let’s focus on enjoying the music,” he said softly. “Forget about them for now.”

“Okay,” swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded as I tried to push the unwanted feelings aside as we found a spot to watch the band perform. But no matter how hard I tried to distract myself, my gaze kept drifting back to Caleb and Antonette, and the knot of jealousy in my stomach only tightened.

Dammit, why do I feel this? We were just dating? It was not natural to feel this way. This possessiveness and jealousy in my heart right now were not important. I didn’t own Caleb and he had the freedom to interact with others.

I gasped as Carl hugged me from behind, his mouth pressing against my neck. The music pulsed around us, and we swayed to the rhythm, feeling his body move with mine.

“You know, you look cute when you’re jealous,” he whispered in my ear, his lips brushing against my skin. “Like a child whose favorite toy got snatched.”

I rolled my eyes, “If she’s someone we know, I won’t be jealous.”

He chuckled. “So, it’s jealousy then? You finally said it.” He sounded so amused.

I sighed, feeling a twinge of frustration. “I don’t like the way she’s throwing herself at Caleb.”

“You think Caleb would fall for that?” Carl countered, his tone gentle but probing.

“I wonder if Caleb would fall for it or not,” I replied, crossing my arms defensively. “You fell for it, remember?”

He reached out to cup my cheek, making me strain my neck to look at him. “Sasha, you know Caleb. He’s loyal to you. And you know me too. I wouldn’t let anything happen again. It won’t happen again.”

I touched his face, leaning into his palm. “I know, Carl. It’s just... hard not to worry sometimes.”

He pulled me into a hug, holding me close. “I understand. But let’s not let her ruin our night, okay? We’re here to have fun, remember?”

I nodded, burying my face in his chest. “Okay,” I murmured, trying to push aside my worries. “Why don’t we get out of here?”

“That sounds like a good idea,” he smirked.

When I glanced at Caleb, Antonette was looking our way, something in her eyes didn’t sit well with me. And when he smiled, waved, and touched Caleb’s back, it felt like a dagger twisting in my gut.

Suppressing my irritation, I turned back to Carl, forcing a smile. “Let’s go grab some food,” I suggested, trying to distract myself from the unsettling feeling that lingered in my chest.

“I want you to try our local delicacies,” he winked at me. His boyish smile was contagious despite my mood.

“The aroma of sizzling street food tantalizes my senses. It makes me hungry.”

Carl chuckled as he led me to a nearby stall selling traditional dishes. He eagerly ordered a variety of local delicacies.

It was a moment of blissful contentment. Food...They were magic to my sour mood. And just like that, I seemed to forget about Antonette. The flavors danced on my palate, filling me with a sense of enjoyment I hadn’t felt in days.

I was so enjoying taking a bite from the food that looked very similar to mochi but longer on a stick when suddenly, I was caught off guard when Caleb appeared beside me, his mouth hovering dangerously close to mine, taking a bite. His unexpected presence startled me, causing our noses to brush against each other, a fleeting moment of closeness that left me feeling flustered.

Surprised, I blinked in confusion, momentarily taken aback. I hadn’t noticed Caleb and Antonette following us. “This tastes pretty good,” he said.

I heard Carl chuckle. When I turned to see Antonette, confusion swirled in her eyes as she watched the interaction.

She then smiled. “You can have more, Caleb. Glad you like the taste. I especially like this one too.”

Her casual remark stirred a mixture of emotions within me. Despite her seemingly innocent comment, something in those eyes loomed dangerously. Call it a woman’s intuition.

Caleb reached for another piece.

“Well, Tony, are you here for long?” Carl asked, chewing his food.

“Yeah, just for a month,” Antonette replied, flashing a smile. “I’ll be back to the city before the school starts. I work part-time at a hotel, but I’m mostly free on the weekend.”

Who’s asking? I thought. Oh, stop it, Sasha. Just ignore her.

She walked to Caleb and handed him water. She seemed to cling even more to him, her hand lingering on his arm as she leaned in close to whisper something in his ear. I couldn’t hear what she said, but her body language was unmistakable. She was definitely making her move, and it made me even more irritated.

I glanced back at them over my shoulder, trying not to let it bother me. Carl caught my eye and gave me a reassuring smile. I smiled back, restraining my emotions. What was she up to? Caleb must be her target now.

“Hey, Carl. How long have you been together if you don’t mind?” she asked.

I do mind.

She was still very close to Caleb. Caleb watched my reaction, and there was something in his eyes I couldn’t decipher.

Carl glanced at me, sensing my discomfort, before answering her question. “We’ve been together for a while now,” he replied vaguely. I felt like he didn’t want to divulge too much information.

She nodded, but her eyes lingered on me for seconds longer before she turned back to Caleb, ” How about you? Are you seeing anyone special?”

“You seem so intent on getting information out of Caleb, Antonette,” I said and smiled politely. But inside, I was seething.

Antonette’s smile faltered for a moment before she recovered. “Oh, you know how it is. It’s not so enjoyable being a third wheel, I mean. I’ve been there, done that. It was boring.”

“Is that so?” I raised an eyebrow, not buying her innocent act for a second. “Well, I’m sure Caleb appreciates the company,” I replied, my tone cool and collected.

Antonette’s smile tightened, and she glanced at Caleb, who was down to his fourth stick of that delicacy. “I’m sure he does,” she said, her voice tinged with a hint of annoyance. “But I’m sure he appreciates your company too, Sasha.”

I felt a surge of irritation at her passive-aggressive comment. “Of course he does,” I replied evenly, shooting Caleb a pointed look. “We’re all here to enjoy the festival, after all.”

“Exactly,” she said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “So let’s not spoil the mood with unnecessary tension, shall we?”

I plastered a fake smile. “Agreed,”

As the night wore on and the drinks flowed freely, I could see that Antonette’s behavior became increasingly erratic. She laughed too loudly, stumbled over her words, and leaned in too close to Caleb, her hand lingering on his arm for just a little too long. It was clear that she had been drinking more than she could handle, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all part of some twisted plan of hers to get Caleb’s attention. This woman was deliberately trying to ruin our night, and I couldn’t understand why.

As the hours passed, Antonette’s behavior only seemed to worsen. She became increasingly flirtatious with Caleb, giggling and batting her eyelashes at him in a way that made my blood boil. That got no reaction from Caleb, and he looked unsure of how to handle the situation without causing a scene.

I looked at Carl.” You know what, I don’t like her. I was thankful she helped me once, but something has to be done.” When I glanced back, Antonette stumbled and nearly fell, grabbing onto Caleb for support. I watched in frustration as he steadied her, looking concerned.

“You’ve had too much drink, Tony. You should rest.”

Antonette giggled. “Caleb, darling, can you take me home?” she said, her words muddled as she leaned heavily against him.

Caleb’s expression was unreadable. “I think it’s time for us to head back.”

“I’ll take her home,” Carl insisted.

“No, I don’t want your help,” she slurred, giggling. Her face was slightly red. “Carl, you should be with your girlfriend.”

Before Carl could say anything else, I stepped forward, grabbing Antonette in the arm. “Come on, Antonette,” I said gently, trying to hide my frustration. “Let’s get you home.”

I wouldn’t let her be alone with any of my men.