Chapter 11

We had finally brought Antonette to her place. She had been pouting and giggling all the time. Many times, she had tried to get Caleb’s attention, making me roll my eyes with irritation. I felt bad for her because she was drunk, but there had been times when I wanted to kick her out of the car.

I didn’t understand why, but when we arrived home, we were all silent.

I went straight to my room, showered, changed, and got on the bed. Exhausted.

Caleb and I hadn’t had a proper talk, and I knew something was off.

The events of the evening replayed in my mind like a broken record. And as much as I wanted to blame Caleb for everything that had gone wrong, I knew deep down that the real problem was me. I was consumed by jealousy.

I sighed. What was wrong with me?

Making up my mind, I went to his room. The guest room was on the opposite side of the house, where Carl’s parent’s room was. Carl’s room was next to his. Slowly, I padded softly toward Caleb’s room. The hallway felt endless.

Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I raised my hand to knock softly, but before I could, Caleb’s cursing reached my ears, making me turn my head to where his voice was coming from.

What was he doing on the terrace?

I approached cautiously, seeing him at the corner standing, his fist clenched at his side and a look of annoyance etched on his face. He was on the phone, his voice low and seething as he spoke.

“I told you I would handle it,” he snapped, his tone sharp and clipped. “Just give me more time, okay? I’ll talk to Pop after a month. I’d be ready by then.”

A month to what?

I couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but Caleb’s words worried me. Whatever was going on, it sounded serious.

“If she can’t accept it, then I’ll bear it. We’re no longer friends anyway. I’ll be fine. If she chooses Carl, they have my support.....Yeah, I know...This is my problem, Conrad. Let me deal with this.”

With that, he abruptly ended the call, his jaw clenched tightly as he stared out into the darkness beyond.

I hesitated for a moment.

Clearly, I was involved. That was his brother, and the last time I remember, after meeting his brother, he seemed to change. And now, he said he would give us his support if I’d choose Carl? I scoffed in my head. He surely was sure about that, huh?

“Caleb?” I called. “Is everything okay?”

“How long have you been eavesdropping?” he asked without turning to me.

“Not long,” I admitted quietly as I stepped closer. “I heard my name.” I saw his shoulders slightly flinch.

He let out a heavy sigh, finally turning to face me. His usually warm eyes were clouded with emotions I couldn’t read. “That was Conrad,” he said dismissively.

“There is more to it than that. Tell me.”

“Were you jealous of Antonette?” he asked, his face still serious.

“What’s the connection?″

“Just answer me,”

I took a deep breath, trying to collect my thoughts before answering. “Yes, I was jealous,” I admitted reluctantly. “But not just because of Antonette.”

He raised an eyebrow, his expression urging me to continue.

“It’s because of everything that happened tonight,” I explained, my words tumbling out in a rush. “Antonette’s behavior, the way she was clinging to you, the way you seemed to be ignoring me... going with her like that as if it wouldn’t affect me. It made me feel like I was being pushed aside like I didn’t matter.”

“I had to do it, right? I had to keep up an appearance.” He said with bitterness in his voice, making me look at him, confused. “I didn’t go with her because I wanted to. I did it because I didn’t want her to suspect anything between us. I didn’t want her to cause any trouble.”

“Well, congratulations,” I retorted bitterly. “You managed to upset me anyway.”

“Why it pleases me?”

When I looked at him, the corner of his mouth twitched into a smile. “Crazy. Why does it please you?”

He chuckled softly, the sound warm and familiar. “Because it means I mean something to you,” he said, his gaze softening as he looked at me. “Because even when we argue like this, even when you’re frustrated at me, there’s still that spark in your eyes for me that tells me you want me. That connection reminds me why I fell for you in the first place.”

His words gave me a fluttering feeling in my chest, making me blush. He reached out to cup my cheek. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just... I didn’t know what else to do.”

I sighed, leaning into his touch. “Caleb,”

He hummed, running his thumb over my cheek.

“I won’t choose between you and Carl. I want both of you.” I said, taking a deep breath. “Antonette’s presence tonight made me realize something. I can’t stand the thought of any other woman trying to claim you or Carl. She had her eyes on Carl once, and it still stung. She tried to get you, thinking you were single, but I was jealous, and it scared me.”

“Listen, Sasha,” he said gently, his touch left my skin. "She can't come between us. I assure you. I've never wanted a woman the way I want you. I want you so much it hurts, but there’s something I want you to know. Knowing you were jealous gave me little hope." He sighed. "You can tell me again that I mean something to you after I tell you everything. Tell me if you won’t choose between me and Carl when you learn everything about me.”

“Everything about you?” I asked, reminding me of the conversation he had with Conrad on the phone, something about accepting it. What’s it?

“Carl knows it.”

“And I don’t.”

“You don’t,”

“That’s upsetting,” I huffed.

“Knowing it will be more upsetting. Come here, I want to talk about this with Carl.”

We softly walked to Carl’s room, expecting to find him awake, but to my amusement, he was already sprawled out on the bed, snoring softly. A sheet covered his lower body, and I knew he slept naked.

He looked so comfortable in his own skin, even in his sleep.

I felt like pulling the sheet off him and seeing what was beneath it. His soldier surely looked awake. My mouth watered.

“Hey there, Sleeping Beauty,” Caleb said, and I tried to stifle my laughter. “Looks like you’re really enjoying your beauty rest.”

“De Silva,” Caleb said again, gently nudging his shoulder.

Carl stirred, mumbling something incoherent before slowly blinking his eyes open. His expression quickly changed from confusion to realization when he saw me.

“Pumpkin?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes sleepily. “What are you doing here? Damned, I thought it was real. I had my cock deep in your pussy.”

I shivered at his words. He must have been still so sleepy to say that.

Caleb chuckled. “Not so new. Many times he had jerked off calling your name.”

I blushed furiously at Caleb’s comment, feeling embarrassed, but shit, my clit throbbed. “That’s not exactly the kind of wake-up call I was expecting.”

“Caleb did the same, Pumpkin. I’m not the only one.”

Caleb’s amused chuckle only added to my mortification. “Can we stop this, please?” I said, trying to sound upset.

“Sorry, Pumpkin,” Carl said, “I guess I’m still half-asleep.”

“Well, consider yourself fully awake now,” I said, and took the available chair, facing them.

Carl groggily sat upright, the sheet pooling down at his waist, his tousled hair adding to his disheveled appearance. His naked body was a distraction to my eyes. I needed to concentrate.

Caleb sat next to him, looking serious as he watched me. “My brother is bugging me to get over you because you are a distraction.”

I gasped, “Distraction?” I asked. That hurt.

“Yeah, he thinks I’m getting too involved with you. Thinks it’s not healthy for me and for the business to be so wrapped up in this... emotion.”

I felt a knot form in my stomach. “So you ask for a month to handle me? What is it with me that is not healthy for your business?”

“Sasha,” Caleb’s voice changed in tone. There was something in his voice and in his eyes that tugged at my heartstrings. “My family runs a business that’s out of the ordinary........”

His explanation went on.

Telling me something I hadn’t heard from him before.

The Amethyst...

The way he described the place to me made me breathlessly curious. He was taking a risk by telling me about the place, which was not an average business.

A place that provided a safe and respectful environment for people to explore their desires and fantasies.

Was that even possible?

I took a moment to process his words, feeling a rush of conflicting emotions. On one hand, I was surprised by Caleb’s honesty and openness about his family’s business. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of unease at the thought of being involved with something so... uncommon.

“What Caleb really wants here Pumpkin is for you to accept him as he is, all of him, including his business as he’ll be one of the owners along with his brother whether he accepts it or not. He’s been scared out of his wit that if you find out about it, you’ll run for the hills and feel disgusted, right? Man?” Carl asked, yawning.

Caleb’s jaw clenched, but he did not correct Carl. “I want you to decide now, Sasha. I don’t want to hope. I’ll accept my fate that no woman will accept me for that.

“Are you saying that it’s not only the business, Cal, but it’s what’s happening there? That you want to do it too?” I felt a shiver run down my spine at the look on his face.

His tongue came out to wet his lips. I saw Carl’s lap and the bulge that formed there, causing my breath to hitch. Talking about it gave him a hard-on!

“It’s accepting all parts of myself, even the ones that society might see as unconventional or taboo,” Caleb said.

It was a lot to process, but deep down, I believed that love wasn’t about fitting into a mold or conforming to societal norms. It was about accepting each other for who we truly were, flaws and all.

I wanted to be a part of his life, no matter what. I may not fully grasp everything right now, but I’d be willing to learn and grow with him.

“You’re killing me, Sasha. Your silence is like a bullet, you know that.” Caleb sighed, dropping his body on the bed and covering his eyes with his arm.

“Know that I won’t give up on you, Pumpkin. You said it. I’m your boyfriend. I won’t break up with you even if you do.” Carl stated calmly.

I would give up neither of them.

They had shown me what it was like to be loved. I wanted to keep that.

I found myself walking to the bed, and to their surprise, I climbed on Caleb’s body.

Caleb’s eyes widened in surprise as I straddled his waist. His arms fell away from his face, revealing the vulnerability and longing hidden beneath.

“Sasha...” he whispered in a barely above a breath, hope coloring his tone.

I reached out, trailing my fingers lightly along his jawline, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my touch. “I’m not going anywhere, Caleb,” I said softly, meeting his stormy eyes. “I’m here because I want to be here, and because I choose to be. You and Carl... you both mean a lot to me.”