Katherine's POV

"Caleb ! You're here." I squealed unable to hide the excitement of seeing him here.

Well turns out that this night wasn't as bad as i though it would be.

"I was invited too." He said the smile not leaving his face.

"How are you ? " he asked.

"I am fine , no actually i am great now." I said .

I wanted to throw myself at him, and hug him , but I can't risk Ashton seeing me.

Wait , Oh my god ! Ashton is here , he cant see me talking to Caleb.

"Oh my god , go away before Ashton see us talking." I said with wide eyes.

"Relax , it is okay , he is not here now and people meet new people at parties , So if he saw us we can pretend it is the first time we see each other." He explained and he had a point there but i am still worried.

Caleb's eyes went from me to Cara , "Hey Car, how are you ?" He said and i turned my head toward Cara.

"I am okay." She said her cheeks had a shade of pink , she was blushing , damn girl she really likes him , which reminds me i have to do something about this since Caleb is here.

"You look so beautiful." Caleb said making me snap my head in his direction surprised by his sudden comment.

"Err.. T-hanks." I stuttered when i saw the way he was looking at me , i felt uncomfortable under his gaze , which is a thing that have never happened before.

"You don't look so bad either." I said trying to ease the awkwardness of the moment.

Few minutes ticked by with me and Cara talking with Caleb. I updated him with everything happening with Ashton and he told what he did as well concerning our plan.

Suddenly, i felt an arm being wrapped around my waist, touching my bare back. With my wide eyes , i directly lifted my eyes and saw Ashton beside me staring at Caleb , "So i see you met my date."

My eyes widened at his words, i looked at Caleb , his eyes were fixated at Ashton's hand around my waist , he clenched his jaw , his hand curled into a fist.

Oh this is not good !

"Excuse me ?" I asked Ashton trying to remove his hand from around my waist.

"Just kidding dear." He said looking at me with a big smirk plastered on his face.

Kidding ! Since when he jokes around ?

And dear ? Seriously Mr. Jerk ?!

"Well i saw a beautiful lady alone , so why not introduce myself." Caleb said forcing a smile.

"You didn't change a bit." Ashton said , the smirk still plastered on his face.

"Well, I am flattered." Caleb replied back.

"So how is work ?" Ashton asked changing the subject.

"Work is good." it was obvious from Caleb's expression that he doesn't want to talk more with him , but it look like Ashton didn't quite understand that because he kept on talking.

"I know it is late to say this, but uh .. i am sorry for you loss." Ashton said his tone changing into a serious one.

I couldn't help the sharp pang of pain that hit my heart because of his words.

The loss that you caused. I wanted to say but kept it to my myself.

"No need to apologize , it is not like its your fault." Caleb said with a fake smile.

Ashton tensed at Caleb's words , it looks like he hit a nerve.

"Okay i have to go now , see you later.. Caleb." Ashton said excusing himself , he turned around to leave but before that he whispered in my ear, "I don't want to see you standing with him."

He is kidding my ass , right ?

What the hell is wrong with him , he can't come touch me, say i am his date and then tell me with whom i should or shouldn't stand.

"What the hell was that ?" Caleb asked gritting his teeth.

"How in hell he touches you like that ?" He asked his voice raising.

"Caleb , calm down ." I said with a low voice looking around afraid someone will hear him.

"I swear if i see him lay a hand on you anymore , i won't hesitate in killing him." His voice was raising with every word.

"Oh my god , you gonna expose us with you shouting like this ! lets go someplace else." I said heading toward the other part of the room where few people were standing.

"What is wrong with you ?" I said when we arrived to the other part.

"What is wrong with me ? What the hell , didn't you see how close he was standing beside you and who gave him the right to touch you like that ?" He said his voice enraged with bitterness.

"Why you are shouting at me , it is not like i told him to touch me." I shouted back.

"Dammit ! " Caleb said running his hand in his hair. " I am sorry , I didn't mean to shout at you , it is just seeing him that close to you made me lose my mind." He said coming closer to me.

His hand went and cupped my cheek, " Promise me you will never let him lay a hand on you anymore."

I nodded unable to speak feeling uncomfortable with Caleb's touch.

"I need to go to the washroom." Cara said making me snap my head in her direction, just looking at her face made me know there is something wrong.

I mouthed to her 'Are you okay ?' , she just nodded , faked a smile and then stormed away.

There is something wrong , i have to go after her.

"What is wrong with her ?" Caleb asked noticing Cara's sudden behavior change.

And then it hit me , Caleb was standing so close to me , and since the moment we saw him, he was just talking to me , he barely even looked at her.

Of course she was hurt !
Dammit , i feel so bad now , i am the worst friend ever, i have to correct this.

"Caleb look there is something i need to tell you about." I said trying to figure out how i am going to tell him such thing.

"Yeah say , what is wrong? " He said.

"Hmm you are not seeing anyone , right ?"

What a perfect way to start such a conversation Katherine..

"Well i am seeing you now." He said raising an eyebrow.

"Come on don't play dumb, you know what i mean." I said irritated by his stupid comment.

"Well no , why ? Do you want to ask me out ?" He said smirking.

"Ugh shut up , this is serious." I said giving him one of my scary glares which are not scary at all because he started laughing.

"Seriously now , i noticed you've never been in a relation since like two years ago , and you are my friend and i care about you and i want to set you up." I am so lame, seriously i am soo lame !

"Katherine , what are you trying to say ? Just get directly to the point." He said , suddenly his tone changed into an irritated one as if he is not liking what i am saying.

"O-okay look... Hmm.... Caralikesyou." I said it so fast and the moment it slipped out i wanted to take it back.

He kept staring at me and suddenly his eyes widened when he realized what i have just said.

"W-what?." He asked surprised.

"Oh shît why i said that." I mumbled to myself regretting what i've said.

"Okay look you haven't been in a relation since a long time , and so did she , and she is super nice and beautiful and you two would look so cute together an.." I started to explain trying to convince him to give this a shot, maybe it will work.

"Hold on." Caleb said interrupting me.

"She is just a friend for me, nothing more , i would never see her as anything else." He said his tone showing that he wasn't liking this conversation.

"B-but give it a shot , you won't lose anything, i mean you were hanging with us a lot lately , I thought you may had developed feelings toward her." I felt so bad now, i felt i am the worst friend ever.

"No no and no, i told you she is just a friend and she will always stays like that." He said his voice raising.

My heart ached for Cara, he didn't feel the same way toward her.

"But you wont know unless you try it, so.."

"Katherine stop ! " he shouted coming closer then he held both of my arms, "I.don't.like.her this way" he said stressing at each word.

"Why?" It came as a whisper , all i was thinking about is Cara's reaction when she would hear this.

He didn't answer but instead he removed his hands and averted his gaze away from me.

I felt there is more , and he is not telling me.

"Caleb why ?" I asked stepping closer to him placing my hand on his shoulder.

He removed my hand without saying anything, and his silence was making me more suspicious.

"Damn Caleb answer me." I said turning him around to face me.

"I cant say okay." He said clenching his jaw.

"No you can , and you will tell me , why? " i asked again hoping he will answer this time.

"I said i am not going to say."

"Why Caleb ? Answer me for god's sake." My voice started raising, he is hiding something and i want to know what it is.

I couldn't hold my anger anymore , so i stepped closer ,"Why Caleb ? Why you don't want to give it a chance ?"

" Why for the last two years you didn't give any girl a chance? Why ?. " I asked the question that was running on my mind lately.

"It none of your business." He snapped back at me, his anger was just intriguing me , making me want to know more.

I shook my head ," It is my business , so answer me !"

"You want to know why." He said and i nodded, but what he said next made me regret asking him , because i've never ever expected this.

"Because i love you, because for the last two years i was hopelessly just in love with you." He snapped and then stepped away from me.

Astounded, bewildered, overwhelmed, stunned, all these words wont explain how shocked i am right now, I don't understand as if my brain was short-circuited and needed to be rebooted.

I didn't have time to react or say anything back because from the corner of my eye i saw Cara standing few inches away from us , and when our eyes met , she shook her head and ran away.

A sharp pang of guilt hit my chest hard, i instantly ran toward her , calling her name , but she kept on running.

"Cara please wait." I said when i was close to her.

She stopped and turned around , i can see hurt and pain in her eyes , it is all because of me.

I stepped closer but she placed her hand in front of me ,"Stop."

"Cara pleas.." I started but she directly interrupted me " Just leave me alone , please." She said before storming away.

I felt like someone pressing on my throat suffocating me , the big giant room felt so small now that I wasn't able to breath , so I directly went out needing some fresh air.

Once i stepped out i took a deep breath , trying to calm the anxious feeling i am having.

I spotted a bench , i went toward it and sat down.

I felt so bad , for everything , Cara had always been there for me , taking care of me , and look what i did , look how i repaid her back.

And Caleb , he loves me , why ?

I don't want him to love me , I don't, he was always there for me and i really get attached to him and i loved so much but just as a friend , as a brother, nothing more.

I would never think of him as anything more.

Caleb and Cara were all i have , they were my only family that is left , and now i feel like i've lost them too.

I closed my eyes letting the tears escape, thinking of why I can't live a normal life , why i have to always get hurt and hurt other people, why nothing good last in my life , why ?

I felt a hand on my cheek wiping the tears away, i opened my eyes to meet with a worried blue eyes, Ashton was kneeling in front of me , his hand brushing against my skin trying to wipe away the tears.

None of us moved , he kept on looking at my eyes as if trying to know the reason behind the pain in them , and I couldn't help but stare back.

"Tell me why a pretty lady like you is sitting alone outside ?" He asked and i just shook my head not wanting to talk.

"You know I prefer you calling me a jerk than staying silent like this." He said trying to lighten the mood , and a small smile made its way to my lips at his comment.

Music started playing inside and i was able to hear it even from where i was sitting right now.

Suddenly Ashton stood up and extended his hand to me ," You owe me a dance." He said with a smile.

I just raised an eyebrow, "Well, you are my date so.." He started saying but I interrupted him directly at the mention of the word 'date' , " I am not your date."

"But still you owe me a dance." He said shrugging.

I looked at his extended hand, I hesitated at first but then decided just for a while to forget about everything and live the moment.

I placed my hand in his and stood up , i noticed his smile getting wider.

He directly pulled me toward him and placed his hand around my waist , it felt like deja vu, because something so familiar to this happened years ago.

I shook my head and decided to not think about the past or anything else right now.

I wrapped my hands around his neck and we started dancing.

It felt awkward at first , because of the way he was looking at me ,so i averted my gaze and looked down avoiding looking at him.

"You're breathtakingly beautiful."

My eyes widened and i snapped my head up shocked not just by his comment , but by the way he said it.

Looking at him , his smile , the twinkle in his eye , the way he was holding me so close , the way he said those words , even the words themselves, this was not just a deja vu , this thing was not just familiar, this exact same thing happened before , ten years before.

My eyes widened with realization , and Ashton's smile went wider as if he understood what i was thinking.

"It's you ! You're HIM."

"I knew you would finally notice." He said the smile not leaving his face.

__________________________________________

Cliffhanger 😎 I feel so evil.

So what do you think happened ten years ago ? And how about Caleb's confession ? And poor Cara 🙄

Hope you liked it😊
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My love ❤️