He Loved Me, But Never Said It
Chapter 7: The Coward’s Confession
7
The whole world knew Natalie liked Caleb, but whether Caleb liked Natalie—even Natalie herself didn’t know.
“Say something, Caleb!” Twenty-seven-year-old Natalie was also shouting at Caleb.
Caleb rushed over and hugged me. He stroked my head. He held me in his arms, as if I was his most precious treasure.
“I’m sorry, Nat.” He kept rubbing my head.
I pushed him away. “Seven years, we’ve been together for seven years—can’t you give me an explanation? Even if it’s a lie.”
All these years, what have you been doing? Neglecting me on one hand, secretly buying a ring on the other.
“Fine. I admit it.” Caleb suddenly spoke. “I admit I’m a coward.”
His words hung between us, heavier than any silence. For the first time, I wondered if loving him was brave—or just foolish. My breath caught in my throat, and for a heartbeat the only thing I could hear was the low hum of the old refrigerator in the kitchen, the two of us locked in that strange space between heartbreak and hope.
