Relationship With My Best Friend

Chapter 6.

I hate to be the pessimist that I seem to be, but ever since Monday after Caleb and I's talk, things haven't felt quite the same. It could possibly just be that I'm paranoid he's gonna find out about my outing with Jeremy, but something tells me that's not the only thing leading me to think this way.

First, his snide remark on Monday about things being unimportant between him and Brett, and then his consistent need to be around me at all times now. Like before, we saw each other a lot but I never got the feeling he was babysitting me or being my little body guard - now it's different. On top of that, he's been trying to jokingly steal my phone a lot these past few days. If it weren't for me tackling him to the ground every single time, I'm almost positive he'd go through it and see all the messages exchanged between Jeremy and I.

Speaking of which, Jeremy and I have been texting back and forth quite a lot since Monday. It's small things - basic things - but even then I still feel butterflies from it. Not going to lie, though, this does scare me. I've never felt attracted to anyone else the way I did Caleb, and yet Jeremy seems to top that.

My date with him is tonight and I am beyond excited as well as a little nervous. No one knows - on my side at least - and that is how I'd like to keep it for the time being. At least until I can tell Caleb in a calm manor. Up until that point, it will be kept as discrete as possible.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Caleb asks, leaning over to get closer. The lunch room is loud and packed around us, leaving me little room to believe he just so happened to notice that I zoned out.

"Yeah," I smile at him. "Still just a little head ache. Nothing too major."

He eyes me like he doesn't want to believe me, but also doesn't want to start anything. "If it's just a little head ache then why can't you come to the party with us tonight?"

Yeah, yeah I know that I'm lying through my teeth right now and to my best friend whom I've never done this to before, but it has to be done. I need an excuse to get out of going to the party with them tonight because I know for a fact just saying no will not work.

"Because it'll just make it worse," I shrug.

"Then we'll just come over to your house and watch a movie or something," he insists seriously, searching my face in the concerned puppy kind of way. My heart swells at the suggestion, but sadly I have to decline.

"No, Caleb," I roll my eyes. "It's fine. Go to the party, I'm a big girl I can stay home by myself for a night."

He scoffs and I giggle. "That's debatable."

I suck in a breath full of shock and he tries to hide his smile by taking a drink of his water. "Asshole."

"Easy," he says and I sigh. "But if you insist, we won't bother you tonight. As long as you promise me you are going to rest?"

Fuck.

"Caleb-"

"Promise?" He holds out his pink and I stare at it like it's a bomb about to explode. The longer I take to lock my smallest phalange with his, the more suspicious he gets. So, I suck in a breath and latch the two pinky's together

"I promise." And before it can be an utter lie, I cross my fingers behind my back.

I'm going to hell.

•••

"Caleb!" I screech, throwing my head back against the pillow. "Leave. You're making it worse."

"I'm worried, Ensley," he tells me seriously. "What if you need to go to the hospital and no ones here? Or what if you pass out and no one finds you? Or what if-"