“you’ve pushed this back three times.”
caleb stood in the doorway with his arms folded, watching you fasten your earrings in the mirror.
“i know,” you sighed, reaching for your purse. “and every single time it was because you wanted to do something.”
his eyes narrowed. “so?”
you turned to look at him. “so? caleb, we live together. we have breakfast together, dinner together, we literally fall asleep next to each other every night.” you let out a small laugh, more exhausted than amused. “i should be allowed one girls’ night.”
“the last girls’ night wasn’t just girls.”
you groaned immediately. “oh my god, we’re seriously doing this again?”
“they showed up.”
“i didn’t invite them.”
“you didn’t tell them to leave.”
“because i couldn’t exactly kick tara’s coworkers out of a public bar.”
“they were flirting with you.”
“they were talking, looking.."
you pinched the bridge of your nose, already feeling the headache coming on. “you are impossible.”
the room fell quiet. for a long moment neither of you said anything. then, finally, he stepped to the side, opening the doorway.
“…fine.”
you blinked. “…really?”
his expression softened into a small smile that somehow didn’t make you feel any better.
“go. have fun.”
you hesitated for another second before grabbing your keys. “thank you.”
the door clicked shut behind you.
caleb listened to your footsteps disappear down the hallway.
then reached for his jacket.
~out with your girlies~
by your second drink, you couldn’t shake the feeling.
someone was watching you.
every laugh made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. every time you looked over your shoulder, there was nothing. strangers talking, bartenders pouring drinks, people moving between tables.
“you okay?” tara asked.
you forced a smile. “yeah… just weird vibes.”
simone bumped your shoulder. “you’re paranoid.”
maybe.
you tried to let yourself relax. another drink. another conversation. another hour passed. eventually you were laughing again, telling a story with your hands flying around dramatically before something outside the window caught your attention.
you looked up.
across the street.
beneath a broken streetlight stood a familiar figure.
hands tucked into his pockets.
dark jacket.
dark hair.
caleb.
he didn’t wave.
didn’t call your name.
didn’t move.
he was just… looking at you.
like he’d been standing there the entire night.
your smile disappeared.
“…i have to go.”
tara frowned. “already?”
“yeah… something came up.”
before either of them could protest, you’d already paid the tab, muttered quick goodbyes, and hurried outside.
you knew he was following you.
you couldn’t hear him.
couldn’t see him.
but after tonight, you knew.
instead of taking your usual route home, you deliberately turned down the darker street. the one with half the streetlights burnt out. the one you normally avoided because it always felt too quiet.
“if you’re following me,” you muttered under your breath, “you’re an asshole.”
silence.
good.
maybe he’d finally—
a hand wrapped around your wrist.
you gasped before another arm slid around your waist, pulling you backwards into the narrow alley between two buildings.
“caleb!”
your palm connected with his cheek before you even thought about it.
the crack echoed through the alley.
his head turned with the force.
for a second, neither of you moved.
then he slowly looked back at you.
a bright red mark spread across his cheek.
he smiled.
“…there she is.”
you shoved his shoulder hard enough to make him take half a step back.
“what the hell is wrong with you?!”
“you noticed.”
“i noticed because you scared me half to death!”
his smile only grew.
“you noticed.”
he sounded… pleased.
like that had been the entire point.
your breathing refused to steady.
“you followed me.”
“i did.”
“for hours?”
“yup”
“you watched me all night?”
“bingo.” doing a gun motion
there wasn’t an ounce of shame in his voice.
not even an excuse.
your heart hammered in your chest.
“you are unbelievable.”
“i know.”
his fingers reached up, brushing an invisible piece of lint from your jacket with infuriating tenderness.
“i also know every man in that bar looked at you.”
“caleb.”
“and i know which one tried making you laugh.”
he tilted his head slightly.
“i know which one touched your shoulder.”
your stomach dropped.
“…how could you possibly know that?”
his smile never wavered.
“i was there.”
three simple words.
they landed heavier than they should have.
not across the street.
not passing by.
there.
close enough to hear every conversation.
close enough to see every smile.
close enough to know exactly who looked at you and for how long.
he had watched everything.
you swallowed.
“you’ve lost your mind.”
“maybe.”
his hand settled lightly against your waist. not enough to stop you from walking away if you wanted to.
just enough to remind you he was there.
his thumb absentmindedly brushed against the fabric of your jacket.
“you were a good girl tonight.”
your brows pulled together.
“…what?”
“you left.”
his voice was soft.
matter a fact.
“you saw me… and you came straight to me.”
“i left because you were stalking me like a crazy person.”
he laughed quietly.
“still came.”
your face warmed with frustration.
he stepped just a little closer, until there was barely any space between the two of you.
“they’re boring.”
his fingers tightened ever so slightly at your waist.
“i’m more fun anyway.”
you wanted to argue.
you really did.
instead, you just looked at him.
trying to understand what was happening behind those familiar eyes.
there was affection there.
relief.
and something frighteningly possessive.
like following you for hours had simply made sense to him.
like watching over you wasn’t strange at all.
like, in his mind, this was what loving you looked like.
it should have unsettled you.
and it did.
it absolutely did.
but when he slipped his hand into yours and started walking home beside you as though nothing unusual had happened, you found yourself stealing one last glance at him.
your heart still hadn’t slowed.
you weren’t sure if it was because you were angry…
or because, somewhere in the back of your mind, you couldn’t stop wondering just how long he’d been watching before you finally noticed.
note: haii guys, back with some more scary caleb content, hope you guys enjoyedd ;3