52. Caleb
CALEB
My entire being shattered all over again when I heard Jiya cry as I walked up the dock.
The sound of her pain sliced straight through my chest. Seeing her again like that filled me with a crushing wave of guilt so heavy it made it hard to breathe.
God, I wish I could go back and change everything.
“Do you not know what happened?” I asked quietly.
Her eyebrows were squished together as she shook her head, clouding her tear-filled eyes.
“Turns out that my fiancée wasn’t in love with me,” I said, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “She wasn’t ready to get married.”
“I’m sorry,” Jiya whispered.
Even after everything I had done to her, there was still kindness in her eyes. Still concern.
“Don’t be,” I replied, shaking my head slowly. “I didn’t want to marry her either.”
“Why?”
The question lingered between us, simple yet loaded with years of unspoken emotion.
“How could I?” I stepped closer, my gaze locking onto hers. “When my heart came back here… with you.”
The truth settled over us like a quiet confession.
“I’m sorry about everything,” I said, my voice thickening. “I found out what my mother did this morning. The money, the photographs of Caroline and me, the letter, the lies… all of it. I’m sorry.”
Her lips parted slightly, but before she could speak, I gently pressed my finger against them.
“I’m sorry I assumed the worst again after promising I wouldn’t,” I continued quietly. “I’m sorry, I never let you explain. I’m sorry I threw the letter at you. And I’m sorry for being the biggest jerk—”
Her lips brushed mine.
The rest of my apology disappeared the second she kissed me.
The contact was soft and tentative at first, yet it carried years of longing and forgiveness inside it.
I had missed this.
Missed her.
Her fingers slid into my hair as the kiss deepened slowly, naturally, until nothing else around us seemed to exist anymore, grounding me in a reality I had thought I lost forever.
By the time we finally pulled apart, both of us were breathing hard.
“I love you,” Jiya whispered.
The words settled into my soul, filling spaces I thought would remain empty forever.
I had waited so long to hear them—dreamed about them, prayed for them, wondered if I would ever be worthy of them again.
Those three words meant everything.
“It's only taken you four years and ten days to say it, but who's keeping count?” I said softly, cupping her face in my hands, memorizing every inch of her expression.
A slow smile curved across her lips.
“I never fail to surprise.”
The memory surfaced instantly—Jiya saying those exact words years ago at Elle’s parents’ house after she and Elle accidentally broke a stack of dishes in the kitchen. Even then, she had worn that same mischievous smile, that same spark in her eyes that had drawn me to her from the very beginning.
“Today seems full of surprises,” I said softly.
Unable to resist, I leaned in again and kissed her soft mouth, holding her close as if letting go would shatter the miracle unfolding between us.
This time, the kiss felt steadier and certain.
Certain of us.
Certain of love.
Certain of the future waiting just beyond this moment.
“Would you like another surprise?” she asked gently when we finally pulled apart.
My heart skipped, curiosity and hope rising together.
I nodded.
Fear flickered in Jiya’s eyes even before she spoke. She swallowed hard, her fingers twisting together nervously.
“Would you like to meet our daughter?” she asked softly.
Emotion slammed into me so fast it almost stole my breath.
A slow smile spread across my face despite the tightness burning in my chest.
“You mean the little girl who hates cauliflower,” I said gently, “and sleeps with one arm over her ear like her father?”
Her mouth fell open, her eyes widening.
“You know?”
“I found out a couple of hours ago,” I admitted quietly.
The truth had shaken me to my core when I first read it, but now all I felt was overwhelming love.
Love for Emma.
Love for Jiya.
Love for the family I almost lost before I even realized it was mine.
Tears filled Jiya’s eyes again.
“I’m sorry I kept her away from you,” she whispered, lowering her gaze.
“Please forgive me.”
The pain in her voice pierced straight through me.
I lifted her chin gently until she looked back at me.
“I understand why you did what you did,” I said softly, holding her gaze. “Only forgiveness will heal everything. Forgive me… and I’ll forgive you.”
Silence wrapped around us softly beneath the night sky.
Then her lips curved into a small smile.
“You got yourself a deal, Mister.”
Relief flooded my chest, loosening something that had been tight inside me for years.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her against mine, holding her close while the familiar warmth of her body settled into me like home.
Leaning closer, I brushed my lips near her ear.
“Now say the words again,” I whispered.
“Which ones?” she asked, feigning innocence, though the playful spark in her eyes betrayed her immediately.
I smiled.
“The ones that make me want to never let you go again.”
Her expression softened instantly.
“I love you, Caleb Evans… always and forever.”
The words wrapped around my heart like a promise—unbreakable and eternal.
“Always and forever, Jiya Flores,” I whispered, cupping her face gently. “I’ll love you… always and forever.”
For a moment, we simply stood there holding each other beneath the quiet night sky.
Then I leaned in again.
A heartbeat later, my mouth claimed hers.