Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
C aleb stood in the small florist shop on Main Street, surrounded by the sweet, heady scent of roses and lilies. He shifted awkwardly, feeling out of place among the vases and pastel greeting cards. The shop owner, a cheerful older woman, looked up from the arrangement she was working on and smiled at him.
“Can I help you, son?”
He nodded, clearing his throat. “Two dozen roses. The best ones you’ve got.”
Yesterday, he’d been an idiot.
Showing up on Taylor’s doorstep, thinking he could somehow make things right with a simple conversation—it had been na?ve, and she’d made it crystal clear that forgiveness wouldn’t come easy. And why should it?
He realized that what he’d done to her was like swallowing a bitter pill. Back then, his mind had been clouded with grief, drowning in the aftermath of his parents’ sudden deaths and the overwhelming task of settling their chaotic estate. Every memory, every painful reminder of their toxic marriage, had weighed him down, convincing him that love—marriage—wasn’t in the cards for him.
So, he’d run. He’d thought it was the only way to protect himself, to escape a fate he feared repeating. But standing on Taylor’s doorstep yesterday, facing the consequences of that choice, he realized that running had cost him more than he’d ever imagined.
The clerk’s smile widened. “Got yourself in trouble, huh?”
“Something like that,” he muttered, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans.
The woman moved to the display case, selecting long-stemmed roses with care. Caleb watched her, his mind spinning. Roses were a start, but they weren’t enough—not for Taylor. Not for the woman he’d hurt more than he’d ever meant to, the one who still haunted his thoughts every night.
After what he’d done, roses were a bandage on a wound too deep for quick fixes. But they were something—a first step.
And yet, as Caleb stood there, thinking about Taylor with that mix of strength and vulnerability that always pulled him in, he couldn’t help but wonder what the hell he was doing.
Why was he trying so hard to make things right with her? Why was he showing up at her door, bending over backward to fix something he’d broken years ago?
He knew the truth, even if he hated admitting it to himself. He would never marry. Never fall in love. Love was messy, unpredictable, and always came with a price. He’d seen it destroy his parents, chip away at them until nothing was left but bitterness.
So why was he here? Why couldn’t he just let Taylor go and walk away?
When the woman handed him the bouquet, he thanked her and drove straight to Taylor’s house. The entire ride, his grip on the steering wheel tightened, his mind replaying their last conversation. The look in her eyes when she’d told him how much he’d hurt her, the sharp edge to her voice as she reminded him of how he’d left without a word.
He parked outside her parents’ house, the sight of her porch stirring memories of her laughter, her quick wit, and the warmth that always surrounded her.
Don’t screw this up, he told himself as he walked to the door.
Balancing the bouquet in one hand, he knocked. The sound echoed louder than he’d expected, and his stomach tightened as he waited.
When Taylor opened the door, her expression shifted from surprise to something guarded, her arms crossing instinctively.
“Caleb.”
“Taylor,” he said, holding out the bouquet. “These are for you.”
She glanced at the roses, her expression unreadable. “For what?”
“A start,” he said, his voice steady even though his heart pounded. “A heartfelt apology.”
She hesitated before taking the bouquet, her fingers brushing his briefly. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”
He exhaled, the smallest bit of tension leaving him. At least she’d accepted his peace offering.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “I?—”
“Mommy, who’s at the door?” Liam’s small voice called out, and Taylor glanced over her shoulder before stepping outside, pulling the door closed behind her.
“Thank you for the flowers, Caleb,” she said, her tone firmer now. “But I don’t think?—”
“Wait,” he interrupted gently. “I know I can’t fix what I did with roses, Taylor. I know it will take a hell of a lot more than that. But I just... I want to try. I want to make things right.”
She stared at him, her expression softening slightly before the walls went back up. “I don’t know if you can.”
“I don’t either,” he admitted, his voice quiet. “But I’d like the chance to try. Can I bring you dinner tomorrow? No strings, no pressure. Just dinner.”
Taylor hesitated, the conflict in her eyes clear as she looked at him. Finally, she sighed. “Fine. Tomorrow. Seven.”
He nodded, a flicker of hope spreading warmth through him. “I’ll be here.”
Would she give him a second chance? The question gnawed at him, refusing to let go. They’d slept together, for God’s sake—didn’t that mean something to her? It wasn’t just a reckless fling or a fleeting moment of passion to him. It had been a wake-up call—a sharp, unrelenting reminder of everything he and Taylor had once shared, everything he’d thrown away.
All because of the ghosts of his past.
What he’d witnessed between his parents had shaped him in ways he couldn’t fully explain, leaving scars he still carried. He couldn’t forget how his father’s anger had simmered, the bitter arguments that filled their home. And then, the final blow: his father ending it all in the most permanent way possible when his mother refused to give him the divorce he demanded.
The memories haunted him, coloring every decision he’d made since. He’d told himself he was protecting Taylor by walking away, sparing her the pain of being tied to someone who might ruin her happiness like his father had destroyed his mother’s.
But seeing Taylor again, the way her eyes sparked with emotion when she looked at him, the way she still managed to get under his skin—it was a stark reminder of what fear had cost him.
To her, though? Caleb wasn’t so sure. And that uncertainty was eating him alive.
What they’d shared wasn’t casual—it couldn’t have been. Not with the way she’d looked at him, touched him, let her guard slip just enough for him to see the vulnerability beneath. For him, it had been the moment he realized that what they’d had before was still there, still alive, and worth fighting for.
Now, he just had to convince her of the same.
The next evening, Caleb stood outside Taylor’s house again, balancing two takeout bags and a bottle of wine. He’d gone to her favorite restaurant—he remembered that much, even after all these years—and hoped it would be enough to ease some of the tension.
When Taylor opened the door, she looked at the bags in his hands, one eyebrow raised.
“Takeout?”
“I figured I’d play it safe,” he said with a small grin.
She stepped aside to let him in, her movements careful as though she wasn’t sure if she should let him cross the threshold.
“Liam’s upstairs with Mom,” she said as he set the bags on the kitchen counter. “So, no interruptions.”
“Good,” Caleb said, unpacking the food. “I was hoping we could talk.”
Taylor leaned against the counter, her arms crossed. “About what?”
“Everything,” he said, meeting her gaze. “About what happened between us. About how much I regret it.”
Her jaw tightened, and she glanced away, her fingers tracing the edge of the counter. “You think you can just explain it all away, and I’ll forgive you?”
“No,” he said firmly. “I’m not expecting forgiveness, Taylor. But I need you to know that leaving you was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.”
She looked back at him, her eyes sharp. “Then why did you do it?”
Caleb hesitated, the words heavy on his tongue. “Because I was scared. I didn’t think I could give you the life you deserved. I thought walking away was better than dragging you into my mess.”
Taylor laughed bitterly. “So, you decided for me? You didn’t even give me a choice, Caleb. You just left. You hurt me really bad.”
He winced, her words hitting like a slap. “I know. And I’m sorry. I can’t change what I did, but I want to try to make up for it now. What we had was good. Seeing you again at the convention was like I suddenly realized what I’d lost.”
She froze, her breath catching at his words.
For a long moment, the room was silent except for the refrigerator’s faint hum. Taylor stood still, her shoulders stiff as if bracing herself. Then, slowly, she exhaled, her shoulders sagging slightly.
“Let’s eat before it gets cold,” she said, her voice softer now. She glanced at the takeout bags, then back at him. “Do you still like sushi?”
Caleb chuckled lightly, the tension in the room easing just enough. “I never liked sushi. But I remembered you do, so I got some Kung Pao Chicken.”
Taylor arched an eyebrow, a faint flicker of amusement crossing her face. “Thoughtful of you.”
The scent of fresh sushi and spicy chicken filled the air, but Caleb’s focus stayed on her, the way her movements were measured, deliberate as if she were weighing something heavy in her mind.
Then, suddenly, she turned, her eyes locking on his.
Before he could react, she stepped closer and reached for him, her hands brushing against his arms. “After you left yesterday,” she began, her voice low and almost hesitant, “I regretted how things ended between us. Talking about the past made me so angry. I... I wanted you to leave. I thought it would make things easier.” She paused, her fingers curling against the fabric of his shirt. “But it didn’t. It just made me feel worse.”
Her words were like a crack in the walls she’d built around herself, and Caleb held still, afraid to move and risk breaking the moment.
Taylor sighed, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. “I don’t know where this will go. But after the convention, after seeing you again, I realized I wanted a second chance with you.”
For a heartbeat, Caleb forgot how to breathe. He could barely process her words, the hope they stirred in him sharp and unexpected. Slowly, he nodded, his throat tight. “I’m going to make mistakes, Taylor,” he admitted, his voice rough. “Probably a lot of them.”
“As will I,” she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “But let’s just see where this goes. One step at a time.”
Without thinking, without planning, he closed the small distance between them and pulled her into his arms. His lips found hers, and everything else—the years of pain, the guilt, the doubt—faded into the background.
It wasn’t a kiss of desperation or longing. It was a kiss of promise, of forgiveness, of a chance to build something new from the ashes of what they’d lost.
Taylor melted into him for a moment, her hands sliding up to rest lightly against his chest. But then she pushed back gently, her lips parting from his as she drew in a shaky breath.
“I’m not going to make you tell me why you left. But if we continue, you’re going to have to tell me why you left so abruptly. Why didn’t you call me until I harassed you enough that you called and broke things off? I deserve to know what happened.”
Caleb tensed, knowing she was right, but he didn’t like to talk about that time in his life. It was difficult. Even now rage filled him at what he’d come home to.
“Someday,” he said. “Tonight let’s just enjoy this time together.”
She was letting him off easy, and he knew it. But for now, it was enough.
“We need to eat,” she murmured, her voice soft but steady as she added, “Before Liam gets curious and comes down to see who’s here.”
Caleb let out a quiet laugh, his arms reluctantly loosening. “Fair point.”
They moved to the table, settling in across from one another. Taylor unpacked the sushi rolls while Caleb opened the container of Kung Pao Chicken. The tension between them had eased, replaced by a cautious kind of warmth.
As they sat together, sharing a quiet meal, it wasn’t much. But it was something.
And for the first time in years, Caleb felt like he’d found his way back to where he was supposed to be.